When it comes to being happy in both your personal and professional life, there is one thing that will forever hold true and that is the need to feel valued and appreciated. That’s not saying that you have to give your employees a gold star every time they do something right but it has been proven that employees who feel valued and appreciated by their employers, oftentimes work harder and more efficiently for the company, intend to grow with the company, and have a deep respect for their bosses.
On the flip side, it has also been proven that when employees don’t feel valued or appreciated in their positions at work, they are less likely to invest their time and effort into the company, they have no intention of staying with the company long-term, and they don’t contribute to the company’s overall morale… if anything, they’re bringing it down.
To prevent this from happening, you want to make sure your employees feel appreciated from the moment they come on board, because after all, without employees, it’s hard to run a business, plus, it doesn’t take much for an employee to be happy at work on their own, why not intensify their happiness with a kind gesture of appreciation.
Employee Appreciation Day: It Should Be More Than Just One Day Out of the Year
According to timeanddate.com, Employee Appreciation Day is always recognized in the US and Canada on the first Friday in March. This year, it fell on Friday, March 6, 2020. It’s not an official or national holiday but lots of companies celebrate it with their employees.
The thing about Employee Appreciation Day is that it’s a nice thing to celebrate but it’s also something that shouldn’t be happening only one day out of the year either. A great way to look at Employee Appreciation Day is to look at it like Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day is supposed to be a day of love.
Some people go all out on this day, being very loving and affectionate to their significant other on that day… but the reality is that you shouldn’t be “extra” loving and affectionate to your partner just on Valentine’s Day… that should be happening every day!
Look at Employee Appreciation Day like that… it’s not necessarily something that has to be shown every day, per se, but something as simple as a verbal thank you to everyone at the end of the shift or at the end of the week to all employees will go very far in making employees feel valued and appreciated.
The great thing about making employees feel valued and appreciated is that it doesn’t take much, as long as the sentiments are genuine. If you are in a management position or the owner of a company and are trying to come up with ways to show employee appreciation, whether the gesture is big or small, here are a few ways to let your employees know you appreciate everything they do.
Different Ways to Show Employees Appreciation
Have an Employee Luncheon Once a Month
Whether it’s breakfast being brought in, a catered lunch, summer cookouts, or employee potlucks, what better way to show employee appreciation through food? After all, food is one of the very things that bring everyone together.
To make it even better, upper management should make it a point to dine with their team members to bring unity and open the lines of communication.
Recognize Managers With a Company Trip For Teambuilding
When it comes to employee appreciation, the managers are oftentimes forgotten about and they’re the backbone of the company. They’re the ones working late to train employees to make sure they understand their jobs. They’re also the ones who get the brunt of disciplinary actions when their department doesn’t meet certain goals, and for that reason, managers need to be rewarded as well.
Because they’re in a higher position, it’s pretty fair that they get a pretty nice reward. Some companies offer free one-year memberships to certain fitness programs while others will provide a company team building trip. Typically, to accommodate everyone, companies will rent a charter bus to get all management members to the destination safely. It’s usually a weekend thing but it just depends on the company.
Identify Milestones With Employees
Maybe an employee is about to hit a milestone of being with the company for three years. Three years might not mean much to you, being that you’ve been with the company for eight years but three years is a huge milestone to that person and. The fact that they’ve stuck around that long and seen plenty of people come and go should not only say something about the company but it should also say something about management.
Anytime an employee hits a year milestone in their career, that speaks volumes. It also lets the employer know that they’re invested in the company and everything it stands for. Year milestones don’t have to be grand gestures either. A gift card to a restaurant is a nice gesture. And even a gift basket full of company gear is nice, just to say that you recognize their loyalty to the company and here’s to many more years of working with you.