IRF Study Examines What Employees Value in Reward and Recognition Programs

Washington, DC (September 30, 2026): The Incentive Research Foundation announces the release of Participant Preferences: Reward & Recognition Programs, a new study examining how employees experience and respond to workplace reward and recognition programs.

“Participant Preferences explores what motivates participation, how programs influence employee behavior, and which elements of program design build engagement, trust, and long-term value,” said Stephanie Harris, IRF President. “Program designers can use these insights to prioritize investments as they build and update reward and recognition programs.”

Participant Preferences: Reward & Recognition Programs is based on an online survey of 400 U.S. full-time employees who had participated in a formal workplace reward and recognition program within the previous three years. Respondents represented a broad range of ages, industries, income levels, company sizes, organizational roles, and employee tenures.

Key insights from Participant Preferences: Reward & Recognition Programs include:

• Programs influence goals and behavior: Nearly 40% of participants regularly set personal goals related to earning rewards or recognition, and another 43% do so occasionally.
• Reward value is the strongest driver of engagement: Half of participants identified reward value as the most important factor in whether they engage with a program.
• Who provides recognition matters: Senior leaders and direct managers are the most influential sources of recognition.
• Recognition should be timely and personal: Participants identified timeliness, frequency, consistency, and personalization as leading opportunities for improvement.
• Flexibility supports different participant needs: 42% take a flexible approach to saving or spending reward points, while 28% redeem quickly and 28% save for larger purchases.

To download the full study, please visit the Participant Preferences: Reward & Recognition Programs webpage.