67% don’t get enough positive feedback

To go on a slight tangent, whilst I agree that more positive feedback should be given (and heck it doesn't cost you anything), recognition isn't necessarily the most important factor in employee retention. One of the things I was taught was that when leading/managing a team, the six things (in order of importance) you should focus on for ensuring a high performing satisfied team are:

1. Clarity - ensure your team understands the end goal and what they are trying to achieve

2. Standards - ensure standards are set (standard for quality of work, behaviour etc)

3. Responsibility - give employees responsibility, trust and hold them accountable for their actions

4. Flexibility - give employees control over their work day, don't spoonfeed or straitjacket them

5. Recognition & Rewards - positive feedback etc

6. Teaming - ensure a team spirit is developed

As someone who has managed technial teams from 4 to 90 people, I've found these 6 factors are a pretty good guide. Most people focus on #5 and #6 when discussing how to have a productive team, but you seldom see #1 to #4 mentioned - they may be self-evident, but I've seen more teams suffer from the first four factors being absent or neglected than not.

Do 100% of people deserve positive feedback?

I'm not against positive feedback or denying that it has positive benefits to employees, but the cynic in me just hears whining.

Think of it this way: Giving positive feedback costs you nothing and makes someone happy!

I had a principal investigator running my lab who felt that she only had to encourage the Grad students & undergrad volunteers, since they were working for none/less money. Post-docs and Lab techs got paid, so that should be all the encouragement they need. As a lab tech, I was not happy there.

This is one of my reasons for starting a side project. Having people pay me money is very positive reinforcement as far as I'm concerned.