Oil and Gas Leaders are Falling Short with How They Appreciate Their People

Oil and gas industry leaders need to revisit how they appreciate and recognize the efforts and achievements of their employees following the latest research, which reveals shortcomings in recognition initiatives. Despite 65 percent of oil and gas workers believing that recognition is a part of their company’s everyday culture, just 26 percent state that they’ve been recognized at work within the past three months. Plus, when recognition is given, almost a third (32 percent) say that it’s done in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable. These are the findings from O.C. Tanner’s 2024 Global Culture Report, which has been released to coincide with Employee Appreciation Day (1 March 2024).

“Showing regular recognition for efforts, results, and career milestones is key for engaging and retaining your people,” says Robert Ordever, European MD of employee recognition specialist, O.C. Tanner. “However, recognition must be done well, and this means giving it frequently and appreciating everyone across the organization, not just the high-fliers. It’s also key to understand how individuals want to be appreciated rather than using a ‘one size fits all’ approach that could leave some employees feeling awkward and embarrassed.”

The importance of appreciating employees’ smaller, everyday efforts as well as their larger accomplishments is also highlighted by the Report, with 71 percent of oil and gas workers admitting that their leaders only ever recognize their largest efforts. This is despite 67 percent stating that their organization continually implements new programs and technologies to recognize great work.

Ordever comments, “The most effective recognition programs regularly appreciate employees’ small efforts and accomplishments as well as their big wins. From thanking an employee for putting extra effort into a project through to calling out an individual’s great attitude during a team meeting, recognition must become second nature – frequently given and received by senior leaders, managers and peers.”

Ordever adds, “Employee Appreciation Day needs to act as a reminder to oil and gas industry leaders of the importance of recognizing and appreciating their people in the right way. By putting recognition at the heart of the organisation, employees feel valued, a strong sense of community and highly motivated to perform their best work.”

O.C. Tanner’s 2024 Global Culture Report is based on data and insights from more than 42,000 employees, leaders, HR practitioners, and executives from 27 countries worldwide, including 241 from the oil and gas industry.

About 2024 Global Culture Report

The O.C. Tanner Institute, O.C. Tanner’s research, analytics, and education team, uses multiple research methods to support the Global Culture Report, including interviews, focus groups, cross-sectional surveys, and a longitudinal survey.

Qualitative findings came from 18 focus groups among employees and leaders of larger organizations. The groups and interviews were held throughout 2022 and 2023, each representing various types of employers, including both private and public entities.

Quantitative findings came from online survey interviews administered to employees across Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The total sample size was 42,446 workers at companies with 500+ employees. The O.C. Tanner Institute collected and analyzed all survey data. This sample is sufficient to generate meaningful conclusions about the cultures of organizations in the included countries. However, because the study does not include population data, results are subject to statistical errors customarily associated with sample-based information. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from the O.C. Tanner Institute.