OneSource Business Solutions Blog
If your employees are doing a good job, and you're happy with the results, showing your appreciation is essential. Employees want to know that they're doing a good job and that their efforts aren't going unnoticed. By recognizing your employees and actively appreciating them, you'll boost employee morale. This could positively impact your business as you can see increases in engagement and productivity.
Not sure how to go about showing your appreciation? The following are some inexpensive ways to show that you care.
Highlight Small Accomplishments
If someone does something that seems small, you can still take the time to recognize it. When an employee cleans up the office or goes that extra mile to keep the office running the way it should, make a big deal out of it. You can briefly share the person's accomplishments in a meeting, email, or other platforms that let them and others know you recognize their efforts. Doing so could encourage others to contribute their small accomplishments that collectively lead to more large-scale changes.
Employee Recognition Program
An employee recognition program can be a great way to acknowledge staff. A program could involve a points system that allows employees to earn a certain amount of points for various tasks. Employees could then spend these points on rewards such as half-days, free meals, and more. A recognition program will give employees a clear incentive to keep doing what they're doing or continually improve.
Celebrate Birthdays
As long as employees give you permission, celebrate their birthdays. You can throw a small birthday party with a cake and a catered meal, give the birthday employee the chance to take the day off, or even give them a gift. You can also celebrate other milestones such as anniversaries, engagements or the birth of a child. However, you should always get permission from your employee in advance of having any kind of celebration. Otherwise, the event could become more embarrassing than celebratory for them.
Ask Employees What They Want
Take time to ask employees specifically what they want to see in terms of appreciation. An employee survey or anonymous suggestion box could yield some helpful answers that give you clear ideas. You can then be sure that you're giving employees the appreciation they both want and deserve.
Public Appreciation
Don't hesitate to go public with your employee appreciation. You can show appreciation on your website or social media platforms, letting customers know what kind of culture you maintain. Doing so can make employees feel valued while showing customers what kinds of people are behind your operations. This can go a long way in making your business feel more like a group of people than an entity. At the same time, certain less customer-facing employees can feel like they're not merely working behind the scenes of your business.
Career-related Rewards
Staff appreciation can come with rewards that fuel their development. For instance, you could reward employees with leadership training, free premium online courses, and more to help them grow and become even better employees. Employees particularly appreciate these rewards as they show that you value their growth as professionals.
Help with the Commute
While you don't necessarily have to cover all commute expenses for employees, you could help cover it to some extent. Some businesses may require employees to go on potentially expensive commutes or pay for parking. Some ways you can help include procuring parking passes or paying for bus or subway tickets. This can make employees dread a long or costly commute much less, which is often a major pain point for employees. You may even find that employees who would ordinarily prefer to work remotely become more willing to work in the office.
Treat Employees to a Fun Activity
There are many ways for management to engage employees with various activities. You could take them out to go bowling, laser tag, city tours, and many others. You can also turn it into a team-building exercise that brings your employees together and improves collaboration among them. If you're still worried about COVID and getting you or your team sick, you can always engage in virtual activities such as virtual karaoke or team bonding over Zoom.
Allow Flexible Schedules
Consider making employee schedules somewhat more flexible. You could give employees midday breaks to go to the gym, for example. You could also choose certain days of the week or seasons to enable employees to work different hours. Examples of this could include letting employees come in later on a certain day or leave early on Fridays during the summer season. You can ask employees what kind of schedule they'd like to see implemented and put it into action, as long as it doesn't hinder productivity and your bottom line.
Big Returns for a Little Investment
By showing your staff appreciation for all they do for your company and each other, you'll be able to cultivate a healthy work environment. Subsequently, you're likely to see increased productivity and passion among employees that make these efforts more visibly worthwhile. Making small investments in employee appreciation methods won't break the bank by any stretch of the imagination, and you can drive employees to keep giving their all.
