Lack of motivation among employees is one of the biggest productivity killers in the workplace. When employees have no real drive or determination to excel in their current job, the entire company suffers as a result. Some business owners assume that cutting a paycheck to their workers is enough to keep them motivated, but unfortunately this isn’t always the case. Employee’s want to feel like they are recognized and appreciated for everything they’ve done – not just ignored with a paycheck showing up in their mailbox every other week.  Employee Appreciation Awards are often more rewarding and less expensive method of recognizing people who do good work!

To put the importance of employee appreciation into perspective, a recent Work.com info graphic suggests that roughly half (49%) of employees would leave their current job for a business or company that recognized their professional contributions. The bottom line is that employees strive for acknowledgment and appreciation of their peers. And if they aren’t being shown appreciation at their current job, there’s a pretty good chance of them quitting and looking for a job elsewhere. Unless you want to spend the time, energy, money and resources looking for replacements, it is crucial to motivate with appreciation awards.

The Work.com info graphic also reveals some other interesting information, one of which is the link between employee recognition and motivation. According to the info graphic, 78% of respondents said being recognized will motivate them to work harder in their current job. That’s a pretty impressive figure that shouldn’t be ignored by business owners.

What’s even more shocking with this recent info graphic is the fact that only 37% of employees said their boss recognized them. With most companies utilizing at least some form of employee recognition, this means it doesn’t always work. See the list of common employee recognition mistakes below.

Common Employee Appreciation Awards Mistakes

• Focusing on a select group of employees. Arguably, one of the most common mistakes business owners make is focusing their recognition and appreciation on a select group of employees all the time.
• Extravagant gifts. Employee recognition doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. In fact, most employees would be more than happy with a verbal “thank you” along with a personalized plaque or award.
• Generic gifts with no personalization. If you’re going to recognize employees for their hard work and dedication, take the time to personalize their gift(s).
• Infrequent recognition. Don’t limit your workplace recognition to once a month. While employee-of-the-month programs are a great way to show appreciation to your employees, you should also send “thanks” to workers throughout the week.