New technologies are changing today’s modern workplace, yet uncertainty remains on the most effective way to use some of them. In a new survey released today from Globoforce, the leading provider of social recognition solutions, U.S. workers respondents challenge old and new beliefs about what truly motivates them. The new report, the Spring 2014 Globoforce Workforce Mood Tracker¹,examines the current attitudes and perspectives of U.S. workers about workplace technologies and milestones and their role within recognition programmes. While many believe that eThanks (free recognition), gamification, and traditional years of service programmes are powerful workplace motivators, the survey’s key findings provide clarity on where they’re most effective for today’s workforce.

Gamification has received much fanfare as one of the hottest new technologies in HR, yet employees dispute its role in social recognition. Only 30 percent of survey respondents feel that gamification would be a positive addition to a recognition programme. 62 percent say recognition would be less meaningful if they knew someone received points on a leaderboard for giving that recognition. 79 percent would not worker harder if the number of recognition awards given or received was ranked on a leaderboard. The power of appreciation in a workplace is well-documented and proven, but the most meaningful recognition is not free according to U.S. employees. Only 4 percent of survey respondents find eThanks (that convey no gift or monetary value) to be a memorable form of recognition and 59 percent prefer a Thank You that includes a gift or reward

U.S. employees show indifference towards traditional years of service programmes, indicating an opportunity to rejuvenate them with new technologies: 73 percent would prefer milestone input from a manager plus peers; 68 percent believe years of service awards would be more meaningful if it included career details; Just 25 percent of respondents have received a years of service award for less than 5 years of service. “Our latest Workforce Mood Tracker challenges widely held beliefs about what are the most powerful motivators in a successful recognition programme. For one, eThanks without tangible rewards is insufficient as the sole means of recognition. Our survey also debunks the belief that gamification can enhance recognition programmes,¹ said Eric Mosley, CEO of Globoforce. “By taking these realities into consideration when forming a recognition programme, today’s HR leaders can better meet the needs and desires of their multi-generational workforce.

¹ The Globoforce Workforce Mood Tracker study was commissioned by Globoforce and conducted on from January 7 to 11, 2014 by independent market research firm MarketTools, Inc., through an online panel of fully employed persons (age 18 or older) at companies with 500+ employees in the United States. There were 706 responses generated for the survey, resulting in a margin of error of +/- 3.9 percentage points at the 95 percent level of confidence. To download the full survey, visit: http://go.globoforce.com/rs/globoforce/images/Spring2014MoodTrackerGloboforce.pdf