We all like to feel that our efforts are noticed and appreciated

by those around us. In the workplace this is crucial to our

motivation and performance.

Therefore, understanding how to harness the power of ‘thank Therefore, understanding how to harness the power of ‘thank

you’ is crucial to good leadership and the efficient operation of

any organisation.

In this report we show you the results of a research study* into

how businesses say ‘thank you’ to their staff and how to do so

in the most effective way possible.

At One4all, helping organisations to say thank you effectively At One4all, helping organisations to say thank you effectively

is our business. We help structure and fulfill programmes of

rewards and incentives that help stimulate desired behaviours.

We can only do this by understanding the power of saying

‘thank you’ effectively.

So thank you for taking time out to read this report. So thank you for taking time out to read this report. We believe

that it contains some simple lessons that will help your organi-

sation to be a more efficient, motivated and happy place to

work.

Declan Byrne

Managing Director – UK

One4all Group

*Survey  of  a  representative  sample  of  1,000  UK  employees,  carried  out  in  summer  2014  

Just one in four employees in the UK feel that they receive sufficient thanks for the work that they do, so there is clearly some room for improvement when it comes to harnessing the power of thank you.

The most common form of recognition experienced by workers The most common form of recognition experienced by workers is a simple ‘thank you’ from their boss when work is done well (32%).

Just under a quarter of employees (24%) receive a tangible thank you in the form of cash or gifts at least once a year.

Incentive schemes, linked to hitting set goals or milestones, Incentive schemes, linked to hitting set goals or milestones, are the most common form of tangible reward (11% of work-places).

Just 7% of workplaces still abide to the tradition of a Christ-mas bonus.

20% of employees say that they never receive any form of thanks from their employer

ClearlClearly, we want to be rewarded for the work that we do, but

ultimately it's the personal recognition that makes a ‘thank

you’ so powerful. We want to know that we are seen as an

individual, not just one of a number, and that the personal time

and dedication we have committed has been noticed.

The research shows that the key to using ‘thank youThe research shows that the key to using ‘thank you’ to

increase motivation is for it to be sincere and based on a

person’s individual efforts.

For example, when a ‘thank you’ is in the form of cash or gifts,

having a reward linked to individual effort or attainment is 2.5

times more important to employees than the actual size of the

reward.

And yet, only 50% of bonuses or rewards given to people in And yet, only 50% of bonuses or rewards given to people in

our study were linked to individual efforts. The rest were given

to a whole business or team regardless of how each individual

had performed.

Our findings indicate that such schemes can actually underOur findings indicate that such schemes can actually under-

mine motivation, making people think that their individual

contribution does not matter as much and that the ‘thank you’

is not meant sincerely.

Just one in four employees in the UK feel that they receive sufficient thanks for the work that they do, so there is clearly some room for improvement when it comes to harnessing the power of thank you.

The most common form of recognition experienced by workers The most common form of recognition experienced by workers is a simple ‘thank you’ from their boss when work is done well (32%).

Just under a quarter of employees (24%) receive a tangible thank you in the form of cash or gifts at least once a year.

Incentive schemes, linked to hitting set goals or milestones, Incentive schemes, linked to hitting set goals or milestones, are the most common form of tangible reward (11% of work-places).

Just 7% of workplaces still abide to the tradition of a Christ-mas bonus.

20% of employees say that they never receive any form of thanks from their employer

Organisations that know how to say ‘thank you’ effectively find

it easier to recruit and retain the best staff.

Salary is just one of the factors people consider when weighSalary is just one of the factors people consider when weigh-

ing up what their job is worth to them. Feeling appreciated

and wanted is also a powerful part of job satisfaction.

When assessing a new job, 71% of people would forgo a

higher salary in favour of an organisation where they believe

an employer regularly thanks its staff for their efforts.

17% of people would actually turn down a job offer if they

didn't believe an employer would show appreciation for their

work.

Within existing staff, 68% of people say that they would be

more loyal to employers that regularly thank them for their

efforts.

34% of people say they would be very unlikely to leave a job 34% of people say they would be very unlikely to leave a job

where they were regularly shown appreciation for their work.

Just one in four employees in the UK feel that they receive sufficient thanks for the work that they do, so there is clearly some room for improvement when it comes to harnessing the power of thank you.

The most common form of recognition experienced by workers The most common form of recognition experienced by workers is a simple ‘thank you’ from their boss when work is done well (32%).

Just under a quarter of employees (24%) receive a tangible thank you in the form of cash or gifts at least once a year.

Incentive schemes, linked to hitting set goals or milestones, Incentive schemes, linked to hitting set goals or milestones, are the most common form of tangible reward (11% of work-places).

Just 7% of workplaces still abide to the tradition of a Christ-mas bonus.

20% of employees say that they never receive any form of thanks from their employer

As well as the immediate benefits of saying ‘thank you’ effec-

tively – higher staff motivation and better retention and recruit-

ment – it is also an excellent way of building an organisation’s

reputation.

Reputation is an intangible asset, but one that can represent

up to 80% of a company’s value. It is based on how an organi-

sation is perceived against a wide set of positive attributes.

Organisations that regularly say ‘thank you’ are believed to

also be better in a number of ways according to our study.

They are perceived to be:

• better at caring for employees.

• better at treating their customers well.

• better at being fair.

• better led and managed than other organisations.

• better able to be trusted.

Just one in four employees in the UK feel that they receive sufficient thanks for the work that they do, so there is clearly some room for improvement when it comes to harnessing the power of thank you.

The most common form of recognition experienced by workers The most common form of recognition experienced by workers is a simple ‘thank you’ from their boss when work is done well (32%).

Just under a quarter of employees (24%) receive a tangible thank you in the form of cash or gifts at least once a year.

Incentive schemes, linked to hitting set goals or milestones, Incentive schemes, linked to hitting set goals or milestones, are the most common form of tangible reward (11% of work-places).

Just 7% of workplaces still abide to the tradition of a Christ-mas bonus.

20% of employees say that they never receive any form of thanks from their employer

There are very tangible and measurable financial benefits to

organisations that can learn how to say ‘thank you’ effectively.

Here’s a collection of facts and figures that underline the

business case.

Greater motivation can boost performance by as much as 44% Greater motivation can boost performance by as much as 44%

source: Incentive Research Foundation

Every staff member you retain saves your business 30 to 50%

of that person’s annual salary (more if it's a senior member of

the team)

Source: Society for Human Resource Management

People place a large value on working for an organisation

where they trust their bosses. Research shows that a 10%

increase in trust in management is equivalent to a 30%

increase in pay

source: National Bureau of Economic Research

Learning to say ‘thank you’ effectively is clearly a powerful tool to growing a successful, efficient and

happy business. Harnessing this power will set you apart from other organisations, making you part of the

1 in 4 that gets it right.

Showing gratitude is so important that it can’t be relied upon just to happen out of politeness and good Showing gratitude is so important that it can’t be relied upon just to happen out of politeness and good

relationships. To be effective, each ‘thank you’ should be part of a clear and consistent internal procedure,

given in consideration of an individual doing a great job.

Size is not the crucial factor – sincerity is. Saying ‘thank you’ in this way let’s people know that they are

playing an important role in the overall success of the organisation and would be missed if they weren’t

there. This is a deeply rewarding emotional ‘bonus’ that can’t simply be measured in terms of money.

So how do you know if you're doing it right? Start by asking yourself the following questions:

• Who in my organisation would I miss most if they weren’t there?• Who in my organisation would I miss most if they weren’t there?

• When was that person last made aware of how grateful I am for the work that they do? (If it’s less than

once a week, that’s below the national average).

• Are this person’s efforts regularly acknowledged and rewarded over and above the level that they would

be for someone who did that job less well?

• If not, how could they be?

• How could I extend that same approach to everyone in the businesses, whether I have sight of their daily • How could I extend that same approach to everyone in the businesses, whether I have sight of their daily

contribution to the organisation or not?