A staggering one in three British employees feels that their efforts at work go unnoticed by their manager or supervisor. The One4all Rewards Spotlight Awards conducted a survey of 2009 UK workers, which recognizes and rewards employees for their contributions, and discovered that as many as 41% believe this to be a prevalent issue.
The data indicates that to garner recognition, many employees believe they must extend their work beyond their regular hours, with 21% reporting that this is how they capture their bosses’ attention. Working extra hours ranked second only to surpassing targets (27.53%) as the primary reason for receiving acknowledgment. Providing top-notch work (21.11%), displaying excellent teamwork (19.86%), and maintaining a positive attitude rounded out the list in third, fourth, and fifth places.
Employees who engage in additional training or acquire new skills are seemingly undervalued by their UK employers, with workers feeling that employers recognize this the least (only 5.62% of employers acknowledge it). Nearly one in three (30%) expressed that their boss did not acknowledge or reward any of these instances of exceptional work.
Declan Byrne, the managing director at One4all Rewards, remarked, “Considering how few workers are positively acknowledged or rewarded for their exceptional skills and efforts in the workplace, it’s genuinely surprising that the British workforce remains as productive as it is.”
Byrne continued, “Bosses need to take more measures to reward these qualities, encouraging their broader integration into the workplace. This need not be extravagant or complicated; a simple meeting with the deserving employee to express recognition for their hard work or an ‘Employee of the Month’ scheme where one individual is rewarded each month could suffice to reinforce these positive efforts.”
Furthermore, the data revealed that tailor-made bonuses and rewards, based on individual efforts, have the most significant impact on workers’ productivity and dedication, especially in companies that can afford them.
A notable 17% of respondents claimed that it was predominantly senior personnel within their company, such as managers and department heads, who received recognition for their contributions.
In terms of industries, employees in the financial services sector are the most likely to feel that their efforts go unnoticed, with a staggering 70% believing this to be the case. They are closely followed by those in the manufacturing (51%), healthcare (50%), local or national government (49%), and education (43%) sectors.
Interestingly, workers in companies with fewer than 50 employees were the least likely to believe that their contributions went unnoticed (24%). In contrast, employees in businesses with 50 to 99 employees were the most likely to feel this way (61.29%).
The One4all Rewards Spotlight Awards provide bosses and colleagues with the opportunity to nominate exceptional staff for recognition and rewards. For additional information and to nominate a deserving employee, please visit www.spotlightawards.one4allrewards.co.uk/.
