Forget a pay raise, most workers just want a ‘thank you’

NEW YORK — What’s the best thing a boss can get their employees this holiday season? The answer may be a simple “thank you!” It turns out that workers just want a little appreciation.

A new poll of 2,000 U.S. employees found that 55% feel more appreciated during the holiday season than any other time of the year. For the holidays, two in three (65%) said they’d likely attend their workplace’s holiday party this year. Many would either come for free food (39%) or if their workplace friends came (34%).

Along with holiday cheer, the survey commissioned by Motivosity and conducted by Talker Research also found that 72% of respondents say being connected to their company’s culture is important to them. At its core, 48% believe what makes a company’s culture so special are their co-workers — more so than the leadership (38%) or a belief in common values and missions (33%).

Moreover, 63% of employees believe “face to face” communication is the most effective way to build positive relationships with their colleagues. Nearly half of the workers surveyed also noted that receiving appreciation from peers (48%) and their boss (46%) is the best way to show gratitude in the workplace. In fact, Americans valued this more than receiving regular raises (39%).

After reading a lengthy list of non-traditional benefits, respondents still chose receiving their office’s appreciation over things like snacks, mental wellness programs, and relaxation areas. A majority of employees (58%) said having a company commit to employee recognition and rewards has a “major” or “significant” role in their decision to stay with their current job.

In comparison, only 13% said they aren’t influenced by receiving company recognition when deciding whether or not to stay or leave.

“There’s a mountain of data telling leaders that success is all about the people and that recognition is the #1 driver of job satisfaction, yet leaders still struggle with meaningful results,” says Motivosity CEO Scott Johnson in a statement. “Here’s the secret to success: don’t do it yourself. You can’t do it yourself. You can’t ‘drive’ this kind of culture from the top down. We see ever increasing importance placed on the role of ‘coworker’ in companies. Leaders need to leverage that power by empowering their teams to be more connected and to appreciate each other more.”

The research found connection and communication was the central foundation for good culture. Thirty-eight percent believed their workplace has an “extremely” good work culture — nurturing feelings of belonging, camaraderie, and friendly communication between co-workers.

The most influential factors in having a positive relationship with co-workers was found to be working together in person (34%) and communicating often in a work setting (27%). The most common forms of primary communication between co-workers are through face-to-face conversations (61%), email (30%), phone calls (24%), and texts through their personal phones (20%).