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Globoforce launches semi-annual employee survey; Creates new industry benchmark for engagement and motivation levels of the U.S. workforce

SOUTHBOROUGH, Mass. and DUBLIN, Ireland – February 23, 2011 – Globoforce ^®, the world’s leading provider of global, strategic employee recognition solutions , today announced the launch of the Globoforce Workforce Mood Tracker *, a new semi-annual survey

that provides insights on the current pulse of the U.S. worker. With attitudes and perspectives on employee recognition , appreciation, and satisfaction, the new survey offers an invaluable benchmark on the driving factors behind employee engagement and motivation levels of the U.S. workforce.

A recent study from Blessing White indicates that only 33 percent of North American workers are engaged in their jobs. Low engagement levels have a proven negative impact on business performance. In fact, another study from Towers Watson showed organizations with high employee engagement had a 19 percent increase in operating income versus a 32 percent drop for companies with low levels of engagement. Globoforce’s new survey measures a key catalyst for positive engagement and correlated business productivity: the current appreciation mindset of the U.S. workforce.

The first semi-annual report for the Globoforce Workforce Mood Tracker shows recognition ambivalence among today’s employees in the United States. While 68 percent of those surveyed feel appreciated at their jobs, an alarming 41 percent of workers are not satisfied with the level of recognition they receive for doing good work. Indicative of both the infrequency and non-personal nature of many of today’s employee recognition programs, 43 percent of U.S. workers had not been recognized in the past three months. More importantly, a startling 55 percent felt they were not rewarded according to job performance, indicating a critical disconnect between recognition and performance.

“The Workforce Mood Tracker is an important new tool to add to the HR and management toolbox. It will provide invaluable insights into the very HR mechanisms that drive employee engagement,” said Eric Mosley, CEO of Globoforce. “The findings of our first report are concerning, as U.S. workers’ motivational detachment and overall malaise are bringing to light a critical disconnect between rewards and performance. To solidify the link between performance and rewards, business leaders must take an active role in understanding the how, who, and when behind recognition in their organization. By fostering a renewed recognition approach that aligns with a company’s goals and values, today’s business and HR leaders can positively impact employee engagement, company culture, and bottom-line profits.”

Today’s Recognition Programs Not Achieving Desired Impact for U.S. Workforce

The vast majority (85 percent) of U.S. workers surveyed like to have their efforts at work recognized. However, respondents indicated that most managers are not doing it effectively. Thirty-three percent of them said their manager or supervisor does not effectively acknowledge and appreciate them at work. Not surprisingly, a similar percentage of those surveyed (36 percent) indicate their intent to search for a new job in 2011, illuminating another potential risk for companies: productivity loss and added recruiting costs.

Survey data from the Globoforce Mood Tracker also demonstrates an opportunity for companies to more effectively recognize employees, who want to know the impact and value of their work. In fact, 78 percent of respondents confirmed that being recognized for their efforts motivated them in their job. However, 66 percent of those same respondents stated their company doesn’t have a recognition program that provides awards based on performance or behaviors tied to its core values. This lack of strategic connection is apparent, as nearly a quarter of U.S. workers (24 percent) don’t know their company’s core values while more than one-third (37 percent) don’t know their company’s goals for 2011.

*The Globoforce Workforce Mood Tracker study was commissioned by Globoforce and conducted on January 7-8, 2011 by independent market research firm MarketTools, Inc., through an online panel of fully employed persons (age 18 or older) in the United States. There were 631 responses generated for the survey, resulting in a margin of error of +/- 3.9 percentage points at the 95 percent level of confidence. To view the full survey results, please visit: http://www.globoforce.com/Feb2011_Mood_Tracker_Results/

About Globoforce

Founded in 1999, Globoforce is the world’s leading provider of strategic employee recognition solutions for enterprise-level companies. Through its easy-to-use, on-demand software, Globoforce helps HR and company leaders recognize and engage employees, transforming how a company’s culture is strategically managed globally. A private corporation, Globoforce is co-headquartered in Southborough, Massachusetts and Dublin, Ireland. To learn more, please visit www.globoforce.com or the Company’s blog at http://globoforce.blogspot.com/ .

Media Contacts:

Kevin Mullins Globoforce Public Relations
+1 508 229-1543
kevin.mullins@globoforce.com 
Kim Miller  Tier One PR
+1 781-303-0222
kmiller@tieronepr.com

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