Why workplace community is key to reward and benefits success

Employee recognition is a top tool in building a culture of purpose and meaning in the workplace

A strong workplace community is key for attracting, engaging and retaining top talent and is the bedrock on which rewards and benefits initiatives can deliver sustained business impacts.

According to O.C. Tanner’s 2023 Global Culture Report, 72% of employees say it’s important for them to feel part of a community at work – a place where they can stay, grow and thrive.

With the increase of hybrid and remote working, business leaders all over the world are trying to reconnect employees and find solutions to build stronger communities in the workplace.

It’s about creating a culture of purpose, meaning and unity, with a thriving culture having a positive influence on workplace community (and a strong community also helping to strengthen workplace culture). Organisations that have both a strong community and a thriving culture having a 99% probability of making employees feel like they belong.

Rewards and benefits have an important role to play here, but they must be part of a wider solution that brings employees together in meaningful ways. A robust recognition programme, for example, is key to helping strengthen workplace community, with 74% of employees saying that recognition is crucial to workplace community (but only when recognition is done well).

Recognition works - if you get it right

Generic, impersonal and infrequent recognition can actually have a negative impact on workplace community. So organisations should use the technology and tools available to enable recognition to become an everyday part of their culture. Employees need to see appreciation happening – not just for themselves but for others in their community.

Recognition needs to be made personal, visible and inclusive for all employees regardless of their position on the organisation chart. And when an organisation prioritises creating meaningful recognition experiences, the odds of having a strong community increase 508%.

So even if your organisation has a significant rewards and benefits budget, ask yourself whether the outcomes of your efforts are being truly maximised by the presence of a strong workplace community.

By ensuring community is prioritised across your organisation (and supported by a robust recognition programme), it creates an excellent foundation for rewards and benefits initiatives to flourish.