SHRM/Globoforce Survey Reveals Growing Impact of Recognition Programs on Performance Management

More than half of companies with recognition programs also observe higher levels of employee engagement, retention, and productivity

SOUTHBOROUGH, Mass. & DUBLIN--()--Sixty-four percent of companies that have an employee recognition program say their employees are rewarded according to job performance versus just 36 percent of organizations who do not have a recognition program in place. These are just two of the noteworthy statistics from the SHRM/Globoforce Employee Recognition Survey*, announced today by Globoforce® (www.globoforce.com), the world’s leading provider of employee recognition solutions, and Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the world’s largest association devoted to human resource management. To download the Winter 2012 report, click here.

The SHRM/Globoforce semi-annual survey examines the current state of HR leaders’ employee engagement and recognition practices and their impact on performance management. Today’s leaders face increasing competition to hire skilled workers and retain top talent – a business’s number one asset. The survey reveals that employee engagement is still the number one priority among HR professionals. The recent survey also uncovers a connection between recognition programs and engagement and retention levels, all crucial elements amidst an awakening job market.

“We’re witnessing intense competition for talent that requires new approaches for energizing, engaging, and evaluating a global workforce,” said Eric Mosley, CEO of Globoforce. “Performance management has long been viewed as the underlying way this is done. Yet, as this latest survey shows, the lack of ongoing feedback continues to be its missing ingredient. By using a social performance management strategy powered by employee recognition, HR leaders can fill that critical gap of feedback. The result is higher levels of employee engagement, satisfaction, and productivity.”

“The latest SHRM/Globoforce survey shows a growing introspection among HR leaders. They know how critical HR strategies will be in 2012 and well into the future,” said Mark Schmit, SHRM’s vice president of research. “By taking the next step beyond simply talking about employee engagement and proactively addressing it with tools like employee recognition, HR leaders will have greater success in elevating all key HR metrics.”

Among the 770 HR leaders who responded to the survey, key insights include:

Employee engagement is the top HR challenge but underutilized

According to the survey, 94 percent of HR leaders say employee engagement is an important or very important workforce challenge they currently face. However, only 42 percent of respondents currently track employee engagement levels, missing an opportunity to address low engagement levels within the organization with targeted, proactive strategies. In fact, among companies that measure engagement (versus those that do not), HR leaders say:

  • More employees feel rewarded according to job performance (69 percent vs. 49 percent)
  • More managers acknowledge and appreciate employees (56 percent vs. 46 percent)
  • More employees are satisfied with their levels of recognition (37 percent vs. 23 percent)

Employee recognition fills the feedback gap for effective employee performance management

The survey finds that 45 percent of HR leaders do not think annual performance reviews are an accurate appraisal for employee’s work while 42 percent do not think employees are rewarded according to their job performance. Examining this by companies with recognition programs versus those without:

  • 55 percent of companies with recognition programs say their managers effectively acknowledge employees.
  • Conversely, only 36 percent of companies without recognition programs feel employees are effectively acknowledged and appreciated by managers.

Employee recognition delivers ROI against key HR metrics

Among organizations that measure the ROI of their employee recognition programs, HR leaders observed increases in key metrics. More than half of survey respondents saw increases in productivity, customer/employee retention, employee engagement, return on profit margin, and return on equity as a result of their employee recognition program.

Percent of HR leaders who say they observed an increase in these metrics as a result of their recognition program:

  • Employee productivity - 63 percent
  • Employee engagement - 61 percent
  • Return on profit margin - 58 percent
  • Customer retention - 52 percent
  • Employee retention - 51 percent
  • Return on equity - 50 percent

To download the 2012 SHRM/Globoforce Employee Recognition Report, visit: http://go.globoforce.com/SHRM-winter-2012-report_announcement.html

To view the February 2012 webinar on the SHRM/Globoforce survey findings, visit: http://globoforce.com/Feb8_2012_webinar

To download the full results of the survey: http://www.shrm.org/Research/SurveyFindings/Articles/Pages/EmployeeRecognitionPrograms,Winter2012.aspx

Survey Methodology

* The SHRM/Globoforce Employee Recognition Survey is an employee recognition survey that examines employee engagement, performance management, as well as other key metrics associated with employee recognition. The survey is commissioned by Globoforce and conducted in collaboration with SHRM. There were 770 responses from organizations with 500+ employees, resulting in a margin of error of +/- 3 percent at a 95 percent confidence level. The online survey was conducted by SHRM from December 22, 2011 – January 12, 2012.

About Globoforce

Founded in 1999, Globoforce is the world’s leading provider of employee recognition solutions. Through its social, mobile, and global technology, Globoforce helps HR and business leaders elevate employee engagement, increase employee retention, manage company culture and discover the power of real-time performance management. Today, employees across the world are living their company values and achieving peak performance through the SaaS-based Globoforce platform. A private corporation, Globoforce is co-headquartered in Southborough, Massachusetts, and Dublin, Ireland.

To learn more:

About the Society for Human Resource Management

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world’s largest association devoted to human resource management. Representing more than 250,000 members in more than 140 countries, the Society serves the needs of HR professionals and advances the interests of the HR profession. Founded in 1948, SHRM has more than 575 affiliated chapters within the United States and subsidiary offices in China and India. Visit SHRM Online at www.shrm.org and follow us on Twitter @SHRMPress.

Contacts

Globoforce Public Relations
Kevin Mullins, +1 508-229-1543
kevin.mullins@globoforce.com
or
SHIFT Communications
Candace Lyons, +1 617-779-1812
clyons@shiftcomm.com

Release Summary

Globoforce today released the findings from the latest SHRM/Globoforce Employee Recognition Survey, which examines the current state of HR leaders’ employee engagement and recognition practices.

Contacts

Globoforce Public Relations
Kevin Mullins, +1 508-229-1543
kevin.mullins@globoforce.com
or
SHIFT Communications
Candace Lyons, +1 617-779-1812
clyons@shiftcomm.com