New Workhuman Research: Employees Recognized for Goal Contribution are 5x more Personally Invested in Company Initiatives

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FRAMINGHAM, Mass. & DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 21, 2026--

Workhuman®, the world’s leading employee recognition provider, today announced findings from its Workhuman Global Research Study: Recognition as an Engine for Strategy. The multi‑country research shows that when recognition is frequent, high‑quality, and explicitly linked to strategic initiatives, employees understand values and goals more clearly, feel more aligned and invested, and experience the psychological safety that helps teams execute.

Key research findings include:

• People who have a recognition program are 17% more likely to understand their company values, and 23% more likely to feel aligned with their company's strategic initiatives.
• When employees were recognized recently, they were 67% more likely to say they understand their company values and 2.5xmore likely to say they feel aligned to those values.
• When employees were recognized recently, their l ikelihood of understanding strategic initiatives rose 72% and alignment with those initiatives rose 122%.
• When recognition is tied directly to strategic initiatives, employees are 5xmore likely to feel very invested and 129% more likely to understand how their work contributes to overall success in achieving those goals.
• When employees’ recognition is often or always tied to company strategic initiatives, 93% say they fully understand those initiatives. That number falls to just 62% among those who are rarely or never recognized for goals-related work.
• Program quality amplifies results: When people love their recognition program, they are 7x more likely to feel very personally invested in their company’s strategic goals.

“When work is recognized and can be connected to a company priority, it turns strategy into something people can act on,” said Tom Libretto, President of Workhuman. “It helps employees see their role in the bigger plan and helps companies build steady momentum in the right direction. It also gives leaders real-time visibility into how the organization is delivering on those goals and who is moving strategic initiatives forward.”

The study also finds that psychological safety is a key pathway from recognition to results: being thanked in the past month is associated with a 21% higher psychological safety score, and those who express their gratitude show a 15% lift. In teams with high psychological safety, employees are 40% more likely to understand company values, 78% more likely to feel aligned to those values, 44% more likely to understand strategic goals, and 79% more likely to feel aligned to those goals.

“Meaningful recognition clarifies expectations and builds an environment where people are energized to contribute and feel safe to learn, innovate, and take risks,” said Meisha‑Ann Martin, Ph.D., VP of People Analytics at Workhuman.

The full report, along with an executive summary, is available for download at: https://www.workhuman.com/resources/reports-guides/2025-workhuman-global-alignment-research/

About the Study

Commissioned by Workhuman and conducted by Dynata, the 2025 Workhuman Global Research Study: Recognition as an Engine for Strategy surveyed more than 2,500 full-time employees in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Canada, and Australia to understand which reward design choices drive human and business outcomes to understand which reward design choices drive human and business outcomes.

About Workhuman

Workhuman ® is the world’s leading recognition and rewards platform, serving organizations of all sizes—from the Fortune 500 to fast-growing mid-market companies—across more than 180 countries. With over 25 years of category leadership, we support 7+ million employees worldwide and have facilitated more than 100 million moments of connection that elevate culture and drive performance.

With over a decade of consistent profitability, Workhuman® stands as proof that investing in people delivers lasting business value. Our pioneering Human Intelligence® technology transforms recognition into strategic insight, empowering organizations to unlock the full potential of their people while driving measurable business impact and culture transformation.

Learn more at www.workhuman.com.

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SOURCE: Workhuman

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PUB: 01/21/2026 05:18 AM/DISC: 01/21/2026 05:18 AM

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