Gratitude Fatigue: Are We Overdoing Recognition?

We all know recognition matters. Employees want to feel seen.
But somewhere along the way, recognition became routine. “Employee of the Week.” “Great job, team!” “Keep it up!” — said over and over without depth or sincerity.

Welcome to gratitude fatigue — when recognition starts to feel like noise.

Over-recognition can backfire when:

  • It’s not tied to real outcomes

  • It becomes transactional (“I praise you, so you work harder”)

  • It’s applied equally to everyone, regardless of effort

What people crave isn’t just praise. It’s meaningful acknowledgment.

HR can shift this by:

  • Training managers to personalize recognition

  • Connecting praise to impact, not just activity

  • Encouraging peer-to-peer shoutouts with real substance

Less frequent, more authentic recognition builds trust. Because no one wants to feel like just another name in the Slack channel.

It’s not about stopping gratitude.
It’s about making it count.

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The HR Mindset

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