Showing that you appreciate your employees can help boost morale and retention rates – here are some creative ideas on how to do it
CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Business News Daily
Making your employees feel valued for all they do isn’t difficult, and it can pay off in a big way. These tips offer some creative ideas for showing your gratitude to your team to retain your top performers, boost morale, and improve productivity.
Offer a pay increase or bonus: pay increases and bonuses are a highly effective way to retain your best employees. Offer incentives for high performers and keep them satisfied and productive.
Use a gamification system: these systems enable the allocation of points or tokens for the completion of certain tasks or achievements that unlock and range of rewards.
Let employees give and receive praise: create a forum for team members and managers to give praise to one another, such as during a regular meeting.
Offer food: whether it’s keeping the fridge and pantry stocked with snacks, or ordering the occasional team lunch to your workplace, treating your employees to some of their favourite eats can go a long way to boosting satisfaction.
Express gratitude across social media: if you have employees who appreciate being praised in front of all your followers, consider working these sorts of acknowledgements into your marketing plan across your social media sites. However, before shouting out your employees on a public platform, be sure they’re comfortable with being in the spotlight.
Team awards: having an internal team award can be a fun way for team members to recognise one another on a regular basis.
Offer fitness perks: it can be challenging to balance the demands of work and life with a consistent fitness regime. Workplaces can offer an on-site fitness facility, and gym breaks, during the work day to give employees who want a workout the opportunity to easily do so.
Extra time off: even if you already offer employees a lot of paid time off, a little extra time to themselves can serve as a powerful incentive.
Listen to feedback: simply listening to employees can make them feel appreciated, especially if you’re willing to take action when they offer their constructive feedback.
Host events: hosting fun events like parties or team outings can be a great way to show appreciation while also building relationships among team members.
Celebrate milestones: reward your employees for their dedication and loyalty to your organisation by recognising their accomplishments and special days.
Arrange a wellness day: wellness days can show that your organisation appreciates the challenges your employees face and wants to help them feel their very best.
Offer training opportunities: many employees are looking for an organisation they can grow with, so offering skills training and career development opportunities can be powerful motivators.
Create an employee recognition programme: establish an employee recognition programme to formally recognise each staff member throughout the year – or have each team create its own programme for recognising peers on a day-to-day basis.
Volunteer opportunities: you could sponsor an event in which your entire team volunteers together, give your employees a day off to attend a charitable event that is important to them, or offer to donate to a charitable organisation on your employees’ behalf.
Plan an annual retreat: if you have the means to do so, plan an annual retreat for your organisation. Ask employees where they would like to go and what kinds of activities they would like to take part in during the retreat.
The benefite of employee appreciation
Here are some of the benefits of thanking your employees and showing your gratitude for the work they do.
It builds trust: If workers can’t trust you, your organisation will not operate smoothly. Employees want to feel that their bosses see them as human beings and have their best interests at heart. According to a survey from Globoforce, 86% of employees felt they could trust managers who had shown them recognition within the past month.
It boosts productivity: If workers feel that you care, you will see it in how hard they work. Appreciated employees feel invested in the success of an organisation and will make a bigger effort.
It decreases turnover: appointing and onboarding a new employee is time-consuming and costly. Recognising employees can improve morale, and you might be able to reduce your employee turnover by showing employees they are appreciated.
It improves brand reputation: In today’s age of online reviews and social media you can be sure that if you treat your employees poorly, people will find out. You don’t want to be known as an organisation to avoid. Plus, consumers like to support organisations that treat their staff well, and quality candidates are more likely to apply to work for those companies.
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