By: Anthony Leonard Jr., Director of Recruitment and Human Resources at Thnks
We can all think of times where we didn’t feel appreciated at a job. Whether your voice wasn't being heard, you lacked a relationship with your managers, or your hard work wasn’t properly acknowledged, this is a common pain point among employees when they discuss their jobs. When businesses and managers lack employee appreciation, this can cause the company major problems not only internally but externally too. People want to work for a company that makes them feel excited, welcomed, and appreciated. So how can leaders ensure that employees feel appreciated? Below I've given some strategies to boost employee appreciation.
Use your voice.
Hard work and dedication deserves to be recognized and appreciated. For leaders, recognizing your team's accomplishments, both big and small, is key to keeping employees motivated, happy, and engaged. Give specific examples of how an employee went above and beyond and state them in meetings while peers are around. People want to do good work for people they like and appreciate and your business will only flourish with this practice.
PRO TIP : Taking the time to share amongst the organization the victories you and your team have made recently is extremely important. All Hands or Town Hall meetings on a weekly or monthly basis are a perfect opportunity to do this.
Diversify and personalize how you engage with those in your company.
Creating a positive workplace has a lot of moving parts. What is important to one employee may not be important to another. Creating a unified company culture is difficult, which is why diversifying your employee engagement strategy is extremely important. Company leaders should be focusing on positive things that are happening in a company, not stepping in only when something goes wrong. Doing this makes employees feel more comfortable, encouraging them to approach leaders with questions, concerns, or big wins.
Here are some ideas on how to keep your employees engaged:
- Slack Channels
- Monthly team outings
- Employee spotlights and discussions with the company on their role and backstory
- Carving out space to have fun with your employees like happy hours, team lunches or office parties
Figure out how to connect with your peers.
Do your colleagues like to talk about their lives outside of the office? Personalizing how you show appreciation to employees is the best way to make a big impact and further a healthy working relationship. Leaders should be taking the time to get to know their employees and their life outside of the office. Some things to note:
- Where are they from?
- What are their interests and passions?
- What’s their family dynamic?
- What do they do on the weekends?
Be sure to note and recognize any personal milestones or dates coming up like a wedding, a baby, family vacation or reunion. Using the Thnks platform is an easy and effective way to send something special to surprise and delight your employees.
These are just simple ways to remove business from a colleague's relationship and make them feel appreciated as people and not just a puzzle piece to a business. Now that you know more about them, when you can take the time to send a token of appreciation to someone, it can be personalized and more meaningful.
Why showing appreciation matters.
A recent Gallup poll noted, recognizing employees and showing appreciation is one of the top ways to combat employee burnout. Expressing praise through gratitude helps promote an environment where well-being thrives in the workplace. Showing appreciation is one of the simplest yet effective ways that leaders can promote better employee engagement, retain their best employees and create a positive company culture. Making this mindset a regular habit in your workplace helps reinforce a message that you care, you're paying attention and you’re engaged in the success of your team members.
Want more ideas on how you can use Thnks to show appreciation to your employees? Check out our “Best Practices Guide” HERE.
Interested in learning more? Sign up for a demo, or click here to learn more about expressing gratitude in business!
