How Workplace Recognition Impacts Performance & Wellbeing

Cathie Leimbach • July 25, 2023

The recognition employees receive at work has a significant impact on their wellbeing – how well they feel their lives are going.


However, most employees do not feel adequately recognized at work for their performance, their efforts, or for being a valuable person. For people to have good mental health and be strong workplace performers, organizations need to place more importance on employee recognition and managers need to express appreciation more often and effectively.


Recent Gallup/Workhuman research indicates that 76% of those who feel they receive great recognition at work are high performers, 72% of them indicate they are thriving in life, and 37% of them are job searching.

63% of those who feel they receive inconsistent recognition at work are high performers, 58% or thriving in life, and nearly half of them (47%) are job searching.


However, only 33% of those who feel they receive poor recognition at work are high performers, only 39% are thriving in life, and 67% are job searching.


Many managers believe that recognition should only be given to employee who are achieving 100% of workplace expectations. However, individuals won’t become high performers if they aren’t acknowledged for the things they are doing right and supported to become better in their weak areas. Even poor performers overall should receive praise for the things they are doing right at work. They should receive friendly hellos in the morning. Those with good attendance can be acknowledged for being reliable. In the rare instances where an employee is not doing anything right, why are they still on the payroll?



Being recognized (noticed, appreciated, praised) enhances employees’ quality of life and workplace performance. Managers have a responsibility to regularly recognize their employees as valued human beings who are essential for organizational success.

Which day this week will you individually praise each one of your employees for one of their recent workplace successes?

Why Engagement Isn’t About Perks

By Cathie Leimbach • February 10, 2026
When engagement drops, many organizations reach for perks—rewards, programs, or incentives. These can create a short lift, but they rarely solve the real issue. Engagement starts with expectations. Most people want to do good work. What gets in the way isn’t motivation—it’s uncertainty. When priorities shift, roles feel unclear, or success means different things to different leaders, people disengage quietly. Leaders often don’t realize they’re contributing to this. Vague direction, inconsistent follow-through, or assuming “they already know” leaves teams guessing. Over time, guessing turns into frustration—and frustration turns into disengagement. Strong engagement cultures focus on leadership basics: Clear priorities Shared definitions of success Aligned expectations Consistent reinforcement When expectations are clear, people move with confidence. They take ownership, collaborate better, and stay engaged because they know where they’re headed. Perks can support engagement—but only after clarity is in place. 👉 Read our full article on Why Engagement Starts With Expectations to turn clarity into a real advantage.

How Could You Create a 5-10% Productivity Shift? 

By Cathie Leimbach • February 3, 2026
When it comes to improvement at work, the focus is often on big changes. But frequently, it’s small shifts that quietly create big results. Productivity rarely improves without strong leadership practices. So, what if better leadership increased productivity by just 5-10%? That could mean: Less rework Faster decisions More follow-through Less firefighting More output — without more people That’s not wishful thinking. When leadership improves, absenteeism and turnover drop. Work flows more smoothly. Results, and the bottom line, improve.  When leaders get clearer, communicate better, and follow through more consistently, friction fades. People know what matters. Decisions move faster. Energy shifts from fixing problems to getting real work done. Organizations that invest in leadership development often see: Higher output Lower turnover Better use of talent Stronger momentum The real shift happens when leaders stop asking, “ Should we invest in leadership ?” and start asking, “ What is it costing us not to ?” 👉 Join our 60-minute Leadership Conversation to see what a 10–15% shift could mean for your organization.