Remember back in grade school, getting that gold star on your test, or the encouraging comments written at the top of your assignments? As kids, we took that praise to heart, reveling in a sense of accomplishment.

Turns out, our individual need to be recognized doesn’t change much with age.

Gallup research shows that the number one reason most Americans leave their jobs is that they don’t feel appreciated. In fact, 65% of people in a survey said they didn’t get any recognition for the good work they did last year.

Moreover, another survey reported that 69% of employees say they would work harder if their efforts were better recognized. 

Unfortunately, gratitude is often overlooked.

Recognizing your employees is one of the easiest, yet most effective ways to keep engagement high (and keep turnover low!)

Still – not all employee recognition programs should be considered equal. Some methods are better than others when it comes to showing your team that you appreciate their hard work.

While many employers believe their ‘employee of the month’ initiatives are an easy way to motivate employees, new research indicates that these programs can actually hurt the company’s overall performance.

According to the study published earlier this year in Organization Science – This type of traditional recognition are counter-productive for business, as they affect perceptions of equity and fairness, which can demotivate employees who are internally motivated and don’t need this extra recognition to perform well.

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