2018 Employee Recognition Report
Recognize Team surveyed over 1,000 employees across industry, pay-scale, gender, and age on their employee recognition and rewards preferences. More updates in the works with participant-segmented insights.
For 2019, we analyzed the 2018 data from three Recognize studies and combined them into one meta-analysis on the differences between age, job title, and gender in regards to employee recognition preferences.
Scroll to results Contact Us to Download reportMajor takeaways from the Employee Recognition Report
- Cash is still king, merchandise is out
- 49% of people have left jobs for not being recognized
- People want regular recognition mostly quarterly, yearly, or monthly
- 76% of people aren't interested in micro-bonuses
- People prefer work anniversaries over birthdays at work
- People are generally comfortable with online recognition
![An illustration of employee recognition with symbols of people sitting on trophies flying.](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/trophy-6132f264584ac688caa51d443c9f31b9c759d2f3aceb968c173a2a38de64b2fa.png)
![Report icon for employee recognition report.](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/report-3dbe2d600ec41216d101bd753b9fd0392c3aaa4f510ef6462defcbe5a5cba062.png)
Get Employee Recognition Report
Download the PDF of the results from this webpage.
Contact Us to Get report![Employees working together.](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/work-9663633dc96bf2c5d5140ad028930a59558ac8acb49d04268194bae6e6335988.png)
49% of employees surveyed quit a job for not receiving employee recognition
Q: Have you ever left a job because you felt under-appreciated?
![49% of people have left a job for feeling under-appreciated.](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-1-5f1f647b5fc401f36c73593c510d51fc76c19ebf0249ce557c63bba352281e6e.png)
Most employees are generally happy with their jobs
Q: In general, how satisfied are you with your current workplace?
![40% of people give their current employer 4 out of 5.](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-2-e648fc22c4763ba185a230d5d2c279dc201f1ed9a124afe0c5056add534bcd94.png)
76% of employees prefer less frequent employee recognition with higher value
Q: Which type of recognition do you prefer?
![Only 922 people answered this compared to the 1030 people that have answered all the other questions.](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-3-1f2b91a45960ce712273cdbed2553fc7abd5884f218db21341559024a0c6a761.png)
Most employees appreciate being appreciated
Q: I appreciate being recognized by my peers for my contributions in the workplace.
![45% of people give 4 out of 5 in appreciating recognition.](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-4-bc45ce0aa6008c93b68222ddfeeddc21c88ce370d245bfbbead1d7b529c576a2.png)
Employees prefer private employee recognition from their managers
Q: I appreciate being publicly recognized by my company for my contributions.
![Private recognition from managers got a 4.24/5.](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-5-09d7c42359d5436432e8992246dc94bf2e79bcb24c2697a31f3660ef4884a667.png)
Q: I appreciate being privately recognized by my company for my contributions.
![Public recognition from manager got a 3.72/5.](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-6-3eea11853b9dca4161fd5eaef539bc5e94794c739df2d1852761f0ab8de4eceb.png)
Employees prefer private birthday recognition
Q: I like when my company publicly recognizes my birthday.
![](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-7-276a88475f59c87666f39b9933c16c37af12e0ac17bc1ff2471be000f411cdcb.png)
Q: I like when my company privately recognizes my birthday.
![](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-8-343b9dd139546c6136f48ab75adaad8872d85b73dc384ba7122b9770cb96deae.png)
If employees had to choose, they would prefer work anniversaries than birthday celebrations.
Q: I like when my company publicly recognizes my work anniversary.
![](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-9-1251603088669c5ed56378b6b0347716c9b8d9469be27cb232cc95850cfed6bf.png)
Q: I like when my company privately recognizes my work anniversary.
![](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-10-2417f838bbd2dd674aa5723544633a07a89f1a79d88be5a82a50ccce36153ac2.png)
Employees love cash as a result of employee recognition
Q: When receiving recognition at my company, I prefer cash rewards.
![4.45 average out of 5 for paid time off as an employee recognition reward of choice.](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-11-e95545538197e6ff8dd7995ea9e5ab0588c1d887a3e4493dcf4bb1b2653c164f.png)
Donation to charity is not preferred
Q: When receiving recognition at my company, I prefer donating to the charity of my choice.
![2.37 average out of 5 for paid time off as an employee recognition reward of choice.](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-12-930be4cfdbb19922a3ee17828ee1cc34823a0d9f0812c7d5025c8b110cbb7738.png)
Employees want paid time off as an employee recognition reward
Q: When receiving recognition at my company, I prefer additional paid time off.
![3.78 average out of 5 for paid time off as an employee recognition reward of choice.](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-13-3a727d1f79f1c03b22a47e9b622b1e7e579fa734e1c0fccdcce70dbe92a16a8e.png)
Employees are least interested in a parking spot of the choices we asked
Q: When receiving recognition at my company, I prefer a special parking spot.
![2.18 average out of 5 for paid time off as an employee recognition reward of choice.](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-14-cb177871526d7d9b3bbc6b6ac2b5ac52097451f8c904b8cbfcf49429586ee748.png)
Merchandise is out for employee recognition
Q: When receiving recognition at my company, I prefer merchandise.
![2.39 average out of 5 for merchandise as an employee recognition reward of choice.](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-15-09f7689726b3aadf8b093a8931164f98b3468db04a1612c5cee2eb795bbd4de5.png)
Most employees are not interested in experiences as employee recognition rewards either
Q: When receiving recognition at my company, I prefer experiences, such as a massage or sky dive trip
![2.41 average out of 5 for experiences as an employee recognition reward of choice](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-16-644d0421d630c8ad4fb4b90b9c549b86fec83befec026bb0848ac86afd1a1fe7.png)
Employees feel similarly about plaques as they do about experiences.
Q: When receiving recognition at my company, I prefer receiving a plaque or award certificate.
![2.38 average out of 5 for plaques as an employee recognition reward of choice](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-17-2162a4c60ad60394e483959b649341acfba8ee45b1cb1e5936bc96a96581ba24.png)
Employees self-report a similar motivation when recognized by peers, managers, or executives
Q: I feel motivated in my work when I am recognized by my manager.
![4.07 out of 5](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-18-30eee659da06d56c1698fd56a0f33ad4a5cf3d3afbb6068e1db20866141d6792.png)
Q: I feel motivated in my work when I am recognized by my peers.
![3.94 out of 5](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-19-56befc72f35b1ec65060de7079667995acefaef30637ec060db46c09509a9ac4.png)
Q: I feel motivated in my work when I am recognized by my company's executives.
![4.01 out of 5](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-20-e434a715f8b9f6823896693c32b36dcc5541e1cbd810f96d4aa8dcbac0a392d0.png)
Employees slightly prefer recognizing peers in private
Q: I feel comfortable recognizing peers for their contributions in a public group setting.
![3.86 out of 5](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-21-6148544eed324b4e2762530e01044ca30b4448fc5cb33da3c94c1a8718bef70a.png)
Q: I feel comfortable recognizing peers for their contributions privately in person.
![4.19 out of 5](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-22-bb551a92a39bb4155a0a5f0db45ee0a8d8e25a16f7611fbec2867ebc686f435c.png)
Employees slightly prefer recognizing peers in person than online
Q: I feel comfortable recognizing peers for their contributions publicly through an online form.
![3.58 out of 5](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-23-36281ee3a770cd2b61e7d3fd38ae81d36d6ae61812d326091b22d674502bccab.png)
Q: I feel comfortable recognizing peers for their contributions privately through an online form.
![3.78 out of 5](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-24-42126eda3d714ae20afa8194c0a083682d3c0d1cf7f2a896dcd2cdb2b5661341.png)
35% of employees have never experienced an employee recognition program
Q: Have you ever worked for a company with an official employee recognition program?
![65% yes and 35% no.](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-25-15450e6b45b8d180f435c2238f197044a2fe3aea16f624d8958b0e010b99f748.png)
Q: If yes, what types of employee recognition programs have you used?
![39% cash bonus, 34% plaques, 31% birthday, 28% gift card, 25% manager to peer recognition, 20% monthly nomination voting program, 20% peer to peer recognition, 18% non-monetary program, 15% yearly nomination voting program, 10% quarterly nomination voting program, 8% experience program, 4% other.](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-26-21c787dfdb035c2e1e925d83e60326dee2fbe4607fb90d789a19cac643469dfc.png)
Give employees quarterly recognition and you'll satisify 56% of the workforce.
Q: How often do you wish you were recognized for your contributions?
![37% prefer quarterly employee recognition, 27% monthly, 19% yearly, 13% weekly, 5% daily.](http://ecs-production-assets-598a16de.recognizeapp.com/assets/pages/demo-survey/reports/report-27-1965596dae90bd65637e2f693b91b9d3c93ac0f1915e55bac72eedbfb7d76c4f.png)
Employee Recognition Report methodology
The report was conducted using Mechanical Turk in the Summer of 2018. 1030 participants answered most questions.
Participant demographics
- 52% were female, 48% male
- 8% were 18-24, 33% were 25-34, 24% 35-44, 19% 45-54, 12% 55-64 years of age.
- Although allowed internationally, 84% were in the USA and 10% in India. Canada and Mexico made up 1% each.
- One major problem was the percentage of caucasians in the study: 70% white, 10% South Asian, 6% black, 4% Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin, 4$ East Asian.
- 49% were married, 30% single, 9% living with their partner, 9% divorced, 2% separated.
- On average people live with 2.99 people.
- 76% drive for transportation, 8% walk, 6% bike, 5% motorcycle, 3% bus, 2% metro, 1% train. One person said they travel by plane.
- 45% have a bachelor's degree, 15% attended college, 14% associate degree, 13% Master's degree, 8% high school, 3% professional degree, 1% doctorate degree.
- 18% technology, 10% work in health care, 8% financial services, 6% retail, 5% accounting, 5% education, and more across 102 industries.
- 22% make $50k to $75k, 18% $30k to $40k, 18% under $20k, 13% $75k to $100k, 10% $20k to $30k.