Employee Appreciation

Employee Appreciation Day is March 4. Celebrate your team by showing your appreciation for their resilience, hard work, creativity, and determination to get the job done. 

As a leader, it’s more important than ever to express your appreciation to the people who are critical to your own success. If people don’t feel valued and appreciated, they are less likely to be engaged in their work. Studies have shown that people who are thanked at work are 50% less likely to be looking for a new position. 

People want their contributions to be recognized and appreciated. Here are some simple but effective ways to show your gratitude and appreciation to your team. 

Give a gift card. It doesn’t need to be a considerable amount. Make it personal and give a gift card for something they like to do in their private time, whether going to the movies or making home improvements. 

Share an employee’s accomplishments with others. Announce a company meeting, post it on your website or newsletter or send an email. 

Give the gift of time. Your employees are likely working extra hours to achieve their goals. Give your employee a different day of vacation or a personal day to show your appreciation. 

Have a team brunch. Bring in bagels or take the team out to lunch. Appreciation doesn’t need to be expensive to achieve the desired effect. 

Ask for input. Survey your employees to find out what would make them feel valued and what you can do to improve your employee recognition strategy. 

Give individual as well as team appreciation. 

Even if someone is part of a bigger team, it’s essential to give thanks individually. Instead of saying, “you did a great job with that client,” give a specific example of what the person did and how they did it. What was the impact of their work? Share some detail on why their actions were meaningful. 

Understand what appreciation means to each person (and not what you would prefer) 

While you may prefer to receive appreciation in a certain way, it’s not a one-size-all-fits. Some prefer to receive recognition in private vs. publically; for others, a gift vs. a gift card is more meaningful. Some may also prefer a salary increase that boosts motivation almost immediately.

Think about the type of appreciation that will resonate with the employee you want to show your appreciation. Is the person shy or outgoing? Do they like to be in the spotlight or prefer to work behind the scenes? 

Career Growth 

The Great Resignation is also known as the Great Reshuffle, with employees leaving for greener pastures. With so many looking for a career change or a new challenge, it’s essential to help grow their career aspirations or explore a new role within the company. 

Invest in professional development through skill development, mentoring, and coaching opportunities, and be sure to let your employees know you support their career aspirations which a competent human resources strategist can help your company with.

About FutureSense 

FutureSense is a management consulting firm that provides integrated solutions to build and sustain human capital capacity. The firm can work with you by offering support and guidance to manage your workforce. To learn more about FutureSense, please visit FutureSense.com.