Is showing appreciation the key to worker productivity?

Showing your staff that you appreciate the work they have done over the past 12 months could be just what your organisation needs to boost productivity, results of a survey suggest.

Although productivity software can go some way towards getting the most out of your staff, giving them a proverbial pat on the back can also pay off in the long run, Glassdoor discovered.

The Employee Appreciation Survey showed that 53 per cent of workers would stay with their employer longer if they received recognition for their efforts.

Not only this, a further 81 per cent would be motivated to be more productive if their boss praised them for the tasks they had carried out.

Allyson Willoughby, senior vice-president of people and general counsel at Glassdoor, explained to the publication that appreciation is something businesses of any size can achieve.

She commented: "Everyone wants to feel appreciated and everyone values a simple 'thank you'.

"This doesn't happen enough in the workplace, but showing simple forms of appreciation can really go a long way in motivating employees to work harder and be more productive."

More than two-thirds (68 per cent) of workers polled said their boss does show them enough recognition, while 24 per cent revealed that employees with greater experience tend to receive the most reward.

A further 23 per cent revealed that their manager shows more appreciation to newer employees than those who have been with the company for longer periods of time.

Similar findings were recently made by Roy Morgan Research, which revealed that Australian workers feel they should be given more recognition for their efforts at work.

Just over half (55.3 per cent) said they were satisfied with the recognition they receive in their job, with 93.3 per cent of them generally being happy in their current role.