Ways to Show Appreciation to Staff
Displaying staff appreciation is hugely important when it comes to employee retention. As a result of the pandemic, people’s priorities have shifted, meaning that they seek to be valued within their profession. If you want to guarantee that your employees won’t stray elsewhere and also ensure that they’re performing to the best of their ability, you need to show them that you appreciate what they’re doing for you. There are a multitude of ways in which you can display this appreciation, each of which will go a long way in the eyes of your employees.
Give Gifts
Gifts don’t have to be huge or cost a bomb, but the smallest of tokens can be extremely valuable to your employees. Whether this is done seasonally with Christmas or Easter gifts, gifts to mark milestones, or simply just because, little presents can go a long way. From stationery to sweet treats, there are so many small tokens that employers can present their staff with. You might even take it one step further and personalize these gifts in order to let your staff know that they’re not just another name on the payroll, but they’re a valued member of your company.
Give Praise
Praise goes a long way for anyone, yet it’s something that often goes forgotten. Praising your employees is one of the simplest ways of displaying appreciation to your employees; however, it’s something that employees struggle with the most. When giving out praise, it’s a good idea not to simply say “well done”, but actually identify exactly where the employee was successful. This will make your staff feel acknowledged and recognised for their hard work. Not only will this make the employee feel good, but it will also optimize their performance, as they’ll feel appreciated for what they do.
Say Thank You
Another simple thing that goes unforgotten is two simple words – thank you. Any contribution that an employee makes to your company is worthy of a thank you. Contrary to the beliefs of some, social niceties certainly have their place in professional environments. With this being said, when requesting your employees complete a task for you, you should make an effort to say please. This aids you in creating a civilized, polite, and gracious workplace to be appreciated by all. Consequently, a more comfortable environment is created, and employee performance is enabled to reach his peak.
Show Interest
It can often be forgotten in the workplace that employees are people with interests outside of their professional environment and acknowledging them as such makes them feel recognised. Making an effort to ask employees about their family, hobbies, or weekend plans can make the whole employment situation much more personalized, creating a more comfortable environment in which staff will be able to reach their optimal performance. Despite this, you must carefully navigate the balance between displaying interest and being nosy. This allows you to show genuine interest that makes an employee feel valued and acknowledged by their employer.
Offer Flexible Working
As previously mentioned, our attitudes towards work have shifted as a result of the pandemic. Therefore, it’s no longer a case of slotting your life around your work, but rather, slotting your work around your life. Consequently, your employees will feel more valued as human beings if they’re treated as such. It’s important for employers to realise that a person’s work is not their life and that they don’t owe each of their waking hours to the company. Many companies make the mistake of treating employees like machines, which isn’t the best way of achieving employee retention or optimal performance.
