5 Exceptional Ways to Show Employee Appreciation

One of the best feelings to have in the workplace is to feel appreciated. An appreciated employee will be motivated to work their hardest, day in and day out. In order to truly run a successful business and please your customers, it is important to instil happiness among employees. In order to drive hard work and success, it must first be appreciated and noticed.

Show Interest

It’s amazing how many bosses and superiors don’t actually know very much about their employees. The first step in showing appreciation is showing an interest in your workers’ lives. That does not mean you need to hear the ins and outs of their personal business, but even simple, generic questions about how they’re doing - or even better, how their family is doing - will go a long way.

Showing anyone that they are appreciated is giving them an open space to feel that their voice can be heard and their feelings are valued. Along with that, hand-written notes go an incredibly long way.

 

Reward System

In order to promote a strong work ethic in your employees, it is an excellent idea to create a system that rewards achievements and goals. This, in itself, will show your employees that their work is truly worth something significant to the company. And who doesn’t feel accomplished and appreciated when they are rewarded for successful work? Take some time to create goals and rewards for each department, even something as simple as a $25 gas gift card.

Further, a way to encourage hard work is to hold a monthly or quarterly awards ceremony. You can make this into a big deal or a quick process, just as long as different employees are publicly recognised for their work. Establish an “employee of the month” for each department or create more specific awards; employees are guaranteed to feel appreciated.

 

Environment

Chances are, your employees spend more time in the office than almost anywhere else. Maybe you can’t afford to send each employee out for lunch, but making internal improvements in the kitchen or break rooms will work wonders.

It’s amazing how improvements such as a new coffee maker or break-room couches will create positive buzz around the office. Providing nicer amenities that employees can benefit from each day is a definite way to show appreciation.

 

One on One

Depending on the size of your office or business, this may be a tough one. Allowing employees some face time with their superiors outside of official meetings or performance reviews will mean a great deal. Keep the meeting very informal; it will give your employees an opportunity to discuss how they are feeling, what changes they think could be made and bring up anything else that is on their mind.

Allowing time for workers to share their thoughts is an important role of a successful superior.

 

Let Loose

The easiest and most common form of showing employee appreciation is planning a party or work outing. There’s no doubt that everyone loves a break during the workday, even a 30- or 60-minute gathering in the break room is a nice little refresher. Encouraging employees to socialize during these special times will instantly boost morale and make the office more relaxed.

As a real treat, consider taking your employees offsite for a get-together. Showing your workers, you are willing to have fun with them outside of the office is an excellent way to show appreciation.

 

Final Words

Your employees are your business’s most valuable assets. Without them, you likely would not be able to run a successful endeavour. These are just a few ways to truly show your employees that they are appreciated, to instil hard work and ultimately provide an all-around better environment for everyone.

About the author

Michelle is a blogger and freelancer. She’s written about almost every topic, from corporate wellness, employee engagement to individual’s health concerns and lifestyle. For this column, she asked recruiting experts at Recruit DLT about the latest corporate wellness trends and HR practices. So a special thanks to team DLT for their inputs!

In her spare time, Michelle enjoys traveling & spending time with her baby.

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