Smart Company has reported on a new survey involving 3,053 employees that found that 62% of employees believe their managers are “Very Poor”, “Poor” or just “Satisfactory” at offering praise to their employees. 

It is important to praise employees for a job well done. Managers need to make the time to recognise their people, especially in tough economic times where employees are often taking on extra responsibilities. It is essential for an employee to know their managers are supporting them and recognising their extra efforts.  

52 percent of employees surveyed said that this lack of recognition will play a huge part in their decision to leave an organisation, and 28 percent would leave if they were not receiving any recognition at all.

• Managers don't know their people - two thirds of employees, across all generations are convinced their managers don't know what motivates them to be more productive, proving managers need to take the time to get to know what inspires and drives their people.
• Employees lose out when recognition is up to the Manager - 70% of employees say the level of praise they receive from their manager depends on the priorities of the manager and the manager's style, and only 30 percent receive praise because it is company policy. 
• Praise is not frequent enough - One in five employees does not receive any praise at all or at best, it only happens once per year.
• Recognition means the most from the manager - close to half of employees surveyed want to be recognised directly by their manager on a one on one basis. 
• This was followed by 37% who want a combination of recognition in front of their team, the entire company, one to one with the manager, and privately over email or a hand written note.