The days of employers espousing those words "you are just lucky to have a job" to their employees are over. Why? To generate profits, a business needs people who perform. Period. This type of culture kills employee motivation. Employers may not think they are sending this message, but chances are, if you are not actively fostering a culture of recognition where employees have access to positive, immediate, and certain recognition strategies, that is exactly what your employees perceive.

Today's business leaders know that great companies are built by great people and their business success can always be attributed to the efforts of its team members. Engaged employees produce greater results. The concept seems simple, but many organizations have failed to invest in a recognition strategy and culture to motivate and drive engagement. When this integral component is lacking, companies struggle with high turnover rates, poor business results, unsatisfied employees, unsatisfied customers and a negative impact to the bottom line. Employee recognition is instrumental in contributing to a positive workplace and successful business performance. According to a recent study conducted by Northwestern University's Forum for People Performance Management, "satisfied employees create satisfied customers, which improve the financial performance of the entire organization."

The flip side is, that when employees begin to disengage - or are no longer committed to their work - the bottom line suffers. Disengaged employees are discontent, unproductive, negative, and undermine the work of others. Nothing can help disengage an employee faster than a corporate culture that de-values employees as individuals and contributors to the business' success. And why should you care if your employees are disengaged? Harold Gilstrap with Eagle Recognition cites statistics that illustrate the extent of this problem:

• 25% of America's workforce are employed in industries that report 100% turnover (turnover is expensive)
• 70% of employees feel no obligation to stay with their current employer
• 19% of employees are very negative about their work. These employees are considered actively disengaged - also known as "out to lunch."
• 55% of employees are apathetic or uninterested
• 90% of voluntary resignations are due to feeling underappreciated (employees don't leave companies, they leave bosses)
• EEOC claims and wage and hour claims are at an all time high. Do you think those employees were engaged?

According to The Gallup Organization, "There are 22 million disengaged employees that cost the American economy up to $350 billion per year in lost productivity, including absence, illness and other problems that result when workers are unhappy at work." However, most importantly, disengaged employees cause customers to do business elsewhere. Think about this: Approximately 96% of workers are members of some form of social networking site and the number one topic of discussion is work.