Employees who took the Postal Pulse survey have expressed interest in the question that asked if they had received recognition or praise for doing good work within the past week.
The question underscores the link between feeling appreciated and being productive, said Acting Employee Resource Management VP Nancy Rettinhouse.
“All of us have a basic need to feel appreciated for what we do. Providing frequent recognition to employees has been shown to improve the success of an organization,” Rettinhouse said.
Recognition is most effective when it’s focused on an individual and when it’s deserved, according to research by Gallup, which administered the Postal Pulse.
“Recognition has a short shelf life. It needs to be done frequently, at least once every seven days, to have the most positive effect,” Rettinhouse said.
Gallup’s research also shows that effective employee recognition can have lasting effects. Employees who don’t feel adequately recognized are twice as likely to say they will leave the organization in the next year, affecting productivity, revenue and customer loyalty.
Employee recognition also provides one of the greatest opportunities to increase employee involvement throughout the organization, the research shows.
More information about Gallup’s research is available on the Postal Pulse site on Blue.