Let’s be blunt.
Recognition programs should not be a perk of working with or for an organization. They are now expected if companies want to retain their people. In fact, a lack of recognition and engagement leads to 44% of employees either finding new jobs or the increasingly common alternative, quiet quitting. A recent Gallup poll found that 50% of the workforce is quiet quitting, meaning they’re pulling back from going above and beyond their title’s expectations or they’re disengaging with company culture altogether.
Understandably, employers are frustrated with the quiet quitting trend, especially following The Great Resignation in 2022 that left loads of work unfinished. However, employees disengaging and opting to do the bare minimum is a sign that the exchange between a company and its team is unbalanced.
Employers are demanding additional effort from workers without investing enough in them in return.
65% of employees haven’t received any form of recognition for their hard work in the last year. While positive feedback and affirming check-ins seem like a simple solution, it’s still not enough to make a team feel like, well… a team. As people feel more disconnected, they become less psychologically invested in their work. And according to Gallup’s employee engagement statistics, only 34% of workers in the U.S. actually feel engaged.
If the last few years have taught us anything, we know that isolation can be detrimental for our productivity and mental health.
Human beings desire a sense of belonging. Employees want to feel like they’re part of something larger than themselves. More than half of people won’t even consider a workplace if they don’t think they’re ethically aligned, so why doesn’t every company prioritize creating an environment where employees feel valued and connected?
High belonging has been shown to increase job performance by 56%, reduce turnover risk by 50% and decrease sick days by 75%. More importantly, building cohesion through well-executed award and recognition programs can help absolve the overwhelming frustration and isolation that nearly half of workers are experiencing.
We’ve spent a decade perfecting the art of building budget-friendly, eco-friendly and user-friendly recognition programs. We’re well-versed in how harmony, collaboration, and community can make or break your company culture, so we’re ready when you are to start a program that makes a difference.
Want to learn more about how our team can help you and your organization navigate quiet quitting through recognition?