Does recognition, like Christmas, come just once a year?

Despite all the talk about how recognition motivates and retains good employees, it appears many employers haven’t gotten the message.

At least that’s what emerges from a study done by recognition consultants Bersin & Associates. The study is based on two online surveys of employees at 834 organizations, and a set of research interviews with 34 HR and talent management execs.

Surprising neglect
According to Bersin, 70% of the employees surveyed said they were recognized only annually, or not at all. That’s nothing short of astonishing, when you consider all the research showing the tight connection between regular recognition on one hand and employee satisfaction and productivity on the other.

Moreover, among the organizations that do have some kind of formal recognition program, 87% told Bersin that their program recognizes nothing more than length of service.

Clearly, there’s an opportunity for HR pros to distinguish their organization by encouraging managers to recognize employees frequently, and for the right reasons – superior effort, teamwork, idea generation, performance and the like.

Source: www.bersin.com