'Your salary is all the recognition you need'

[Pinkginxx]

Following discussion today about feeling sometimes a lack of recognition in work, I was given the view that 'your salary is your recognition. You'd know if there was anything wrong with your work'. Was a bit gobsmacked as this seemed very outdated to me, but I'm a self confessed 'need a pat on the header'.
Got me thinking, in corporate culture I was very used to monthly appraisals, being thanked for a job well done etc. Is this just pandering? After all you are employed to do a job (and do it well), so would you agree that 'your salary is the only recognition you need'?

I would agree with that but then again I’ve never needed validation. I suppose it doesn’t cost the company to keep employees who do need validation happy though.

sounds like a very lazy way of managing people and not caring about their emotional investment at work.

I would trade a decent salary for any pointless 'recognition scheme' in the corporate world. Recognition schemes are a way of distracting employees from inadequate pay.

No I don’t agree, you should always work to your best ability because you are getting paid, however occasional praise & thanks costs nothing and makes most people feel happier in their work (and therefore likely to work harder/ do more when asked)

Well given that it's free to show recognition and thank people, yet there are significant benefits in terms of employee motivation and productivity if they feel valued, the organisation you work for is not only outdated, but basically pretty stupid if they don't employ this strategy with their workforce.

Well, it's one point of view, isn't it?

Employee engagement thinking would offer a counter argument that a) it's a competitive world out there so if that's the only recognition you give your employees then don't be surprised if at least some of them leave for a different sort of culture and b) something like 20% of employee effort is discretionary, so if you want people to go over and above, you have to give them the right recognition.

In other words, the folk who value other forms of recognition will leave, and them that are left will do exactly their job requirements and no more.

X-post @Starface 

Monthly appraisals? How did you ever get anything done?

Well it's certainly not in the public sector as salaries don't come close to recognising the hard work of employees.

People stay with their employer for all sorts of reasons and salary is only one of those. And from the employers point of view, how hard is it to say thank you?

I was once told "we like you because you're on time and you do what you're told. That puts you in the top 10%".

Yeah, I think I'd prefer the money.

A good manager understands that different people appreciate different things. Some feel unappreciated if they never get a thank you, some don't care. Some value a strong sense of team with stuff like occasional team drink to celebrate stuff some would rather not. Others again appreciate flexibility in hours others not interested.

Good manager works ut what will make their people feel valued and assuming it's within their power to give & it's deserved then give it.

Lots of studies show that after a certain level, increases in salary are not appreciated as much as some otehr stuff that people don't think they care about but actually does make a difference.

Of course for many they have not hit that level of salary (woudl be nice).

When it comes to a thank you it's free and a good manager will say thank you for good work whether it's something tha ticks the persons boxes or not!

Completely antiquated approach.

Given some people work really hard for their salary whilst others do a “good enough” job, how do you motivate people if you don’t praise extra effort or achievement.

how do you motivate people if you don’t praise extra effort or achievement.

Give those who are working harder/achieving more a pay rise or a bonus.

Surely most people are more committed if they are told that their work is appreciated. It isn’t an excuse for paying a lower salary, but it might make the difference in commitment to your employer.

It depends on the kind of person you are, OP. Some people need extrinsic recognition, i.e. from others. Others need recognition that is intrinsic, i.e. self-recognition. Some people are motivated by external factors; others, internal.

If it doesn't work for you, it doesn't make either of you wrong, per se. You're just wrong for each other.

I work in reward and recognition and that kind of old school management is on its way out. People need more than that, we pay well and we recognise special efforts. People need a little more than good pay these days!

The best bosses say “thanks” and recognise your hard work in small ways.

I doubt that approach would work in the team I'm in. There's a number of companies that have pushed up salaries locally.

Luckily our boss is great. It's little things like bringing in sweets after a hard week, or taking the team for lunch if we've had to put extra hours in to get something done. A little "thanks for working late" goes a long way. Also, we know it gets passed on to his manager - the department gives out vouchers as a thank you for going above expectations. He's flexible about hours, working from home and life stuff that happens. That sort of thing means far more than a bit more pay.

My old boss said that (about a member of the team when I suggested we get her a bottle of wine or something nice as she had pulled out the stops to get a project completed).

I wouldn’t have felt so bad by he had just given a double bonus (and a promotion) to his secretary who he was bonking behind his wife’s back but we all knew for her outstanding work 🙄. Which it wasn’t.

But your salary is agreed when you start the job. It's set before they know what you do.

Unless you get ad hoc payrises, of course. Or bonuses.

Most salaries only change annually, and rises are across the board.

Geez, monthly appraisals sounds horrendous. One reason i enjoy being a contractor is i get to skip all appraisals, 360 degree feedback, professional development targets etc.

OP I feel the same way in my job.
I work for a local authority, having previously worked in the private sector where the team was often rewarded with social events or at least a cake or something for a project well done.

We recently had a 'mystery shopper' type of thing evaluate our departments service. We got 100%(!!), the highest score of any of the the council's departments for the last few years. All the recognition the team got was the statistics and report forwarded in an email with 'please see below' and a response from another 'pleased to see the department operating at the expected standard'. Thought there could have been some positive recognition.

I find it quite demotivating to not get recognition for pulling out all the stops, or completing to a tight deadline, for example. It does sometimes stir in me a bit of a petulant 'well next time I'll just do my job and nothing else'. (I don't do this btw!)
But I also acknowledge that this is petty and I should just take personal satisfaction I've done a job well (and as pointed out I'm getting paid to do).

SuziQ10 you obviously haven't worked in the local authority for very long. Public sector organisations are not allowed to use public money to reward staff over and above their salaries.
Just imagine the outcry if local services were being cut and the press found out that staff had been rewarded, even it is was only a box of chocolates.