How HR teams can turn recognition into a driver of trust, retention and performance

By Caroline Alderman, Speaker & Culture Strategist, O.C. Tanner

The stereotype of the British workplace is polite, understated and a balance of professional diligence and social camaraderie. Brits are not known for effusive praise or open displays of appreciation.  However, that cliché masks an important truth: when recognition is delivered well, UK employees respond.

Feeling seen, valued and able to be oneself at work remains a challenge for many UK employees. A survey from Mental Health First Aid England found that fewer than half (47%) of them feel able to bring their whole self to work, despite 92% saying that being able to do so is important to them. Culture plays an important role in closing that gap and formal recognition is one of the most practical ways in which organisations can influence how teams feel.

Done well, recognition is not a standalone initiative or a token gesture. When it is meaningful and reinforced over time recognition supports both cultural alignment and performance outcomes. The data supports this. O.C. Tanner’s 2026 State of Employee Recognition Report, based on a global survey of more than 4,200 employees, found that UK employees show the largest performance returns from integrated, human-centred recognition of any country in the sample.

This year’s study shows that recognition done well results in employees who are:

● 54x more likely to feel personally invested in their organisation’s success
● 52x more likely to trust their employer
● 35x more likely to still be with the organisation in a year’s time

For HR leaders this represents a clear opportunity. If UK employees are responsive to meaningful recognition the question is no longer whether it matters, but rather how organisations can deliver programmes that feel authentic, meaningful, and reflect the different ways people want to be seen at work

Why Personalisation matters

Many programmes will have been implemented with the best of intentions but often end up feeling impersonal, generic, or disconnected from the individual and the work they do. As a result, they risk going unused and become ineffective. To improve engagement rates and business performance, recognition needs to be individual, specific and relevant.

We know from our State of Employee Recognition Report that employees respond much better when acknowledgement clearly links to what they have done and the effort involved, rather than offering generic praise or a transactional thank you. By contrast, employees who do not feel their employer understands how they prefer to be recognised are 96% less likely to thrive at work. Effective recognition therefore needs to demonstrate an understanding of individual achievements and use that insight to inform how programmes are delivered.

Building recognition into the flow of work

When recognition is embedded in daily working practices it reinforces a positive workplace culture and supports business performance.

Peer-to-peer recognition is an important element of this, especially across large, dispersed or hybrid teams where feedback can be less visible. Structured opportunities for colleagues to recognise each other can help maintain connection and reinforce appreciation.

One way to embed this is through recognition champions — individuals who actively promote recognition across the organisation and encourage consistent use. According to our report, employees in organisations with a recognition champion are three times more likely to recognise their colleagues, while 71% of employers report that champions contribute positively to workplace culture.

Demonstrating the business impact of recognition

Recognition done well will have direct financial benefits. Higher retention helps reduce recruitment and onboarding costs while keeping valuable skills and knowledge within the business. At the same time, greater trust, engagement, and personal investment can support stronger productivity and performance.

For UK organisations, the opportunity is not to make recognition louder, but to make it more meaningful. When appreciation is personal, specific and embedded into everyday work, it becomes more than a nice-to-have; it becomes a practical lever for increasing trust, retention, and organisational performance. Crucially, it also helps create the conditions in which employees feel seen, valued, and able to be themselves at work. British employees may not always be the first to ask for recognition but when it is delivered in the right way they respond with commitment, confidence and a stronger connection to the organisation.