Recent reports from Gallup and WorkHuman have confirmed what many of us already know - people are stressed. In this year’s State of the Global Workplace Report, 41% of employees report experiencing “a lot of stress” daily. As business leaders look to engage their employees in 2025, they’ll need to address and support employee wellbeing. A key way to do this is through employee recognition.
Stressing Statistics
According to Gallup, global employee engagement stagnated in 2023 and overall employee wellbeing declined. Twenty percent of the world’s employees also report daily feelings of loneliness. This was particularly felt by employees under the age of 35. Gallup estimates that low employee engagement costs the global economy $8.9 trillion, or 9% of global GDP!
Workplace Wellbeing
The good news? Work itself decreases loneliness. In general, working adults are less lonely (20%) than those who are unemployed (32%), and this remains true across age groups. Our interactions at work have a significant impact on our daily emotions. While the workplace is not the only factor in peoples’ mental health, it’s certainly a major one. Peer-to-peer recognition is a great way to practice frequent positive interactions at work. For example, at Dion we have a Diamond Award that employees can nominate each other for. This award is given to those who go above and beyond their normal duties to help a coworker. This encourages a culture of teamwork, empathy, and appreciation. By improving daily life at work, employees are much more likely to thrive in both their professional and personal lives.
The Power of Recognition
Employee recognition is a dynamic tool that, when properly implemented, can improve employee wellbeing by boosting morale and engagement. It reinforces peoples’ sense of value and that their contributions matter. In fact, a recent Gallup-WorkHuman report shows that well-recognized employees are 4.4 times as likely to strongly agree that their job gives them purpose in their life.
Recognition also reduces loneliness as it brings people together to celebrate successes, both big and small. This social connection can also improve one’s ability to manage stress, anxiety, depression, and even help prevent serious chronic illnesses. All of this contributes to a happier, healthier workforce. Just recently, Dion held its quarterly meeting where we honored employee anniversaries, process improvements, and even one employee who officially became a US citizen. It’s important to come together and celebrate these achievements as a team. One person’s achievement may very well inspire another’s, or at the very least, create a positive and encouraging atmosphere.
Looking Ahead
Here at Dion, we’ll continue to analyze these major reports and provide key takeaways. As we move into 2025, it’s apparent that employee recognition will remain a primary business strategy for creating thriving workplaces. For the past 56 years, our custom precious metal awards have served this very purpose. As stated in our company vision, we want to “make the intangible tangible and improve people’s lives through recognition.” This means that we create meaningful awards that embody the recipient’s achievement and their employer’s gratitude. These awards become keepsakes that serve as a reminder of that success for years to come.
At Dion, we’re committed to designing and creating the perfect award for your organization. Getting started with Dion is easy: simply browse our gallery of past products for some inspiration, then This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. give us a call, or fill out our New Project Form for a quote!
