So do American workers really feel appreciated during the holidays?

What do American workers want for vacation? Bonding and appreciation, says new study.

The survey of 2,000 American employees found that 55% feel more appreciated during the holiday season than any other time of the year.

For the holidays, two in three (65%) said they would attend their workplace’s holiday party this year. Many said they would either come for the free food (39%) or to bring their workplace friends (34%).

Amid the holiday cheer, the study, commissioned by Motivosity and conducted by Talker Research, found a surprise that challenges some traditional views about company culture.

A total of 72% of respondents say that being connected to their company culture is important to them. Basically, 48% believe that what makes a company’s culture so special is its co-workers – more than leadership (38%) or belief in shared values ​​and missions (33%).

Along these lines, 63% of employees said that ‘face-to-face’ communication is the most effective way to build positive relationships with their colleagues.

Almost half of employees also cited how appreciation from peers (48%) and their direct boss (46%) was the best way to show appreciation in the workplace – ranked higher than receiving raises regular (39%).

Of a long list of non-traditional benefits, respondents again chose appreciation from their boss and direct peers as what they would value most (37% and 32%, respectively), compared to things like meals, wellness programs mental and relaxation areas. .

Most employees (58%) said a company’s commitment to employee recognition and rewards plays a “big” or “important” role in their decision to stay with their current company.

In comparison, only 13% said they are not influenced by recognition when deciding whether to stay or not.

“There is a mountain of data telling leaders that success is about people and that recognition is the #1 driver of job satisfaction, yet leaders still struggle with meaningful results,” said Motivosity CEO Scott Johnson. “Here’s the secret to success: don’t do it yourself. You can’t do it yourself. You cannot ‘stir’ this kind of culture from the top down. We see more and more importance being placed on the role of the ‘collaborator’ in the company. Leaders should use that power by empowering their teams to be more connected and more appreciative of each other.”

The research found that connection and communication were the central foundation for a good culture. Thirty-eight percent believed their workplace has an “exceptionally” good work culture – fostering feelings of belonging, camaraderie and friendly communication between colleagues.

The most influential factors in having a positive relationship with colleagues were found to be working together in person (34%) and communicating often in a work environment (27%).

The most common forms of primary communication between colleagues are through face-to-face conversations (61%), email (30%), phone calls (24%) and messages on their personal phones (20%).

What makes people feel valued at work?

Personal thanks from their direct boss – 48%

Being able to communicate easily with colleagues and their boss – 46%

Being rated by their peers, customers or the public – 41%

Living wage paid or regular increase – 39%

Having a flexible work schedule – 35%

Respect for their time outside of working hours – 35%

Being empowered to be more autonomous – 18%

Having a wellness program offered at my workplace – 17%

Company-wide and/or team-wide calls – 15%

Winning an internal award (MVP, employee of the month, etc.) – 13%

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 employed Americans; the survey was commissioned by Motivosity and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between November. 11 and November. 15, 2024.