How businesses recognize employee achievement impacts engagement, motivation and performance

Thursday, September 14, 2023
Two employees shaking hands

New research shows that team-based recognition can be effective in settings where performance is highly interdependent, and teamwork is essential to the company’s success.

Businesses are becoming increasingly competitive as they fight to recruit and retain top talent. Recognition programs are widespread across businesses and workplaces, and are used to improve employee engagement, while motivating employee effort and performance. Despite recognition programs being commonplace, only a few studies have examined their impact in organizational settings, and most of this research focuses on the efficacy of individual-based recognition programs. New research from the University of Waterloo shows that team-based recognition can be effective in settings where performance is highly interdependent, and teamwork is essential to the company’s success.

“Our findings, based on actual employees performing their real jobs, provides compelling evidence of the efficacy of team-based recognition programs. This study also demonstrates the positive effects of team-based recognition in a fast-food restaurant setting, which is a notably large industry in North America, well known for its difficulties motivating employees,” said Sasan Saiy, assistant professor at the School of Accounting and Finance at Waterloo.

To learn more, read the full story on Waterloo News: How businesses recognize employee achievement impacts engagement, motivation and performance