The importance of recognition in the workplace for the well-being of your employees and your company

Published: 14 March 2025

Do you feel that your teams are demoralised and less and less committed? Lack of recognition is one of the many causes of declining commitment. And it's perfectly understandable.

Why would an employee want to work for a company that ignores their dedication, success and investment? In this article, we tell you everything you need to know about the importance of recognition in the workplace for the good health of your employees and your organisation.

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What is recognition at work?

If you want to flourish in your professional life, well-being and recognition are two essential criteria. It's very gratifying to know that you're valued by your colleagues, manager or management. 💎

Recognition is an extremely powerful motivator for employees. Knowing that they are useful and valued, they take more pleasure in carrying out their tasks and, at the same time, fuel a virtuous circle.

Conversely, a lack of recognition can seriously damage an employee's mental health, as well as that of the company. For example, it can lead to :

deep malaise ;
discouragement ;
irritability ;
reduced performance/productivity ;
burn-out.

💡 Did you know? According to a study conducted by Hays in 2021, 44% of those surveyed said they had already resigned because of a lack of recognition at work.

In short, recognition at work contributes to the commitment and motivation of teams, which is why it must be taken very seriously by management teams. Highlighting the quality of the work, the skills, the efforts made and the objectives achieved by employees is a key point on which a manager must rely.

The 4 forms of recognition at work

Recognition at work can take many different forms. To help you see more clearly, we can categorise them into 4 distinct entities.

Recognition for results and objectives achieved

As an employee, you are expected to achieve various objectives throughout the year. While most of these are quantifiable objectives (making more than 50 sales, maintaining a customer satisfaction rate of more than 85%, etc.), they can also take many forms depending on the expectations set by the manager (becoming more autonomous, managing your schedule better, etc.).

Ultimately, recognition of the results achieved at work encourages employees to go the extra mile and stick to the targets set.

Recognition of professional and personal commitment

There are different types of employee in the business world. While some have a mantra of contenting themselves with minimum service, others show significant investment and a desire to do well. This can be seen, for example, in a sincere and dedicated commitment (overtime, personal investment, etc.) to a project that is particularly close to their hearts.

This commitment deserves to be recognised and rewarded. Even if the project in question fails or never comes to fruition. Knowing that their efforts are appreciated, an employee is much more likely to repeat them in the future in order to gain the approval and respect of their colleagues and superiors.

💡 Did you know? According to a joint study conducted by IFOP and Diot-Siaci, lack of recognition at work is one of the three main causes of poor mental health in the workplace.

Recognition of hard and soft skills

Mastery of complex software, good interpersonal skills, analytical abilities, versatility, resilience... there's no shortage of know-how and interpersonal skills in the workplace! But as an employee, it's always good to know that your colleagues, manager or management are aware of your skills and appreciate them.

Recognition of an employee's skills at work can take several forms. They can, for example, be discussed during regular appraisal interviews, highlighted in the development of a company project or taught through in-house training.

For a manager, it will be important to monitor the development of each employee's skills and to congratulate them, where appropriate, on the progress they have made in this area. Always with a view to boosting employee motivation, commitment and well-being in their working lives! ✨

Recognition on a personal level

Behind every employee, there is a human being who just wants to be understood and considered. Therefore, maintaining social ties and quality relationships with different employees is an essential component for fulfilment and well-being. And this recognition can manifest itself in different ways in the workplace:

making sure you say hello to your colleagues every day 👋 (sounds silly, but it's the basis of recognition!) ;
ask about an employee's family;
being flexible and accommodating in certain situations (e.g. adapting an employee's timetable to allow them to pick up their child from school);
discussing each person's career development prospects, their ambitions, their future plans; etc.

💡 Did you know? An OpinionWay study published in 2022 tells us that 84% of employees questioned say that recognition at work is essential to their well-being.

The 3 main benefits of recognition at work

Making recognition at work a pillar of your organisation offers a number of advantages. The more an employee feels fairly valued, the more positive the benefits will be, both for them and for your company.

Increased commitment and productivity

When you make an effort, it's legitimate to want to be recognised for it. So congratulating an employee on their commitment to their work is the best way to maintain a high level of commitment. An individual motivated by a desire for recognition is naturally inclined to maintain his or her efforts. For the company, this translates into a positive impact on productivity, attachment and the feeling of belonging.

Improved well-being

This is a key notion within the professional environment. Ensuring the well-being of employees should be a priority objective for any company. ☝️

Especially when we know the negative impact of poor mental health in the workplace (increased absenteeism, loss of motivation, etc.). Yet recognition at work is one of the main levers that can be activated when it comes to having a positive impact on employee well-being.

💡 Did you know? According to a survey carried out by Globoforce, over 70% of employees say that recognition at work makes them happier and more fulfilled, both in their private and professional lives.

Long-term loyalty

The talent drain is a scourge for many companies. There are many reasons why this phenomenon has been on the rise in recent years, including :

an overly vertical hierarchy ;
a working environment that is too strict (yes, when you've had a taste of the joys of teleworking, it's hard to be forced back into open space 😅 ) ;
a lack of visibility on career development opportunities;
a lack of recognition at work.

And it's this last point that particularly interests us. An employee who feels useless, devalued or simply ignored will quickly develop a desire to go elsewhere. The result? A soaring staff turnover rate and employees who are impervious to the company's attempts to retain them. So, to prevent your top performers from leaving to join the competition, it's essential to show them your appreciation and gratitude on a regular basis!

Did you know? 25% of employees questioned in an OpnionWay study said they intended to leave their company in the next 12 months.

How do you express recognition at work? 6 things to do

Now that we've seen how vital recognition at work is to the good health of your teams, it's time to look at the best actions to put in place within your organisation to show your gratitude.

1. Organise regular team time

Whether it's a simple coffee break 🥐, lunch or afterwork, it's essential to regularly organise moments of conviviality and relaxation with your staff. These breaks provide an opportunity to discuss topics related to work or everyone's personal life. They provide a break from routine and allow each employee's opinions to be taken into account.

2. Introduce a reward system

Recognition at work can take many forms. These include the reward system

bonuses
extra days off
and gift cards 💌

are all ways of congratulating and gratifying employees.

These material rewards show the company's recognition and can be an additional source of motivation.

3. Offer exceptional leave

All companies experience peaks in activity. This means asking employees to maintain a high level of productivity and sometimes to work demanding overtime.

In return, it's essential to show your teams that their devotion has been greatly appreciated. So why not reward them with a well-deserved surprise holiday?

4. Set up monthly reviews

In order to develop with peace of mind, an employee needs to be heard. Setting up regular meetings between a manager and his or her teams is a good way of giving importance to everyone's opinions and feelings. This is a special time when everyone can confide in each other about the problems they encounter in their work, the points they would like to improve or discuss their prospects for development.

5. Highlight employees on your professional social networks

Social recognition can go a long way towards improving employee well-being. Highlighting an employee's work is a good way of underlining their importance within the company. And, as an individual, you feel valued and recognised.

6. Highlight employee successes

In meetings, by e-mail or simply in the course of a conversation at the coffee machine, showing your gratitude and praising the good performances achieved by your teams is a practice that should be introduced at all costs.

There's nothing worse for an employee than to see their hard work ignored! Systematically take the time to congratulate your staff and make sure that everyone's involvement is properly recognised.

Recognition at work: what tools can help you?

First of all, there are the classic tools, such as collaborative communication software like Slack or Microsoft Teams.

But there are more advanced solutions, focusing on sharing knowledge and skills, monitoring performance and managing objectives. These platforms aim to encourage employee commitment, particularly through a system based on rewards and gamification, and to highlight their contribution to the company.

Some of the most popular software in this area include :

LumApps,
Bleexo,
SkillBoards,
Sociabble,
Vantage Rewards.