By: Maria Williams

People are more productive and hardworking when they are happy and far happier when they feel their efforts are appreciated. This might sound like simple common sense, but for many employers, keeping workers happy and letting them know they are appreciated has become more challenging in the remote and hybrid work era.

A recent survey by Kudoboard of nearly 600 verified employees at Fortune 500 organizations and beyond has shown how important it is for company leadership to get appreciation right. This data and a recently released report show exactly how impactful employee happiness can be in the workplace. 

For many enterprises, employee recognition used to be as easy as a Friday pizza party or a greeting card signed by the whole organization. However, because distributed teams now regularly collaborate across different time zones, the old methods no longer cut it.

But that doesn’t mean employee appreciation goes out the window. The moment it does, top talent will be sure to follow. It means businesses must adapt the stereotypical greeting card and pizza party celebration to the modern age. Those who find creative and authentic ways to do so will prosper in the years ahead because they will hold on to the employees who are their business’s creative and financial engines.

As an employer, appreciation and employee engagement are critical to your business. But do you know just how vital these intangibles are?

By the Numbers

Kudoboard’s survey took place against a backdrop of waning employee satisfaction. According to human resources software maker BambooHR, last year saw a steep 9% drop in employee happiness, declining ten times faster than the previous three years.

A significant spike in job burnout and stress were notable contributors to the decline in happiness. More than half of American workers say they are currently experiencing at least moderate levels of burnout. Hybrid and remote work, while they do offer positive benefits like flexibility to employees, can also cause unhappiness in environments that haven’t updated their employee engagement strategies. 

Working from home, even for just a day or two per week, can cut ties to company culture and limit communication. These factors can cause higher rates of isolation and fatigue if left unchecked—ultimately leading to higher worker turnover.

In Kudoboard’s survey, they asked workers what the most significant challenges were with remote work:

• 78% cited a sense of belonging
• 68% cited communication
• 40% cited job burnout

But despite these downsides, today’s employees still love working remotely. The vast majority don’t want to return to the office full-time – they just want the feeling of connection that onsite work used to provide. Asked what their work priorities are,

• 85% rated company culture, team connection, and employee happiness as high priorities, while just 14% called it a medium priority, and 1% rated company culture and connection as low priorities.

Employee engagement and appreciation play an essential role in culture and connection, which respondents said the leadership does not always clearly understand.

• 91% of respondents told Kudoboard that most companies undervalue the effects of employee gratitude, underestimating how much it means to be appreciated
• 97% shared that receiving recognition has more impact than the givers of this recognition anticipate
• 98% said that people would work harder and be happier if they felt more appreciated at work

By the Words

The numbers tell a compelling story regarding employee appreciation in job satisfaction and well-being. But sometimes words serve even better. Here is what respondents told Kudoboard when asked about their experience with appreciation:

• “Appreciation from my manager makes me feel more inclined to work for them & talk to them more casually.”
• “Receiving meaningful appreciation makes the work I do feel worthwhile. It encourages teamwork and makes people feel seen.”
• “It’s very nice to hear that you feel you’re being appreciated because you don’t always get that message from people around you.”
• “Appreciation should be felt, not just received.”

Employees want more than hollow gestures when acknowledging and appreciating their hard work. What they crave is authentic expressions of gratitude.

So, with teams of workers collaborating from various parts of the country and the world, how can employers launch authentic employee engagement programs?

Modern Tools of Engagement

Employee engagement has gone digital, but how can employers ensure that digital expressions of gratitude are heartfelt and authentic, like the simple greeting card used to be? One way is to offer a platform that allows team members and leadership to create authentic connections with peers.

Kudoboard is that platform, empowering team members and leaders with virtual employee appreciation and recognition cards to say how they feel using words, graphics, photos, and any other media.

Kudoboard asked users whether the technology makes employee engagement authentic and:

• 92% of respondents said that expressing gratitude by sending a Kudoboard makes them happier at work
• 91% explained that being recognized and appreciated with a Kudoboard makes them happier at work
• 77% believe contributing to a Kudoboard feels more authentic and fun than a paper card
• 85% would prefer a Kudoboard over a paper card passed around the office
• 95% saw an increase in team appreciation, engagement, and productivity with the use of Kudoboard
• 92% called Kudoboard a valuable workplace tool
• 83% felt it boosted morale
• 92% said it fostered a feeling of connection and belonging

Great culture makes for great business. The data clearly shows that employees’ happiness and productivity levels improve when they feel valued.

The workplace will undoubtedly evolve in the years ahead, but one thing that will always remain the same is the need to engage and appreciate employees. Failing to do so can easily lead to an exodus of top talent.

Employers need to keep investing in modern tools of engagement. Those who do will find that they can provide the support and encouragement employees need – and that they can do so authentically.

Published by: Martin De Juan