The Importance of Acknowledgement

Love of work is something that manifests from true passion, and it has less to do with money than the psychological satisfaction we get from doing it. Think about your favourite hobby, you look forward to it because you know you’ll feel good while you’re doing it! In the same way, if we’re enjoying our time at the office we look forward to being there.

A large part of loving our jobs comes from knowing that we are valued. It has been proven through office-based research that genuine thanks from superiors creates the right atmosphere for improving performance at work. An employee that feels their hard work is being noticed is more likely to be happy with their job and will continue to perform at a high level. Obviously this makes good business sense, but additionally it creates a trickle down effect of gratitude. Being thanked makes one aware of thanking others.

Acknowledging people and the work they do is really about building relationships. Particularly in large-scale businesses with dozens of employees, it is hard to have one-on-one time with everyone. But by using a heart-felt ‘thank you’, important bonds are made that build mutual respect, which in turn leads to improved relationships between all staff.

Thanking an employee who has really put in extra effort to please a client or has used their own initiative are examples of when patting staff on the back really creates a sense of value. In the same vein, if an employee thanks their boss for the new coffee machine, or a surprise pizza lunch, the boss is far more likely to feel like their effort is valued too. Acknowledgement is certainly not a one-way street.

That said, it is suggested in popular human resource psychology that backing up acknowledgement with tangible rewards is important. Rather than using money, research has proven that rewards which create a long-lasting positive memory are far more effective. As an example, letting an employee choose something that improves their work experience is a good idea, like letting them pick a new plant and container for their office. Again, it’s all about being personal.

All humans naturally want to belong to a group. We’re tribal creatures, we like to be valuable as it makes us feel secure and we operate best when supported by our team members. Acknowledgment of our place within a group, by being thanked and rewarded when we deserve it is hugely important in office place psychology.

At Servest we know the importance of acknowledgement, we understand why saying a simple thank you is crucial to our employee’s happiness and to the success of our business as a whole.