5 ways to make your employees feel appreciated
Do you want a simple way to retain a higher percentage of your employees? How about a way to make them more engaged with your business? It turns out this simple trick also will make them more productive.
All you have to do is show your appreciation to them for their hard work. Here are five ways to do it:
1 – Donate to your employees’ favorite charities
There are several different ways to show your appreciation through charities. You can donate to a charity on an employee’s birthday, set up a matching donation program, or make regular donations to a charity selected by your employees. Charities are great ways to help your community and show your employees you care. Many charities need extra help this year, including food banks. You can research trustworthy charities on Charity Navigator or check this list of already vetted ones from Vanguard.
2 – Take time to build morale
Whether you’re working in the office or remotely right now, there’s always time to help build morale with your team. You can host food parties in the office, get employees’ competitive juices flowing with a contest, or work on team-building activities. If your group is remote, set up virtual games or even a Zoom happy hour with mocktails and special foods sent right to their home from your company.
3 – Recognize major milestones and small victories
Whether you are working in the office or at home, you should recognize your employees’ milestones and victories — no matter how big or small. Think about the last time your group celebrated an accomplishment. Did it have something to do with sales? Were you launching a new product or service? It’s great to recognize those significant feats, but you also need to highlight smaller achievements too.
4 – Set up a formal recognition program
You can even go one further with this suggestion and turn it into an employee recognition program. Pick a period — daily, monthly, quarterly, etc. — and set up a more formal awards recognition process for well-done work. Do you need a monetary award? A symbolic one will do. It’s important to remember it’s the recognition that shows you appreciate your employees.
5 – Tell your employees you appreciate them
When is the last time you looked your team in the eye and told them how much you appreciated their hard work and effort, especially during the darkest days of the pandemic?
That simple gesture, often forgotten in our busy day-to-day lives, can greatly impact employees. It can help with retention. You’ll drive engagement. Ultimately, your employees will feel more motivated and more productive.
There are many ways to do it too. If you are on Zoom right now, don’t hesitate to say it to your team or your entire company the next chance you get. You can even send handwritten notes. And while emails are OK, try to be a little more creative for this one.
You can also show your appreciation to your employees who commute by signing up for commuter benefits or offering prepaid cards for mobility vehicles like e-bikes and e-scooters. If you want more information, visit our website at www.commuterbenefits.com.
