We would all like to think that we are good at what we do. But how important is hearing that you have done a good job from your employer? A little positive validation of your efforts can make it all worthwhile at the end of a long work week.
How important is validation at work to you?
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A recent study shows just how important this can be for people who work remotely and people who make their way into the office everyday. The study — created by Dr. Paul White workplace relationship psychologist, business consultant, and author of the book The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace — surveyed 130,000 on-site and off-site employees around the country to see what motivated them the most when it came to their professional goals at the workplace. The study found that workers who work from home tend to be more independently driven with only 38% of those who were polled placing value on positive validation from an employer. On the other hand, 48% of employees who commute to an office day in and day out consider positive validation from an employer to be a motivation for doing well at work.
While this kind of affirmation may be more important to those who work in offices, the study also concluded that off-site employees, or long distance employees, value the camaraderie and companionship of their co-workers to gain this positive affirmation of a job well done. The study shows that while only 25% of on-site employees place importance on having quality time with their co-workers to talk about work, 35% of remote workers value this kind of bonding time as something they need to feel validated at work. That is why most remote employees prefer to have meetings over video-conference call rather than over the phone so that they can put a face to the people they work with everyday.
These are some very important statistics that employers should take note of if they would like to maintain good working relationships with their employees — whether they show up to the office with a travel mug in hand or get their work done from the comfort of their living rooms. In fact, Upwork — the world’s largest freelancing website — found in their “Future of the Workplace” reports that nearly 63% of all companies in the U.S. now have remote workers. This is almost two-thirds of the country’s entire workforce. So it is more important than ever for employers to understand how to connect with employees no matter where they are.
“We know that people would like to feel valued and appreciated at work,” explains Dr. White, “We have to self motivate ourselves, but at some point it’s nice to know that someone appreciates what you do! Unfortunately most people don’t feel appreciated. Some research shows that 65% of the workforce say they haven’t heard anything positive back about their work in the last 12 months. Another study showed that 79% of people who leave voluntarily or quit site that lack of appreciation was one of the main reasons why they leave.”
