Gratitude can go a long way toward building positive working relationships, and executives might have room for improvement in this area, suggests new research by Accountemps. Among businesses of all sizes, 85 percent of chief financial officers (CFOs) surveyed said they feel they do an adequate job of recognizing their employees. However, 41 percent of office workers interviewed in a separate survey said they don't receive enough thanks for doing a great job.
Looking at regional differences, office workers from Quebec (70 percent) topped the list of respondents who reported receiving enough appreciation from their manager. The survey also revealed that in the United States, workers (76 percent) feel more appreciated than their Canadian colleagues and a majority of executives(65 percent) reported thanking their employees often enough.
The surveys were developed by Accountemps, the world's first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. They were conducted by an independent research firm and are based on telephone interviews with more than 260 CFOs and online interviews with more than 280 office employees across Canada.
CFOs were asked, "Do you feel you thank your employees often enough when they do a good job on an assignment or project?" Their responses:
Yes…………………………………………………………… 85%
No…………………………………………………………… 15%
Office employees were asked, "Do you feel your manager thanks you often enough when you do a good job on an assignment or project?" Their responses:
Yes…………………………………………………………… 59%
No…………………………………………………………… 41%
"Everyone wants to feel like their on-the-job contributions are recognized and valued," said Greg Scileppi, president of Robert Half, International Staffing Operations. "Although compensation is important, professionals also want to know that their work makes a difference."
Accountemps offers five tips for managers on effectively recognizing employees:
- Give timely praise. When employees go above and beyond the call of duty, don't wait to acknowledge it. The sooner you recognize the achievement, the greater the impact your action will have.
- Make it count. Cash isn't the only reward that carries weight. Vacation days, movie tickets and even handwritten cards can mean just as much. Ask employees what type of acknowledgement they find most satisfying to ensure your recognition program remains relevant to them.
- Scale recognition to fit the achievement. A heartfelt "thank you" may be enough for smaller accomplishments, but truly outstanding performance should be acknowledged more ceremoniously.
- Take note of accomplishments. Track employee achievements so you can highlight them during feedback sessions and performance reviews.
- Foster a culture of recognition. Praise from colleagues is often as meaningful as a nod from a manager. So be sure to support a corporate culture that encourages members of your team to commend each other openly for a job well done.
- Ask for their opinion. Consider surveying employees if your company does not currently do so. Getting feedback in this way can help to ensure employers and their staff are in sync on recognition efforts and also could open the door for a better organizational communication.
