The Power of Appreciation in the public sector 

We look at how the Power of Appreciation helps to overcome people management challenges in the UK public sector and drive new levels of employee engagement.

Britain depends on the people that deliver our vital public services. Both those on the front line, and those working behind the scenes. The people of the NHS, our emergency services, in central government, in local government and the many other arms lengths bodies that serve the needs of the UK.

The people, day in and day out, that deliver new polices and change. These are the employees that should be, and need to feel appreciated in order to do their best work

But there is a problem, and its well known. Dissatisfaction with wage increases are widespread. People are under pressure. The House of Lords Public Services Committee recently confirmed that public sector staffing is facing a vicious circle of increasing demand, staff shortages, low morale and recruitment issues.

Senior HR leaders in the public sector have told us, directly, that many of today’s employees manage dramatically increased workloads, often with static resources or fewer employees. They must do more, but with less.

Retention is an issue too. A poll by the TUC has recently revealed that nearly two-fifths of public sector workers have taken steps to leave their profession, or at least are actively considering it.

This situation poses significant challenges for people managers across the public sector. There is a solution....

A better future beckons

Our core belief at Reward Gateway½Edenred is  "Appreciation Appreciates":  the idea that appreciation creates a positive ripple effect that spreads throughout organisations. We are not alone. HAAS School of Business Research has found that people who are recognised are 23% more effective and productive, but people who are appreciated and valued for themselves are 43% more effective and perform better.

Many of public sector people teams we work with are already actively pursuing this idea. They are involved in boosting, and in many case dramatically increasing employee engagement, employee experience and the wellbeing of their people. Both because they have a duty of care to those people, and because they realise that long term employee productivity and stability will not be possible without it.

They are delivering best-in-class employee and lifestyle benefits that boost both financial and physical wellbeing and peace of mind, ranging from childcare vouchers to car leasing, payroll giving, cycle-to-work schemes, buying & selling holidays, gym memberships, health assessments, dental insurance and more.

They are implementing enhanced employee discount schemes, saving employees hundreds, even thousands of pounds on the cost of living. They are also, crucially, building management-led and peer to peer recognition schemes that are helping to boost morale and build a new culture of appreciation.

In many cases, they are also significantly ramping up communication of the benefits they offer to employees in order to help them understand the value of what’s on offer.

The proof in numbers

There is strong evidence that all these elements work together effectively to help drive a healthy culture of appreciation and engagement, and hence the retention and recruitment that is needed in the public sector. Evidence, indeed, that is amply demonstrated by the work of some of our Reward Gateway½ Edenred public sector clients,

• By Defra, which has 95% of its staff active on its platform and has increased its employee engagement score from 27% to 45%.

• By the Department for Transport, which as part of its employee experience package offer childcare vouchers, gym membership, Cycle-to-Work, health screenings, dental insurance, payroll giving, retail discounts and buying and selling annual leave. The department has increased the number of people who use those benefits by 102%.

• By the Food Standards Agency, which has recognised the challenge of the cost of living, and offers enhanced discounts at retail outlets and has seen spend increase in that area by 600%

• And by smaller organisations such as Plymouth Community Homes, which has 68% of its people send or receive appreciation from a colleague in one year

The Power of Appreciation

What these organisations have in common is that they recognise the need to value people in a way that's meaningful to them. They understand the long-lasting impact that appreciation can have in both the personal and professional lives of their employee.

By fostering a genuine culture of appreciation, organisations can unleash the potential for deeper connection, engagement, purpose and belonging.

At Reward Gateway½ Edenred we are strong believers in this idea, and for over 20 years have been applying it to the public sector.

We provide advanced  solutions to support your people strategy – whether that’s for talent management, driving engagement and performance, enhancing well-being or creating a great overall employee experience.

We provide purpose-built benefits & engagement platform, designed specifically for public sector employers.

We also offer comprehensive recognition and reward schemes – facilitating teamwork, and enhancing motivation.

We understand too that appreciation is both a gift for the giver and the receiver. So in addition, we offer routes to help people in the public sector connect with issues that matter to them. Our partnership with Hands On Payroll Giving empowers employees to contribute to causes, showing them that you value what they are passionate about, and enabling you to foster a greater sense of purpose and involvement.

What we deliver is the Power of Appreciation. And at every conceivable level. In the light of the challenges that public sector employer and employees face, we believe this is  a very powerful thing indeed.

Colin Hodgson, Commercial Director for Reward Gateway½ Edenred we will delivering a session on this topic at the Public HR Strategy Forum in Winchester on 30th October 2024.