Independent research commissioned by Maritz, a performance improvement company, reveals that almost a third (30%) of UK workers claim never to be thanked for their personal contribution at work.
The survey, which marks National Thank You week (19-23 November), also found that not being appreciated was the reason that 28% of job movers quit.
Being thanked had a positive or very positive effect on morale for nine out of ten of those polled. Two in five (38%) said being thanked had a very positive effect on their productivity and a similar number (36%) on their willingness to remain with the company.
Elizabeth Houldsworth, associate professor at Henley Management College, said: “We all know that saying please and thank you is an act of common courtesy, however the importance of 'thank you' in the workplace is often overlooked, but it is a means of achieving the goals of staff retention and also high performance. Established academic research tells us that along with achieving a work-life balance, the most important variables for employee commitment are: communication and rewards and recognition.”
When asked about the reasons for leaving their last job, over a quarter of respondents (28%) said that not feeling valued or appreciated contributed a great deal to their decision to move. Almost the same number (29%) left due to the desire for a better work/life balance, with almost one in five (18%) of UK workers saying they do not have a good work-life balance.
One in four said that a poor relationship with their manager or team was the greatest contributor to their job move.
“The workplace is changing and people want more than just a pay cheque. British workers want to be appreciated for their efforts, to feel they are making a difference and to have an adequate work/life balance. Managers and bosses need to take note of this now and put time, effort and money into making their staff feel wanted. Our experience shows that their business will quickly reap the benefits through increased productivity and decreased recruitment costs,” said Nick Bender, managing director of Maritz.
