A Step-by-Step Guide to Employee Recognition That Drives Results

This post was previously behind a paywall for premium subscribers of my Substack. It is now open for everyone as part of my free Implementer series only available on Substack. Get more leadership strategies you can implement in simple how-to action steps. Join me here for free.

Originally published on Nov. 6, 2024.

For the past three decades, I've championed the importance of caring for and supporting employees. In the early days, my message was barely a whisper amid the louder voices of skepticism and rigid, top-down leadership. But as we near 2025, the balance between workplaces built on care and those rooted in toxicity is shifting. Now, more than ever, organizations have an opportunity to embed care into their core strategies—meeting employee expectations and fueling sustainable success.

With that in mind, I wanted to share insights from recent research by O.C. Tanner. They gathered feedback from over 38,000 individuals across 24 countries, which makes their findings quite powerful. I did the heavy lifting for you and sifted through the mountain of data to give you the highlights here. But more importantly, what should we do with the data?

Their research underscores the importance of moving beyond just basic employee support (think pay and health benefits) and embracing a culture of what they call “generative care.” This means that truly caring for employees should be at the heart of how workplaces operate. 

The report states that organizations should focus on these elements of care: meaningful recognition, fair compensation, emotional intelligence, and support during transitions. All these factors enhance the employee experience, but it all starts with building a workplace where everyone can flourish and truly bring their best selves to work.

Key Findings

Let’s take a look at some of the report’s key findings.

Survival vs. Thriving

• Nearly a third of employees are in “survival mode,” feeling overwhelmed and anxious.
• Employees satisfied with their compensation are 228% more likely to feel fulfilled (well, no duh).
• Physical and mental health benefits increase fulfillment by 174% and 259%, respectively.

Employee Recognition Boosts Mental Health

• Strong recognition programs save organizations approximately $8K annually per employee with probable depression. This is the focus of today's article.

The Power of Ongoing Learning

• Organizations prioritizing skill-building, career development, and flexibility make employees 68x more likely to thrive.

Emotional Intelligence as a Cultural Catalyst

• Practicing five key emotional intelligence elements (empathy, self-awareness, resilience, flexibility, communication) makes organizations 107x more likely to thrive.

Job Transitions Are Crucial

Employees with positive onboarding, promotions, or role changes report:

• 457% higher engagement.
• 438% more fulfillment.
• 237% stronger sense of belonging.
• 251% greater intent to stay for two or more years.

Moving to Action

Since I coach leaders for a living, we need forward movement to address the stumbling blocks; otherwise, all I’ve left you with is good data to reflect on.

So, what do we do with all this information? We devise a comprehensive strategy to implement based on the most crucial employee retention and engagement elements, per the research.

• Meaningful employee recognition
• Developing emotional intelligence
• Devising an effective onboarding strategy
• Support learning and development

Let's get rolling with your implementation strategy. I've opened it up to everyone for free. Keep reading here for the steps on that first very important bullet: meaningful employee recognition.

The Green Room Is Now Open

The Green Room is a place where I hold exclusive Q&A and private conversations with global experts previously unavailable elsewhere. Think of it like a backstage pass that follows conversations on the Love in Action podcast. These conversations are 100% practical and action-oriented. They are open to the public for now (free subscription required).

• [WATCH] Eddie Pate and Jonathan Stutz — Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (ID&E) experts and co-authors of “Daily Practices of Inclusive Leaders.”
• [WATCH] Dr. Jonathan Fisher, world-renowned cardiologist and author of "Just One Heart."
• [WATCH] Mitch Warner, managing partner at Arbinger Institute, where we discuss the impact of Arbinger Institute’s work, particularly the classic book “Leadership and Self-Deception.”

About Marcel Schwantes

Marcel Schwantes is an international speaker, executive coach, and author, attracting millions to his thought leadership. Marcel has been recognized as one of the Top 101 Global Employee Engagement & Experience Influencers, along with Josh Bersin, Amy Edmondson, and Adam Grant. Join here for exclusive 'how to' leadership articles, coaching videos, tools, strategies, and more.