Why Showing People they Matter Transforms Well-Being

It was the kind of title that made me pause. Claire Hilbrinik-Damen, Head of People at grape insurance, was about to take the stage at the HR Festival in Zürich on March 25th.

As someone who has spent decades in insurance, I am always on the lookout for the bold ones – the companies daring to put people’s well-being at the core of their business.

Not just in slogans but in systems and culture.

In business, we speak the language of pressure – targets, deadlines, results. There’s an unspoken myth that pressure sharpens performance. That it fuels success.
But what if that is not what it fuels at all?

What if we instead start showing appreciation and focus on building connections? What if we replace exhaustion with creative energy, apathy with engagement, and burnout with performance?

So, when I saw Claire’s session on the agenda, I was genuinely curious. How does a fellow insurer tackle something as vital – and often overlooked – as well-being at work?

Can you recall the moment when you truly felt valued and appreciated?

A sea of raised hands. Claire touched something deep. A warm, pleasant atmosphere started to fill the room. We were all transported back in time when that powerful leader showed openly their appreciation to us. Or when a colleague said, “Thank you for your help, I could not have done it without you”.

Recognition fuels motivation and lifts people up. It creates connection, meaning, and energy. It reminds us that our work – and we – are seen.

And that is something we all need. Not just to perform but to feel appreciated, seen, and creative. According to a study quoted by the Harvard Business Review, employees who reported that their managers were great at recognising them were 40% more engaged than those with managers who were not.

Let that number sink in for a moment – 40% more engagement triggered by something as simple as: “Thank you, you did great today”…

If it is that easy, how come we do not have more engaged employees? And why is engagement that important after all?

How to build a culture where people feel seen and appreciated

Gallup State of the Workplace Report states that being actively disengaged at work is equivalent to – or worse than – being unemployed. Their decades of research find that a great manager who builds relationships with their employees based on respect and recognition helps people find meaning and reward in their work.

According to the same report, low employee engagement costs the global economy approximately 8.8 trillion USD a year, which is equivalent to 9% of global GDP.

Engagement is not just a feel-good metric. In fact,  a Gallup meta-analysis found that companies with high employee engagement experience 18% more productivity and 23% more profitability than those with disengaged teams.

However, as Claire mentioned in her presentation, recognition does not belong to HR or the selected few in leadership positions. It belongs to everyone. From the CEO to the new intern, anyone can learn to say: “That was thoughtful,” or “I appreciate how you handled that.” Or even just “I’m glad you’re here.”

It does not need to be elaborate. But it needs to be authentic.

Some of the most meaningful recognition I have witnessed came in quiet, ordinary moments. After a long meeting. At the end of a tough week. Or simply in passing. A look. A sentence. A pause to say, “I see you.”

This kind of culture does not happen by accident. It is built one interaction at a time. And the more we practice it, the more we shift from a place of pressure and performance anxiety to one of trust, safety, and shared commitment.

Recognition is not a nice-to-have. It is not some fluffy HR initiative reserved for newsletters or performance reviews. It is a deeply human – and deeply cultural – need. One that, when embedded in daily interactions, changes the way people show up.

Why is this a transformational moment

When a company rooted in data, risk, and protection puts recognition at the centre of the conversation, it signals a shift. A shift from fixing problems after they occur to helping people thrive and grow.

That is why it felt genuinely transformative to hear an insurer speak about recognition – not as a perk, but as a foundation for well-being.

Grape insurance is not just a provider of employee benefits. Their mission is to advance a healthier workforce by combining insurance with proactive health services and real-time insights into workforce health.

And from what I can say, they walk the talk for their employees. Claire’s message was simple yet powerful: recognition builds trust, safety, and human connection.

These are not soft skills—they are the bedrock of high-performing, resilient teams.

In a world where well-being is still too often treated as a personal task, grape’s approach is a reminder that culture matters.

And culture is built, not bought – one moment of recognition at a time.

Accountability and recognition work together

So if you want better results, yes – by all means, have a plan. Set clear goals. Keep people accountable. But let us be clear: accountability and recognition are not opposites. They work in synergy.

If you want people to care, to stay, to grow – show them that you see them. Not once a year. Not only when they exceed expectations. But in the everyday moments, that usually pass unnoticed.

Because sometimes, all it takes is someone saying, “I see you. And what you do matters.”

We spend endless hours debating strategies for retention, engagement, and performance.
But genuine, human, everyday recognition might be one of the most powerful tools we have.

If we want people to stay, to grow, and to give their best, perhaps it is time we stop pretending that pressure is the answer.

Mirela Dimofte

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