Recognize This! – Employees need recognition. Stats don’t lie, especially when similar results are found from multiple studies and sources.

In a guest post on the Great Leadership Blog, Dr. Paul White (coauthor of The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace), offered these statistics (I wish I could say these were startling):

* 65% of workers say they have received no recognition or appreciation in the past 12 months.
* While 80% of large corporations have employee recognition programs, only 31% of their employees say they feel valued for doing good quality work.
* The #1 reason for recognition in most workplaces is longevity (how motivating is that?).
* Only 8% of employees feel their top management cares about them personally.
* 70% of employees are either disengaged or under engaged in their work.
* Yet only 21% of these workers are looking for work elsewhere, meaning approximately 50 % of the workforce are just passively enduring work they don’t enjoy.

Compare these to results from the September 2011 Workforce Mood Tracker Report from Globoforce, which found in part:

* 39% of workers don’t feel appreciated at work
* 52% are dissatisfied with the level of recognition they receive
* 78% of U.S. workers said being recognized motivates them in their job
* 69% said they would work harder if they felt their efforts were better recognized

The bottom line: employees don’t feel appreciated for what they do, but they would be much more motivated and work considerably harder if their efforts were noticed and someone simply said, “Thank you” for more than not quitting.

Noticing the efforts and achievements of those around you, then pausing to express your appreciation costs no more than time. What’s your excuse?