One in four staff feel truly appreciated—how that gap can hurt long-term benefit outcomes
Barely one in four employees feels genuinely appreciated at work, and that silent gap in recognition is undermining engagement, productivity, and retention.
Achievers Workforce Institute (AWI) reports that just 25 percent of employees feel genuinely appreciated in their jobs.
At the same time, more than 67 percent say they would increase their effort by at least 20 percent if their efforts were more frequently noticed and valued.
That disconnect shapes how strongly people feel they belong at work, how they show up day to day, and how long they stay.
AWI’s latest State of Recognition and Engagement and Retention reports link appreciation to several core outcomes that matter for workforce stability and performance.
Employees who feel appreciated are 54 times more likely to report a strong sense of belonging.
Those who receive frequent recognition are 56 times more likely to feel connected to company values, 12 times more likely to find their work meaningful, and 41 times more likely to feel connected to their manager.
Recognition frequency also appears to influence output.
Employees recognized weekly are 2.6 times more likely to describe themselves as their most productive selves.
Weekly recognition, in the data, aligns with higher productivity, greater clarity, and stronger engagement.
Retention follows a similar pattern.
Employees who feel appreciated are 2.5 times more likely to stay with their current employer.
In a competitive labour market where uncertainty remains high and some indicators point to ongoing strain, AWI frames appreciation as one of the most accessible and scalable ways to retain top talent.
“Appreciation is the strongest multiplier in the employee experience,” said David Bator, managing director of AWI. He said Employee Appreciation Day underlines that “strategic tools exist that can dramatically reduce attrition, boost engagement, and accelerate culture change.”
Employees who feel “seen and valued by their leaders” are more productive, more loyal and more committed to giving their all. “Recognition isn’t symbolic. It’s strategic.”
The findings also highlight three groups that appear especially exposed to recognition gaps.
Women, positioned at the intersection of Employee Appreciation Day and International Women’s Day in early March, often feel overlooked and burned out.
AWI finds that women are about half as likely as men to feel connected to company values, appreciated at work, fairly compensated, or supported with career growth and development opportunities.
Gen X employees emerge as another vulnerable segment.
AWI data suggests that the “forgotten generation” label may be more fact than fiction.
Compared with other generations, Gen X workers are the least likely to receive weekly recognition or feel a strong sense of belonging.
They are also the least likely to report that they feel supported in learning and career growth, that peers treat one another with respect and professionalism, or that they feel connected to their coworkers.
Healthcare workers add a sector-specific warning. In the industry responsible for caring for others, AWI describes a quiet cry for help.
Healthcare workers are significantly less likely than the average employee to say their manager recognizes them in ways that make them feel valued.
They are also far less likely to trust their managers or report a strong sense of belonging at work.
Across these groups, AWI argues that organizations cannot treat appreciation gaps as an unavoidable cost of doing business.
The research points to four signals leaders should not ignore: belonging as a predictor of engagement, recognition as a driver of connection to values and meaning, the link between recognition frequency and productivity, and appreciation as a retention lever.
“Employees are the heart of an organization’s success,” Bator said.
He added that “appreciation can’t live on the calendar alone,” and that organizations see the biggest gains when they weave recognition into daily leadership and real-time feedback.
That is when appreciation becomes “a competitive advantage,” not just “a calendar moment.”
