HR professionals are significantly more likely to feel appreciated and engaged at work than the employees they support, according to new research that highlights a widening disconnect in workplace experience.
The 2026 Engagement and Retention Report from the Achievers Workforce Institute (AWI) found that 34% of HR professionals describe themselves as both highly engaged and appreciated. That compares with just 25% of employees across the broader workforce.
The findings, published ahead of Employee Appreciation Day on 6 March, suggest that recognition initiatives may be resonating within HR teams but failing to land across organisations.
“HR professionals report feeling more appreciated and engaged than the employees they serve,” the report states. “This suggests that while HR teams may feel the impact of their own programmes, that experience isn’t translating across the organisation.”
The gap matters because appreciation is closely linked to retention and performance. According to the report, employees who feel valued are 12 times more likely to describe their work as meaningful. They are also 17 times more likely to feel connected to colleagues and to see a long-term career with their current employer.
The multiplier effect extends further. Employees who feel appreciated are 41 times more likely to feel connected to their manager, 47 times more likely to feel supported in their wellbeing, and 56 times more likely to feel aligned with company values.
David Bator, managing director at AWI, described appreciation as “the strongest multiplier in the employee experience”. He warned, however, that recognition must move beyond symbolic gestures tied to a single day.
“When employees feel seen and valued by their leaders during Employee Appreciation Day and year-round, they’re more connected to their organisation’s mission and their peers, more productive, far more likely to stay, and more committed,” he said. “Recognition isn’t symbolic. It’s strategic.”
The report argues that the disconnect between HR and the wider workforce could undermine engagement strategies. If HR’s own experience is out of sync with that of employees, organisations risk designing initiatives that appear robust on paper but fail in practice.
To narrow the gap, AWI recommends making recognition frequent and inclusive rather than annual, empowering peer-to-peer acknowledgement, linking recognition to growth and wellbeing, and acting consistently on employee feedback. Regular audits of recognition practices, it adds, can help identify blind spots.
The data lands at a time when companies are under pressure to retain talent amid shifting workforce expectations. If appreciation is indeed a leading indicator of engagement and loyalty, the challenge for employers will be ensuring it reaches beyond HR departments and into the daily experience of the wider workforce.