You don’t need an Employee Appreciation Day to show a little gratitude to your staff. The salary and benefits that you give them are part and parcel of being a decent employer, but those things being present in your life don’t mean that you should stop showing people that you care about them as individuals.
That doesn’t mean you need to be on your knees thanking them for their hard work every single day. It should go without saying, if there’s a job well done, make sure you tell them in front of their colleagues
You don’t have to lavish gifts or start allocating thousands in a company budget to make life difficult for yourself, but you do have to consider how you can do something wonderful to show your staff that you really do feel grateful that they’re there to make your life easier. Below, you’ll find six great ways to show your staff that they mean something to you.
Lots of Corporate Goodies
If there is one thing that you could give your staff that’ll show them that you are thinking about them, it’s promotional products that speaks to who they are and what their hobbies are. Having your merchandise in their homes is a good way to gain some exposure, but you can also consider that the health junkies and runners in your office need a new water bottle or sports bag.
You could easily get them set up with that. A simple gift that the’ll use shows that you’ve been paying attention to more that just them at work. You know them as a person that enjoys stuff outside of work.
Your Ear
Believe it or not, the one great thing that you can give your staff is your time and attention. Sitting down to a meeting is often far more fun when that meeting isn’t an evaluation of their abilities, but a chance to catch up and remind yourself of the person you hired – not the resume.
A casual coffee meeting is a time to spend time talking about their long term career hopes and dreams. It’s also a good way to learn their goals and understand who they are as a person. Taking the time to ask about their goals leads to a conversation about how you can help them to reach those. It’s their thoughts on how their job is that will teach you what it’s like to walk in their shoes, and this type of information that will make the most difference to your relationship.
Specific Compliments
You may have walked past and patted your employee on the shoulder and said well done. But, you can say that to the dog in your home, and this isn’t a valuable compliment for your employee. Being general with your compliments and saying a thank you doesn’t have the same impact as going in depth with why you’re thanking them.
Mention the particular achievement that you’re recognizing them for, as well as why their actions were so important as well as who benefited from it. If the team benefited because of their work, mention it in front of the team. Giving employees recognition in front of their peers can be hugely motivating.
Finding Opportunities
Your staff don’t have a ceiling to their abilities unless you put one over their head. If you choose to go ahead and show your people that you have their backs, you need to also show them that you will do whatever it takes to find them opportunities outside of your business. You’re supposed to help them find the best self they can be.
It’s got to be common knowledge that those in the bottom rung of the jobs ladder in your organisation won’t want to stay there unless you have a clear plan for them. Even if you can’t have those people by your side for the next fifteen years, you can still help them to grow as people and find new things to do and learn. Making training courses and employment achievement certifications available for your staff expands their knowledge and gives them a way to develop personally, too.
But, don’t only limit the options to things that directly benefit the company. In The Expertise Economy they show that giving your employees control over their learning can help your business, and improve employee retention.
Trust
It may feel like an alien concept, but you can show your employees that you trust them and watch how this can make a difference to their work ethic. It’s a massive compliment if you are allowing them to handle things their own way in their own department.
It means that you think that their work quality is high enough that you can give them autonomy in their role. Without you looking over their shoulder, they can spread their wings and have the chance to be more independent. Giving them that ownership and responsibility over something boosts their confidence and allows them the chance to shine. You won’t regret it.
Outside Feedback
Depending on the position that your employee holds in your company, they may not always get to hear from others how well they are doing in their role. If you get feedback from customers, clients or management about their work, you need to pass that along and make a habit of doing so.
People are spurred on to work better if they know that they’re doing well at what they do. Positive feedback in your team motivates and improves employee morale, and this goes a long way to making people feel like they are valued.
This then increases employee loyalty – it’s one long knock-on effect! You could trial a whiteboard where you have employee sales or achievements jotted down throughout the day. This way, you can really show people you appreciate their efforts and spur them on further for more.
Your staff need to know that you appreciate the effort that they go to for you. People are there day in and day out to improve your company and make life simpler; you benefit from the efforts that your people on the ground put in and whether you go for extra training or gifting experiences, you need to do something to show your employees you care.
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