The document summarizes key findings from a SHRM/Globoforce survey on employee recognition. The survey found that employee engagement is the top HR concern for organizations. Recognition programs that are tied to an organization's values saw increases in engagement. Positive feedback was found to have a much greater impact on improving performance than negative feedback. However, fewer employees are satisfied with the level of recognition they receive. Incorporating crowdsourced feedback into performance reviews and using both praise and prizes in recognition programs can make recognition more effective.

1. DRIVING STRONGER
PERFORMANCE THROUGH
EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION
SHRM/GLOBOFORCE EMPLOYEE
RECOGNITION SURVEY, SPRING, 2013

2. Thad Peterson
Director, Product & Content Marketing
Globoforce
Alex Alonso, PhD, SPHR
Vice President for Research
SHRM

3. HUMAN CAPITAL
FACTORS:
WHY THEY MATTER
Human capital is the biggest
challenge facing corporations
today globally
The Conference Board CEO 2013 Challenge survey
3
“

4. SURVEY DEMOGRAPHICS
 803 respondents
Company size 

5. SPRING 2013
SHRM/GLOBOFORCE
SURVEY REPORT
5

6. REPORT FINDINGS
6
• Executive Insight
• My Team
• Talent Maps
• Activity Reports
• Budget Analysis
• Profiles
• My Activity
• Recognition Intelligence
• Activity Reports
• Budget Analysis

7. SURVEY RESULTS
Engagement:
#1 HR Concern
Recognition:
What makes it most effective
Performance Reviews:
Positive impact of crowdsourcing
7

8. EMPLOYEE
ENGAGEMENT
8
How important is it?

9. EMPLOYEE
ENGAGEMENT
COMES FIRST
9
Which of these are the most
important HR challenges to your
organization?
(select your top three choices)
MOST IMPORTANT HR CHALLENGES

10. 10
PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS WHO CALL
ENGAGEMENT A TOP HR CHALLENGE
CONCERN
FOR EMPLOYEE
ENGAGEMENT UP
How do this year’s top HR
challenges compare to last?

11. WHAT DRIVES
ENGAGEMENT?
More than half of companies
with recognition programs tied to
corporate values saw increases in
engagement as a result of those
programs
11

12. POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT OF…
12
WHAT IS
EFFECTIVE
RECOGNITION?
VALUES
BEHAVIORS
ACCOMPLISHMENTS

13. IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL OPINION, WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS HAVE THE
MOST IMPACT ON EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AT YOUR ORGANIZATION?
Appreciation by direct supervisor
Opportunity to advance
Salary and bonus
71%
41%
36%
12

14. POSITIVE FEEDBACK
IS POWERFUL
14
94 percent of survey respondents
say positive feedback has a greater impact
on improving performance than negative
What has a greater impact
on performance – negative or
positive feedback?

15. HR AND EMPLOYEES
AGREE: POSITIVE
FEEDBACK
MOTIVATES
15
Which is more effective in motivating you?

16. BUT FAR FEWER
PEOPLE ARE
SATISFIED WITH
RECOGNITION
16
Are you satisfied with the level of recognition
you receive for doing a good job at work?

17. RECOGNITION GOES
BEYOND IMPROVING
PERFORMANCE AND
MOTIVATION
17
EMPLOYEES BETTER UNDERSTAND
COMPANY OBJECTIVES
Does recognizing employees for
their accomplishments provide a
clearer understanding of a
company’s organizational
objectives?

18. RECOGNITION HELPS
EMPLOYEES
UNDERSTAND GOALS
18

19. RECOGNITION PROGRAM
TIED TO CORPORATE
VALUES
VS.
RECOGNITION PROGRAM
NOT TIED TO CORPORATE
VALUES
19
Recognizing employees for accomplishments
provides a clearer understanding of
organizational objectives
89%
69%
50%
55%
60%
65%
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
Tied to corporate
values
Not tied to
corporate values

20. THE IMPORTANCE OF VALUES IN ENGAGEMENT
Employees who say values are
clearly known and understood at
their companies are
20
30xmore likely to be highly engaged
at work.

21. 21
PRAISETHE RECOGNITION
FORMULA: PRIZE

22. RECOGNITION WITH
REWARD MOTIVATES
22
Are employees more
motivated by recognition with
or without a reward?
PRAISE PRIZE MOTIVATION

23. EMPLOYEES ARE
TURNED OFF BY
NON-MONETARY
AWARDS
23
Which of the following statements
do you agree most with?

24. THINK BEYOND
TENURE
24
EFFECTIVENESS OF RECOGNITION PROGRAMS
In your professional opinion,
how effective are the following
elements of your organization’s
employee recognition program?

25. 25
CROWDSOURCING THE
PERFORMANCE REVIEW
An open call to an organization
to recognize peer behaviors

26. 26
In your professional opinion, which of the
following would provide a more accurate picture
of employee performance?
HOW DO YOU GET
A MORE ACCURATE
PICTURE OF
EMPLOYEE
PERFORMANCE?

27. CROWDSOURCED
FEEDBACK AND
EMPLOYEE
PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
27
Do you think crowdsourced
recognition (relying on input from
multiple sources) would be helpful
data to incorporate into employee
performance reviews?
Crowdsourced recognition would
help employee performance reviews

28. ORGANIZATIONS
THAT USE
CROWDSOURCED
DATA HAVE MORE
EFFECTIVE
PERFORMANCE
REVIEW PROCESSES
28
Is your organization’s performance
review process effective in achieving
the goals of your organization or does
it need to be completely overhauled?
PERFORMANCE REVIEW IS EFFECTIVE

29. MANAGERS
EFFECTIVELY
ACKNOWLEDGE
AND APPRECIATE
EMPLOYEE
PERFORMANCE
29
On average, do you think managers or
supervisors at your organization
effectively acknowledge and
appreciate employees’ performance?
Crowdsourcing improves manager ability to
appreciate employee performance

30. EMPLOYEES CRAVE
MORE FREQUENT
FEEDBACK
30
When do you prefer feedback?
(Check all that apply)

31. 31
• a driver of engagement and
performance
• an opportunity to reinforce corporate
values
• more motivating with praise AND prize
• more effective when extended beyond
acknowledging tenure alone
• most beneficial in evaluating
performance when incorporating
crowdsourced data
RECOGNITION IS…

32. SPRING 2013
SHRM/GLOBOFORCE
SURVEY REPORT
32