The Importance of Employee Recognition

Employees and employers may not always see eye to eye on this topic. Employees may feel overworked at times and not appreciated for their efforts, while employers may feel that employees are just doing the job they are paid to do. This creates an atmosphere of frustration and high expectations with low performance and motivation.

Employees not only want good pay and benefits, they also want to be valued for their work, treated fairly, have pride in the work they do, and have advancement opportunities within the organization. Recognition and rewards play an important role in a company to attract and retain their employees. It is the day-to-day interactions that make employees feel that their contributions are important to the company and that they are recognized for their own unique qualities. This type of recognition contributes to high morale in the work environment.


Organizations that practice employee recognition and appreciation have found that it leads to higher performance levels within their workforce. Recognizing excellent performance openly builds motivation within the entire organization. Recognition inside an organization is not meant to just reward one individual but to motivate your entire staff. When employees see other employees being rewarded for the work they have done it becomes a chain reaction; employees repeat positive actions so that their work will also be appreciated.

If you plan on starting an effective recognition program at your company there are three simple things to keep in mind when implementing a program so that your efforts are not wasted.

• The recognition program does not exclude any employees
• The employees know exactly what should be accomplished in order to earn recognition and rewards
• The manager’s success is tied to the employees’ success


There are various ways you can express employee appreciation, such as a nice big bonus! Unfortunately with today’s economy many organizations can no longer afford to use money as an incentive for work performance. Many companies have opted for awards such as plaques or medals, which are low costing, and can be personalized. These awards can be publicly displayed and are valued by the receiver.

Recognition has shown to boost morale and improve work performance within your entire organization. Appreciated employees thrive to excel in their work. If you want a productive and motivated workforce you should make it a priority to show your gratitude where gratitude is due!