Is Your Company Secretly Failing at Employee Recognition?

Survey: Three in 10 Workers Think Their Employer Is Ineffective at Showing Appreciation to Staff

TORONTO, April 14, 2015 /CNW/ - With Administrative Professionals Week (April 19-25) approaching, many members of the office support team will receive special acknowledgment for their contributions. But opinions are divided between employers and their staff on what constitutes effective employee recognition, according to a new OfficeTeam survey. Nearly nine in 10 (89 per cent) senior managers said their organization is good at showing appreciation to workers. However, three in 10 (30 per cent) employees gave their firms low marks when it comes to shining a light on their achievements.

The surveys of managers and workers were developed by OfficeTeam, a staffing service specializing in the placement of highly skilled administrative professionals. They were conducted by an independent research firm and include responses from more than 600 senior managers with 20 or more employees, and more than 900 workers 18 years or older and employed in office environments in the United States and Canada.

Managers and workers were asked, "How effective do you think your company is at recognizing employees for good performance?" Their responses:

	Managers	Workers
Very effective	33%	27%
Somewhat effective	56%	43%
Not too effective	10%	20%
Not at all effective	1%	10%
	100%	100%

View an infographic with the research results and other findings about employee recognition.

"Acknowledging staff just once or twice a year for their hard work isn't enough -- regularly saying 'thank you' or offering small tokens of appreciation can speak volumes," said Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam. "Giving kudos for a job well done seems obvious, but when managers are time-strapped, this can be one of the first things that slips."

Hosking added, "Companies that excel at recognition combine formal programs with everyday gestures of gratitude."

OfficeTeam offers five tips for managers when recognizing staff:

1.    Say thanks. Regularly acknowledge employees' great work verbally. Point out how their efforts will help the company or assist clients and customers.
2.    Put it in writing. Prepare a handwritten thank-you note or copy senior executives on an email about a worker's accomplishment. 
3.    Publicize achievements. Feature standout employees in the company newsletter or recognize them at a staff meeting. 
4.    Support continuing education. Provide tuition assistance for courses that will help workers in their jobs and subsidize the cost of exams required to attain professional certifications.
5.    Give a little. Offer gift cards, movie passes or sporting event tickets to employees who go above and beyond on a project.

For additional staff appreciation ideas, download 20 Easy Ways to Rock at Employee Recognition, a tip sheet available at http://bit.ly/1GwBQmH.

In celebration of IAAP's Administrative Professionals Week, OfficeTeam is offering a free webinar, "Developing Your 'It' Factor: Enhancing Your Professional Image and Marketability," on Tuesday, April 21, 2015, at 2 p.m. EST/11 a.m. PDT. It will provide advice on how building a strong professional image can improve workers' marketability and help them move up the career ladder. Individuals can register for the event at http://bit.ly/1HQWKee.

About OfficeTeam
OfficeTeam, a Robert Half company, is the nation's leading staffing service specializing in the temporary placement of highly skilled office and administrative support professionals. The company has more than 300 locations worldwide. More information, including online job search services and the OfficeTeam Take Note blog, can be found at officeteam.com. Follow @RobertHalf_CAN on Twitter for additional workplace advice and hiring trends.

SOURCE OfficeTeam

Robert Half, 181 Bay Street, Suite 820, Toronto, ON M5J 2T3, Contact: Naz Araghian, 416.865.2140, [email protected]