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2024 Workforce Study

Lauren Nolan
|
February 19, 2024

A new study from Snappy surveyed 1,500 working Americans to understand the current climate of the American workforce. Unwrapped: Snappy’s 2024 Workforce Study provides an annual in-depth, data-driven look at the state of work and employment in the U.S. This years study uncovered new trends in employee motivation, retention, management, and attitudes around company loyalty and pride.

Top trends in the 2024 American workforce

Employees seek leaders who provide transparency around company goals and objectives

Employees want to feel close to their company mission and understand the big goals for the upcoming year. The majority of Americans surveyed (96%) reported they believe in their company’s mission and values. But 22 percent of employees reported their company does not have a clearly defined strategy on how they plan to accomplish their larger brand mission. Employees are seeking careers that not only provide them with a paycheck, but contribute to a larger purpose. This data emphasizes the need for clear communication and alignment of company missions with daily operations.

One in four working Americans (25%) reported their organization is not transparent in sharing information related to their company strategy and goals. Building a culture of transparency builds trust within an organization. Trust builds a stronger culture with more motivated employees.

Having it all: Employee engagement improves employee output and overall wellness

When employers put in the effort to create a culture of gratitude and show appreciation for their employees, it results in more engaged employees, higher employee retention, innovation, better collaboration, and overall, improved employee wellness.

One in three employees (30%) reported being demotivated when they feel undervalued, impacting their overall performance and well-being. A regular cadence of thoughtful gifting can boost employee visibility, motivation, and wellness. According to the 2024 Workforce Study, when employees feel motivated at work they reported they are more innovative and creative (33%), more engaged with customers and clients (31%), collaborate better with their colleagues (19%), and are more willing and eager to take on new projects (16%).

Moments of employee appreciation matter, and employees believe moments of recognition should be part of their employee experience 

The majority of employees (91%) agreed, they want their company to recognize their contributions with tokens of appreciation, such as gifts and company shoutouts. Sharing gratitude and offering recognition for a job well done can have a tremendous impact on employee engagement and retention. Feeling appreciated and valued in the workplace is the number one reason employees report wanting to stay in their current positions, according to Snappy’s 2024 Workforce Study.

Among employees who plan to stay in their current roles this year (78%), the number one factor that mattered most to them was feeling appreciated and valued (20%). The 22 percent of workers who have plans to leave their current roles in search of a new job in 2024 reported their top motivators for doing so include finding a position to make more money (21%), career growth (21%), seeking a better company culture (10%), seeking hybrid work (9%), desire for a better manager (8%), and not feeling respected or valued in their current position (6%).

Moments of gratitude and appreciation can happen year-round, with personal and professional milestones such as birthdays, work anniversaries, graduations, weddings, and the addition of new family members, as some of the most important and impactful moments that companies can celebrate employees. According to a recent Birthday Gifting Study, the majority of Americans agree that “if employers celebrated personal milestones such as birthdays, employee morale would be higher in the workplace” (81%), as would employee retention (75%). Automated gifting for milestone moments ensures ongoing appreciation and high impact.

Snappy provides gift givers – managers, executives, sales teams, vendor partners, and every business professional in between – a dedicated gifting platform that seamlessly sends high-quality gift collections for every budget to recipients around the globe, spreading joy and appreciation through the power of gifting. Gift collections can be sent in an instant using the recipient's email or phone number. Once a gift recipient selects their perfect item from the curated options in each heartfelt gift collection, Snappy gathers the shipping address and handles delivery. Snappy takes the guesswork out of gifting and amplifies employee and client recognition efforts.

Company swag has a significant impact on boosting employee pride and team camaraderie 

Swag, or branded gifts, have come a long way since the days of simple branded pens and notebooks. Now, employers can gift branded goods from highly soughtafter partners such as Apple, Nintendo, The North Face, and more. 

The majority of employees (86%) reported that wearing branded gifts, or swag, from their employer featuring a company logo on it made them feel proud of their company and its mission. Swag serves companies and workers by creating camaraderie, with 78% of employees reporting that branded gifts with their company logo make them feel more connected to colleagues. Gifting swag is a powerful tool to strengthen culture, boosting company pride and employee engagement.

Start sending meaningful gifts today...

Looking to share your appreciation with employees? Start sending meaningful gifts and swag today with Snappy.

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