5 Ways to Show Employee Appreciation in the Workplace
As an employer, you may be thinking about how to reward your workers but in small and big ways. After all, they are the ones doing the actual work and you’re just assisting or checking if their tasks meet company standards. If you want to be consistent in making your employees feel valued, here are five tips to help you out:
1. Offer office perks
Offering office perks is probably the most common way to show employee or staff appreciation in the workplace. Also considered as employee rewards programs, office perks varies from company to company; the bigger the company the more perks they can offer. But even if you operate a business with less than five workers, there are still ways to make your employees feel appreciated with the limited resources that you have.
You can start with snacks and maintaining a clean office and steady supply of office equipment every day. Snacks can range from chips, candies, and chocolates to even healthier options such as bread and fruits. Place them in a specific area where employees can easily grab them whenever they want. As for a clean office and a consistent supply of office equipment, these little things can help employee productivity tremendously. The more employees are productive, the more they will recognize the good efforts being done by their superiors.
2. Call for a one-on-one meeting
Aside from monetary incentives, another way to show appreciation to an employee is by simply calling to a one-on-one meeting and thanking them for their excellent efforts. Of course, this can be a nerve-wracking experience for employees especially when they don’t know they’re called inside their boss’ office.
To help ease employee anxiety, you can always inform them ahead of time of the agenda. You can also insert an appreciation letter if you’re calling them for a different kind of meeting (e.g. progress reports, customer or supplier concerns, etc.). If remote workers currently fill up the workforce, you can organize a short video conference or you can simply send an email or chat. Consistently give praise but you shouldn’t also be afraid to call out employees if they’re performing poorly.
3. Organize small celebrations
One way to build strong relationships with colleagues is to organize small celebrations. And what perfect occasion to celebrate than organizing a small event highlighting the excellent work done by one or a few employees. A celebration also gives you a chance to recognize other employees who have done well with their work.
Much like offering office perks, you don’t need to spend big when it comes to hosting small celebrations. You can have food delivered to the office or you can also invite colleagues to a simple lunch/dinner out. Aside from food, you can also host games and other fun activities to complement the celebration. Have trouble with these activities? Get help from your human resource manager or a senior employee.
4. Hand out a promotion
Unless the employee is completely satisfied with his current role, consider handing out a promotion for workers eyeing higher positions. These employees are the lifeblood of your company, and without their constant hard work and dedication, the company’s goals are never achieved. Giving a promotion (which can be part of your incentive program) is also one of the best ways to keep individuals from getting snipped by competitors.
Handing out promotions is easier said than done and will require extensive planning before being accomplished. This is because you want the right person to be promoted and keep that person in the company for the long haul. Make your decision on the following factors: technical skills, productivity, and relationship with colleagues. If all boxes are ticked, then it’s time to give them a new and better role.
5. Create a more collaborative environment
Employee appreciation can be compromised if you’re using an authoritarian leadership style when running a business. When everything goes through you and you never discuss anything with your colleagues, then it can create an environment that can be very unmotivating and even hostile. Try switching to a democratic or transformative leadership style as this can help with employee retention and employee engagement.
Switch it up by being implementing more collaborative measures within the organization. Using collaboration tools (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Asana, Trello) and encouraging an open-door policy can help tremendously with how you communicate with employees and how employees communicate with each other. With the help of an open-door policy, you can encourage employees to share concerns with you personally without fearing getting demoted or suspended. You can also set up an employee suggestion box workers can drop notes listing their concerns or suggestions.
In closing
Employee appreciation is vital for company success, whether running a small business or a large corporation. The more employees feel appreciated, the better they perform and stay committed to a single company. Have trouble showing appreciation to your workers? The five tips listed above should tremendously help you out.
