6 Ways You Can Show Appreciation to Your Employees
Whether you own a business or manage a team, you know your employees are one of your most valuable resources. But many companies struggle to show adequate appreciation for the people working to keep the business thriving, with challenges such as daily projects with tight deadlines and continually shifting priorities. This can result in a cycle of constant turnover of skilled and talented employees.
Showing your employees appreciation can boost morale, promote loyalty, increase productivity, and improve the overall wellbeing of your team. Creating space for gratitude and connection helps cultivate a culture that increases individual creativity, all while supporting overall company growth and expansion. We call that a win-win!
If you want to retain experienced workers with knowledge and skill of the work at hand, employee appreciation has to be a normal practice in your business. Pizza parties are a great start, but we’re pushing to help empower leaders to do more for their staff.
Here are a few ways business owners, CEOs or company managers can show their gratitude and appreciation to employees who are making a positive contribution toward helping their company succeed.
Touch Base With Employees Regularly
Making time for daily interactions with your team is one way to connect and share appreciation. If you’re in the office, try to greet your team at the start of the day. It doesn’t have to be formal, a “hello” as you fill your coffee cup or a quick chat on the way to a meeting is all you need to check in and connect. For remote teams, make yourself available to pings and chats. Setting up a fun chat where the team can share lighthearted GIFs and stories can be a great way to connect while remote. Our BT team has a handful of chats we use, from sports to plants, crystals, and pets, and people can opt-out as they please. It’s a fun break during the day that helps to keep the team connected as humans as we log into and out of meetings.
Another way to touch base with your staff is by recognizing their accomplishments publicly during a staff meeting or by sending a personal thank you note to acknowledge your appreciation of the good work they’re doing. It’s often the little gestures of thanks that people value most. By showing your employees appreciation, you help create a positive, satisfying, productive work environment that people look forward to. You’ll also retain valuable personnel that your company needs in order to move forward in the years ahead.
Listen & Take Appropriate Action
Listening to your employees and enacting change when necessary shows that you appreciate and value their input. Every company needs a way of collecting feedback from their workforce to get a clear picture of what’s happening at the ground level of their business. Creating space for open, honest communication is the first step, the second is taking action on the information you learn to make your workplace a better work environment for everyone.
One way to keep the lines of communication open is to set up an effective HR department that looks out for the interests of your employees. Whether your workers are airing grievances, sharing safety concerns, or seeking professional or emotional support, your company’s HR department should be able to meet their needs. As a leader, you can show appreciation for your workforce by hiring competent, caring HR people who have a heart for those who work hard to make your business succeed.
Offer a Fully Remote or Flex Schedule
Listening to your employees gives you a better idea of what works and what doesn’t work in your business when it comes to worker productivity. Ineffectual work schedules are often at the top of the list. One way to tackle this obstacle and show appreciation to those who deserve it is to ffoer flexible work hours or remote work opportunities to the hard-working members of your team.
The last two years have taught us that many roles can be successfully shifted out of the office and into remote work. Remote work can help employees enjoy a better work-life balance, flexible hours, and the ability to work from anywhere. Meanwhile, employers can benefit from increased productivity and lower overhead costs. There are plenty of productivity-boosting benefits that come with working remotely, such as:
- No commute: This is probably the most popular remote work perk. When you work from home, you eliminate your commute entirely. This can save time and money on things such as gas, car maintenance, and so on..
- More relaxed dress code: With remote work, there’s no need to get all dressed up for an office setting. You can rock your favorite pair of sweats or yoga pants all day long.
- Increased focus and concentration: When you work from home, there are fewer distractions and interruptions. This can help you get into a flow state more easily and boost your productivity.
- Access to more flexible hours: With remote work, you often have more control over your schedule. This can be a huge benefit if you have kids, need to take care of an elderly parent, or simply prefer to work odd hours.
- Increased sense of work-life balance: When you’re not tied to a 9-to-5 schedule, it’s easier to maintain a healthy work-life balance. This can lead to improved mental and physical health, as well as increased productivity.
Overall, everyone can benefit from remote work in some way or another. It allows us to create a more productive and efficient workforce, all while a load of laundry gets washed.
Offer Time Off
Giving an employee time off is a great way to show your appreciation, especially after a particularly busy project or stressful season. After completing a major project or accomplishing a sought-after goal, schedule some paid leave for those who have earned it. You can schedule the PTO so that your team isn’t left short-handed or have employees choose a time that’s convenient or helpful for them.
Everyone needs a little R&R from time to time. It’s a good way of showing your workers you value them and their health and welfare. Time off is important to prevent burnout. A hectic work schedule that requires working late to stay on top of timely projects can put employees at risk of burnout. Burnout can lead to a range of problems, including alcohol or drug abuse. A few days off (with pay, of course) gives people time to recharge, mentally and physically.
Offer Training and Opportunities for Advancement
Giving your employees career training, cross-training, and opportunities for advancement shows that you care about their future. Like you, your workers have goals and dreams. Most people want to advance in their careers and are on the lookout for opportunities to develop their talents and skills. If you offer training programs that help people learn and grow, it will only benefit your business in the long run. This is another one of those win-wins, as you invest in your team they increase their skill set. By giving your people opportunities to advance and take on more responsibility, you show your workers you value what they have to offer and want to invest in their future.
Invest in Wellness
Employees spend long hours at work. So it’s important to make the office as welcoming as possible. One way to do that is by providing programs and benefits that focus on their overall mental and physical health. Whether it’s on-site gym access, corporate massage, or time off to volunteer for causes they support, your employees will be happier, which will increase productivity and reduce healthcare costs.
A Little Gratitude Goes A Long Way
These are a few of the many ways you can show appreciation to your employees. In turn, you’ll retain your workforce and grow them into a tight-knit team. Employees who are valued and appreciated are happier, more productive, and more inclined to go above and beyond in their daily tasks. When you consistently show appreciation for your employees, you help establish a work culture where your people can thrive and look forward to building a future with your company.
