Why is this important in the workplace?
When it comes to recognizing others, like many things at work, one size doesn't fit all — and surprisingly, very few people want recognition that's widely shared. This was confirmed by Deloitte Greenhouse® Experience Group in their survey of 16,000 professionals, across a variety of industries, from C-suite leaders to junior staff. As part of the research, we explored the varying preferences of different Business Chemistry types to help identify practical strategies for creating stronger working relationships with them, both individually and on a team. There are four primary Business Chemistry types, each with unique perspectives and strengths. They include:
A simple "thank you" goes a long way
There is a strong preference for a simple thank you, across all organizational levels, generations, genders, and Business Chemistry types. Simply saying "thank you" for their everyday efforts can satisfy three-quarters of the people you work with, and for more than half of them that "thank you" can be verbal. These preferences represent a tremendous opportunity to make the people you work with feel appreciated. If you think recognizing people must be costly, think again. Saying "thank you" doesn't need to cost a thing, and recognitions that have a price tag attached, like celebrations and gifts, rank far behind the "thank you."
I'll take that in writing, please
While a verbal thank you will suffice more often than not, if you're recognizing a woman, consider making the extra effort to put your thanks in writing — 36% of women surveyed prefer a written thank-you, compared to 28% of men surveyed. Gender differences were also found when it comes to reasons for recognition — 34% of women prefer to be recognized for success, compared with 46% of men. Women desire recognition however, compared to men, they prefer recognition for their knowledge (27%), effort (22%), and for living the organization's core values (17%). The survey also found when looking to show appreciation for a colleague, a person's Business Chemistry type drives their recognition preferences more so than gender.
Money isn't everything
When asked to choose between a new growth opportunity, bonus, salary increase or high performance rating, 47% of people preferred a new growth opportunity. This was particularly true among Pioneers, who are most likely to value possibilities. Salary increases, high performance ratings, and bonuses were far less popular choices, selected by 23%, 21%, and 10%, respectively — surprising given that performance management processes often explicitly characterize these three factors as rewards for great performance. Instead, companies can do more to frame new growth opportunities as rewards, which could lead to an increased sense of autonomy, mastery, and purpose in the long term.
You can recognize excellent work by assigning even more challenging work.
"It is important to me to have my efforts and results recognized through not only a salary increase or an award, but rather, through the offering of more tasks and projects that require more expertise."
"Being rewarded through extra and more complex work is important to me as it shows that my superiors know that I can handle more complex tasks and workloads."
"I am early in my career, so if I were to get anything, I'd love a promotion. Promotions come with more responsibility and more opportunity to learn and grow which is why it is the best thing to get."
Key quotes
"There is tremendous value in understanding the perspectives of those you work with, and this includes their preferences for how they want to be recognized. This understanding can help create more successful working relationships, while fostering a workplace that validates its people and their unique contributions."
"As workers increasingly seek meaning in their work and reinvent themselves with a human focus, recognition becomes a critical aspect of an organization's culture and programs, and thus its success, providing its people with a sense of belonging and esteem."
- Melanie Langsett, principal, human capital,
Deloitte Consulting LLP
Key insights
Leaders, managers, and professionals at all levels should pay attention to individual preferences when it comes to recognizing people's contributions. Business Chemistry can be a framework for thinking about recognition, and it provides a guide for showing appreciation in a way that's personalized, based on the preferences of the person with whom you're working.
Where to start, when working with a…
Pioneer — Say "thank you" and offer them a chance to try something new. Prioritize recognizing them when they've been part of a big win. For an extra boost, ask their colleagues or the boss's boss to deliver the thanks, and consider who else should hear the news.
Guardian — Inquire about whether they'd welcome a new opportunity and maybe consider a financial reward. Make sure to thank them, not only when they're part of a big success, but also when you see them making a strong and steady effort, or when their expertise adds particular value. If you're their boss, go ahead and recognize them yourself, or invite leadership to share in delivering kudos. And it's probably okay to keep it a bit quiet — they don't necessarily need (or want) their name in lights.
Driver — Present them with a challenging opportunity and thank them, particularly when they've been successful in their endeavors, but also when their expertise proves critical. If you can get the higher ups to acknowledge their performance, even better.
Integrator — Thank them sincerely and ask if they'd like a growth opportunity. Acknowledge their efforts as much as their successes, and while you're at it, recognize their commitment to living your organization's values. If they report to you directly, they'll likely appreciate you doing the recognizing yourself, or you could get their colleagues in on the effort, but there's probably no need to share your appreciation beyond a small group.
To whisper or to shout?
All Business Chemistry types, when asked how widely they prefer recognition to be shared, most (49%) prefer it to be public but shared with just a few others. After this, 34% of people preferred private recognition. The fewest number of respondents, or 18%, prefer public recognition that is shared widely — suggesting few people actually want broad recognition.
Winning isn't everything
When asked whether they prefer to be recognized for success, effort, knowledge/expertise or living their organization's core values, 40% of people most want to be recognized for success. This was particularly important for Pioneers and Drivers, who are more likely to say they tend to be in charge in group situations, compared to Guardians and Integrators, who value being recognized for success as well, but put more emphasis on also being recognized for effort.
It matters who it's coming from
Results from the survey revealed it matters who recognition is coming from and these preferences are largely dependent on who is being recognized. There are significant differences between Business Chemistry types: Drivers have a clear preference for being recognized by leadership; Guardians are equally likely to choose leadership or their supervisor; Pioneers are also equally split between two options, leadership and colleagues; and Integrators are the only ones to put leadership in the least valued camp, preferring recognition from their supervisor or colleagues. Given this, peer recognition programs might be viewed as a supplement to recognition from supervisors and leadership.
Methodology
During the period of January 2017 to December 2018, Deloitte surveyed 16,066 professionals working at varying organizational levels, in the United States and elsewhere. Study participants completed the online Business Chemistry assessment, and also answered questions about their recognition preferences. Participants represent more than 4,000 organizations, in 101 different countries, across a variety of industries. No one organization represents more than 5% of the sample. The margin of error for this sample is less than +/-3 percentage points at 95% confidence level, for all groups. For more information, please go to https://www2.deloitte.com/us/thankyou.
About Deloitte
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SOURCE Deloitte
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