It’s important to show your employees that you appreciate the work they do as it will not only improve their morale but also increase productivity. This isn’t the only reason why you should appreciate and motivate your employees, though. Regular appreciation and motivation will improve employee retention and in return, your business will benefit from a better team of workers.
While employee appreciation day comes around once a year, you should make an extra effort to show your team that you’re grateful for their work and recognize their achievements. Here are a few ways to get started.
#1. Maintain and Update the Workplace
No one wants to work in a rundown, smelly office. Even if your workplace is in decent shape, taking the extra step to improve and update the office now and then can show your employees that you care about them.
Upgrading desk chairs every few years, repainting the walls, changing the decor, and installing some extra perks like a coffee machine or snack fridge are just a few ideas for getting started.
Small changes can be a great way to keep the workplace feeling fresh and engaging. You don’t need to do a whole office renovation every year, but if the office never changes and your employees are stuck using the same old furniture and stinky kitchen, morale will drop.
#2. Offer Praise and Thanks for a Job Well Done
Even if an employee has only done what they’re required to do, it’s important to remember to thank them for completing the assignment and offer your praise.
Mention aspects of their work that you especially appreciate and how these aspects help improve their work. Saying something as simple as “I like how you used graphics to help visualize the report” can make employees feel like their effort is valued and seen. It also shows more genuine appreciation for the work, unlike a generic “You did good”.
You may be the owner of the business or a top-tier manager, but no one is above saying “please” and “thank you” when requesting something. Even if what you’re asking for is part of an employee’s daily responsibilities, being polite and adding simple niceties will help employees feel more valued and respected.
Just like you wouldn’t appreciate an order from someone else, your employees don’t want to be ordered around either. It’s not only degrading, but it lowers motivation.
#3. Allow Flexible Schedules
It’s no secret that employees prefer flexible scheduling whether or not they’re parents. Not only will flexible scheduling give workers more control over their workweek, but it will encourage productivity and ensure higher job satisfaction.
There are numerous advantages of flexible scheduling for both employees and employers, but there are also disadvantages. Before switching to a flexible scheduling system, it’s important to weigh both so that you know what to expect. Even if there are some disadvantages to the system, remember that there are also disadvantages to traditional scheduling methods.
Along with allowing flexible schedules, provide a way for employees to communicate and plan their own time off. When employees can work together to schedule time off, they’re much more satisfied and feel like they’re being treated more fairly than if a manager is the one who decides.
Post a year-long calendar somewhere in the office where employees can write down desired and planned vacation time. If everyone can see when others are taking time off, they can plan their future vacations accordingly so that the company doesn’t suffer and there aren’t scheduling conflicts.
#4. Provide Incentives and Rewards
Give your employees a reason to work hard and stay productive by offering incentives and employee recognition for reaching certain milestones. Gift cards and bonuses are always greatly appreciated by employees and when you offer multiple ways to earn them, you can encourage productivity and quality work.
#5. Share Information and Company Reports
Your employees care about your business, too. You aren’t the only one that’s interested in knowing how the company is faring and making an effort to provide this information to your employees won’t go unappreciated.
Sharing reports and results from past and current projects can give employees valuable insight as to how their work helps the company. Some employees may not realize how the tasks they complete every week impact the company. By simply providing access to weekly, monthly, or annual reports, you can show employees how their work benefits the company in the long run.
#6. Make Communication Easy
There’s no reason why your employees should have to jump through hoops to contact you about a concern or idea they have. There’s also no reason why they shouldn’t have an easy way to communicate with each other, even if your business doesn’t do a lot of collaborative projects.
Ensuring easy and clear communication between employees and between you and your employees will improve job satisfaction. When it’s easy to communicate ideas and concerns, employees are more motivated to share their thoughts. They’re also more engaged with their coworkers and have more motivation to complete the tasks that await them.
#7. Encourage Creativity
No one wants to work somewhere that doesn’t appreciate their creativity or input. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is by discouraging creativity in the workplace. Instead, make an effort to show employees that you value their thoughts, opinions, and ideas. Even if the ideas aren’t fantastic, encouraging creativity creates a happier workplace and higher employee satisfaction.
Always Show Your Appreciation
Even when it isn’t employee appreciation day or week, there’s never a bad time to show your employees that you value and appreciate the work they do every day. Not only does it create a more positive, welcoming work culture, but it can also help motivate employees to keep up the good work and go the extra mile. With benefits like higher employee retention and satisfaction, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t make showing your appreciation commonplace.