5 Ways to Show Your Employees Appreciation

Although Covid restrictions have been lifted, the “Great Resignation” has kicked in, where pent-up resignation letters were finally handed in.

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

Anthony Klotz, the American academic who coined the term, cited the unanticipated freedom of working from home as a key factor for the trend of resignations (Channel News Asia, 2022). If employers wish to retain their employees, it is important to take steps to promote a good work culture.

A simple and effective way to ensure that your employees feel happy at work is to show them appreciation. According to a study from Glassdoor, 81% of employees will work harder when shown appreciation for their work (Hoppier, 2022). This is significantly higher than the 37% who are motivated by the fear of losing their job, and the 38% who work harder because their boss is demanding (Hoppier, 2022). Furthermore, when employees feel valued and satisfied with their jobs, this increases productivity. Engaged employees resulted in increased productivity which led to a 21% increase in profits (Gallup, 2017). It is evident that showing appreciation for your employees can go a long way.

 Here are five ways you can show appreciation for your employees!

1. Recognise Your Staff

One of the best ways to show appreciation for your staff is to recognise them. The traditional wall of staff photos is a great way for staff to get to know each other’s faces, and gives them a sense of belonging. Having a long service award not only rewards employees for their loyalty to the company, but signals to other employees that your company has a good working culture. Remember to keep a lookout for employees that perform well. Giving bonuses, a pay raise or even a promotion will certainly be appreciated. To take it a step further, an awards ceremony can be held to recognise the top performers of the company.

The recognition can also be informal – sometimes, even a simple and genuine post-it note can make their day. Additionally, incorporating more positive feedback into the employee review process can boost morale significantly. Inculcating a culture of appreciation is the best way to show consistent effort for your employees.

 2. Provide Learning and Professional Development Opportunities

A common reason for leaving a company is career stagnation, where an organisation may get complacent and take for granted the employees who have been working with them for some time. Without being challenged, the work may feel mundane after some time and employees may start to look for other jobs to seek growth opportunities. According to a survey conducted by Pew Research Center, 63% of respondents cited the lack of opportunities for advancement as the reason for quitting (Pew Research Center, 2022). Investing in your employees’ growth is a brilliant way to show appreciation, and these newly learnt skills can even be applied to their daily work.

One way to create opportunities for growth is to have a mentoring system within the company, where experienced employees share their knowledge with newer employees. Teaching is also a form of learning as the mentors have to articulate and rationalise their work, providing more opportunities for them to reflect on how to improve the efficiency of their own work. Some companies also do job rotations, where employees are able to experience different functions within the organisation. This reduces monotony and allows for greater understanding across departments. Your company can also partner external vendors to provide courses for your employees to get certified in new skillsets.

 3. Provide Perks for Your Staff

Who can say no to free food vouchers or a discount to a relaxing spa session? Providing perks for your employees is a great way to re-energise your employees from a dreaded day of work. Some organisations provide staff discounts for their own products. Others may partner with external organisations to offer discounts. A more personalised approach is to celebrate your employees’ birthdays by getting a cake or even giving them a day off. You can also treat your employees to a meal on occasion.

A meaningful gift is often more impactful than an extravagant one. Ask your employees what they appreciate the most or offer them a few options. The five love languages is a good starting point – some may prefer gifts, while others may prefer words of affirmation.

 4. Promote Employee Wellbeing

While perks spark joy in the short term, a more sustainable way of showing appreciation is caring for their wellbeing. When employees invest time in their physical and mental health, they will be in a better state to ensure the quality of their work. This creates space and the mental capacity for resilience in difficult times such as the Covid-19 pandemic where everyone is adjusting to new working arrangements, or even in handling personal matters which may have an impact on their work.

In terms of physical health, exercise is a great way to ensure that employees are living healthier, longer and better lives. Some offices have a gym corner to offer some respite from the sedentary office life. Alternatively, partnering with gyms or fitness classes to offer memberships is a great way to encourage physical activity. In terms of mental health, having an in-house counsellor can be helpful to tackle common workplace stressors and help employees feel more valued knowing that the company has their interests at heart.

5. Empower Your Staff

Are your employees always assigned tasks, or do they choose what projects they work on? Giving them a choice allows employees to take pride in their work and put in more effort than if they were completing a task for the sake of it. Another way to empower them is to involve them in decision-making in the company, such as the bidding of projects. This gives employees a personal and professional stake to perform better.

Having the opinions of your employees heard, such as through online feedback channels, can make them feel empowered and more likely to be tolerant. While many organisations have their respective feedback channels, sometimes the feedback is dismissed and action is not taken. It is important to act on the feedback and make the necessary changes or adjustments to show employees that their wellbeing is taken into consideration.

Conclusion

Showing appreciation to your staff does not have to be difficult or expensive. Be creative with your approach – don’t limit yourself to just one method! You will enjoy the work more when you build camaraderie with your colleagues or subordinates.

For more articles related to trending topics, subscribe to our newsletter!