Workplace appreciation concept

Leading up to Employee Appreciation Day on March 3, Blueboard, an innovator in the employee recognition and rewards space, is announcing a new U.S. study conducted online by Wakefield Research on the state of employee appreciation. The study reveals that despite the proven positive impact of appreciation at work, the clear majority see themselves as undervalued, especially those with historically marginalized identities. In fact, two in three (67 percent) employed Americans say they don't always feel appreciated for their contributions at work.

"There's a clear opportunity for organizations to engage employees and make them feel secure in their roles by showing that their work is valued," says Kevin Yip, president and co-founder of Blueboard. "Prioritizing a culture of appreciation will not only make employees happier, but also translates to a more productive workforce, benefiting a company's bottom line. And with Employee Appreciation Day right around the corner, now is the time for organizations to double down on appreciation and recognition and get serious about baking it into company culture."

Appreciation and Engagement

The study found that nearly half of employed Americans (49 percent) say employees are less than fully engaged in their work at their company. The sentiment is echoed by nearly three in five employed people of color (56 percent) and LGBTQIA+ (58 percent) Americans. Additionally, half of employed people of color (50 percent) and more than half of employed LGBTQIA+ (53 percent) say their company lacks the strong culture of appreciation that's essential for their success, compared to 42 percent of employed workers overall.

To address lack of engagement, the study found that employees who feel appreciated are more than four times more likely than those who are not often appreciated to say employees at their company are fully engaged. On a company culture level, workers who feel their company has a strong culture of appreciation are 1.43 times more likely than those at companies without that strong culture to say their colleagues are fully engaged in their work.

Appreciation and Job Security

Appreciation has a major correlation with feelings of job security. The study found that employees who feel appreciated are more than seven times more likely than those who are not often appreciated to feel completely secure in their jobs. Notably, employees who felt completely secure in their job (94 percent) were significantly more likely to say they felt appreciated than workers who felt less secure (49 percent). "In a time when layoffs are rampant throughout the workforce, employers need to understand the role that appreciation plays in ensuring their people feel a sense of belonging at their workplace," Yip continued.

Feeling underappreciated may lead to workers questioning their future at a company. Nearly three in five employed Americans (57 percent) say they feel less than 100 percent secure in their current job, including 64 percent of those who feel their company lacked a strong culture of appreciation. For employees with marginalized identities, nearly two in three employed people of color (64 percent) and LGBTQIA+ (64 percent) say they feel less than 100 percent secure in their job. 

Other key findings of the study include:

• Non-executives (57 percent) are significantly more likely to report a less than fully engaged workforce than executives (36 percent).

• Employed Millennials are 1.5 times more likely to agree their company lacks a strong culture of appreciation than their Gen X counterparts.

• Employed Americans at companies of more than 100 employees (41 percent) are more likely to note this lack of appreciation than those at companies with 1-100 employees (22 percent).

To learn more about what this study revealed, check out the full report here.