Gen Z Employees Get the Most Recognition at Work, But They Want More

Gen Z employees might have a stigma around them in the workplace, but a new survey revealed they are actually getting the most recognition at work compared to their elders.
In a new survey released by visual communication platform Canva and conducted by research firm Sago Group, 49 percent of Gen Zers said they receive recognition at work once a week or more. That’s compared to just 37 percent of millennials, 24 percent of Gen X and 15 percent of baby boomers.
Despite the frequent praise, 83 percent of Gen Zers said they want to feel more appreciated, compared to 77 percent of millennials, 73 percent of Gen Xers and 66 percent of baby boomers.
The survey looked at responses from 1,500 employees in the U.S. and Australia, revealing a larger push for recognition at work for Gen Z.
HR consultant Bryan Driscoll said the desire for more appreciation among Gen Z might indicate that the recognition they receive is not enough to warrant actual appreciation in the workplace.
“The reality is that recognition isn’t the same as meaningful appreciation,” Driscoll told Newsweek. “You can give someone a weekly shoutout or a good job badge on Slack, but if it doesn’t translate into genuine value, like raises, promotions or actual career development, it’s empty praise. Gen Z sees right through the performative gestures that companies have relied on for decades.”
Still, recognition can be highly correlated with job satisfaction. Roughly 94 percent of employees who feel highly appreciated loved their workplace, and 91 percent said they loved their job. That was compared to just 18 percent of those who feel unappreciated or neutral who loved their workplace.
Across the board, only 56 percent of employees said they felt appreciated at work, and 12 percent said they felt unappreciated.
For Gen Z, appreciation means something much more than a simple kudos mention in a meeting or Slack message, Driscoll said.
“Gen Z is pushing back because they’re demanding what previous generations settled for less of—real change,” Driscoll said. “They’re not content with token gestures or vague pats on the back. And they shouldn’t be. The workforce has evolved, and what we’re seeing is a generation unwilling to put up with the exploitative systems that kept boomers and Gen X working in silence.”
Men were generally more likely to feel appreciated at work, at 63 percent compared to 51 percent of women.
“While many teams feel appreciated, our research shows that a one-size-fits-all approach to making teams feel recognized and appreciated in the workplace no longer cuts it,” Charlotte Anderson, head of People Experience at Canva, said in a statement.
“Taking the time to listen and understand what your team needs to do their best work while recognizing individual value and contributions is crucial to ensuring teams feel empowered to learn, grow and achieve their most ambitious goals.”
One of the top areas for improvement for most companies is retention, said Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin.
“When retention plays a bigger role in your organization, you’re constantly looking for ways to make your employees feel appreciated and create smaller milestones that can recognize their progress,” Beene told Newsweek, adding that employees have different definitions of what qualifies as appreciation.
“A congratulatory weekly email to an employee on their dedication may qualify as recognition, but that employee may be looking for what they value as a form of appreciation, be it an increase in pay, a promoted job title, or having more assistance on their next project.”
So companies likely need to stop viewing recognition as the be-all-end-all for employee satisfaction.
“Appreciation without action is just lip service,” Driscoll said. “If employers don’t start aligning their appreciation with tangible outcomes like fair pay, flexible work and mental health support, they’re going to lose this generation.”