In a recent survey, a whopping four out of ten employees said that their efforts at work largely go unnoticed by their managers. So what exactly can you do if you feel ignored by your boss?

21% of survey respondents said that to try and grab the attention of senior managers they often work out of hours without pay to meet deadlines in a bid to get their managers to notice them. A further 27% said they try and exceed their targets on a regular basis just to get some form of recognition and 19% tried to maintain a positive attitude.

But it can be pretty difficult to try and remain positive long-term if you feel like a piece of the office furniture.

With some managers struggling with an increasing workload, sometimes it can be a real challenge to motivate large teams on a daily or even weekly basis. However, if you’re working in an environment where there isn’t much of a recognition culture then no matter how hard you work or the amount of time you spend hunched over your desk isn’t going to make a scrap of difference.

And if it really bothers you, then perhaps it’s not the working environment for you.
There’s been a massive shift in recent years with companies of all sizes moving towards programmes to reward and incentivise their employees to be the best that they can be. From bonuses, days off and even internal awards ceremonies, some companies are going all out to keep hold of their existing staff and in turn are attracting the best candidates towards their business.

Even those smaller businesses who lack the big budget to go throwing around financial rewards are wising up to the fact that recognising when an employee goes above and beyond is the best way of keeping hold of them.

Therefore, if your hard work continues to go unnoticed and unappreciated, that doesn’t mean that the same can be said of employees doing a similar role elsewhere.

Recognition is a key part of how we feel about our jobs and ourselves, and the reasons we work hard aren’t just centred around pay. However, continuing this momentum needs to be supported by management who recognise, praise and appreciate the effort you put in.

Without this, it’s difficult to maintain any positivity you have for your position, company or the managers put in place to inspire you to achieve great things at work. In the smaller number of cases I come across where an employee feels ignored or pretty much invisible to their managers, I’d say it’s best to find a company with a culture that recognises your talents before you lose all interest in the job.

If you’re looking for companies with a strong track record on staff reward and recognition, talk to a member of the Appointments team today.