UK workers are not seeing value in company recognition schemes, with almost half of employees (45 per cent) dissatisfied with their workplace rewards programmes, according to new research commissioned by Totem.
The level of dissatisfaction rises to 54 per cent for staff in the travel and transport industry and healthcare sector, with those in IT and professional services most satisfied with company rewards.
The research also highlights the importance of company-wide recognition. While 92 per cent of UK workers say it’s important to be recognised by their line manager, 84 per cent also want acknowledgment of their efforts by colleagues, compared to only 67 per cent by their boss (67 per cent).
Company culture is also failing to impress, with 42 per cent of workers not satisfied with workplace morale and a mere 9 per cent feel their organisation has a tight knit culture.
The full findings of the survey, carried out with 1,000 UK workers in multi-site organisations of 1,000+ employees, are presented in a new Totem report ‘Changing perceptions: the current state of employee engagement’, available to download now.
Marcus Thornley, founder of Play Consulting, makers of the Totem app, comments, ‘It’s blinkered to assume that employees are solely motivated by transactional rewards, such as salaries or bonuses.
‘Appreciation and recognition is an even more powerful tool, with a ‘thank you’ or ‘well done’ speaking volumes and leaving a lasting impression with employees. With our research highlighting that dissatisfaction is rife, businesses should consider fresh, new approaches to allow their workforce to openly praise the efforts and successes of any colleague.’
Further reading on recognition schemes
