How often do you show employees your appreciation? If the answer is “almost never,” you may be at risk of losing most of your talent. Research indicates that 79% of employees will quit because they feel unappreciated. In fact, one of the main reasons people quit their jobs is because of a lack of recognition. But honestly, that shouldn’t be surprising.
The desire to be appreciated is a basic human need. Most people want to be acknowledged for their hard work and efforts and will look for positive feedback elsewhere if they’re not receiving it at their current company. However, when you’re an entrepreneur or small business owner, showing employee appreciation may not seem important, especially in comparison to the many other tasks on your plate.
On any given day, you have to close deals, manage client or customer relationships, network, recruit new talent, brainstorm marketing ideas, develop new services or products, and do all the behind-the-scenes administrative work that no one thinks about or sees. But taking the time to appreciate your employees can actually make your daily tasks easier to accomplish, which is why it should be one of your top priorities.
The benefits of employee appreciation
Ask anyone who has a thriving business how beneficial employee appreciation is, and they’ll give you a list of concrete reasons. Some of those reasons include:
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Reduced employee turnover
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Increased engagement
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A boost in productivity
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Better company culture
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Greater employee satisfaction
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Decreased work-related stress
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Increased employee retention
These benefits have numbers to back them up as well. Various research studies suggest the following when it comes to recognizing employees:
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Businesses with recognition programs experience 31% lower voluntary turnover.
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Organizations with employee recognition programs have 28.6% lower frustration levels.
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Brands with good recognition programs are 12x more likely to experience strong business outcomes.
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One of the top drivers that attract talent is recognition for work.
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When businesses spend just 1% or more of payroll on appreciating employees, 85% of them experience a positive impact on engagement.
Clearly, the benefits of employee appreciation are vast. It can give your business just what it needs to maintain or gain an edge over competitors. But you have to make sure you show employee recognition properly. Otherwise, your efforts to appreciate your team won’t work.
How to recognize your employees
Different employees prefer to receive appreciation differently. For example, some workers think it’s more meaningful for managers to acknowledge their work rather than their peers. Additionally, some prefer private feedback versus a shout-out that the whole company sees.
Discerning these differences and approaching each employee accordingly is the first step toward valuing them successfully. That means you’ll need to learn their personality types and what makes them happy and uncomfortable. However, once you have that figured out, you can determine the best way to recognize each of them. If you need some ideas on what to do, here are five tips you can implement.
1. Remember important days
Is it someone’s birthday or work anniversary? If so, give them a shout-out on social media. The post can be simple. All you need is a photo with a fun fact or brief overview of the employee’s contribution to the company. If the employee is shy or introverted, you can send them an email with the same content but with slight revisions since it’s a personal message. Either route works. The main goal is to show the employee you care about important milestones and highlight something to prove you’re listening.
2. Bring food to the office
Food is always a one-way ticket to someone’s heart. If you want to show employees you appreciate them, bring good food to the office. Maybe it’s bagels or donuts in the morning or pizza in the afternoon for lunch. But regardless of what you choose, make sure employees know you’re providing free food to express your gratitude for their hard work and dedication. This trick will not only put a smile on their faces but also foster deeper connections as people gather around the food to talk.
3. Offer additional time off
Maybe you had a tough quarter where every employee had to hustle extra hard to hit goals. Well, a great way to thank them is with additional time off. People will relish the opportunity to relax, go on a trip, or focus on a hobby they have outside of work. They’ll also see that you don’t solely care about them working hard but also want to provide time for them to enjoy their personal lives as well.
4. Provide gift cards
One of the easiest ways to show employee appreciation is with a gift card. This idea has been done hundreds of times to where it may seem careless, but most people don’t complain about receiving a gift card to their favorite place, so don’t undervalue this classic idea. Rewarding employees with gift cards to good restaurants, coffee shops, and stores is one of the best ways to show workers you care.
5. Plan a wellness day
Employee wellness is an incredibly important topic these days. People don’t want to sit and work all day. Instead, they want healthy lives full of balance. You can help support that by planning a wellness day for your employees. Arranging a mindfulness session, on-site massage, or fitness class can be a great way to appreciate employees and help them relax. Also, it can help build relationships and deepen teams bond.
Get creative with employee appreciation
While this article lists five ways to appreciate employees, there are many ways you can recognize workers. Maybe it’s little things you do each day, something big every once in a while, or a combination of both to really show employees you care. All routes lead to success, but don’t forget to make everything you do meaningful. Don’t repeat the same gesture every single time. Get creative. Switch things up, and put thought into your employee appreciation initiatives. Then, your team will know your actions are sincere and that you care enough to find ways to showcase how valuable they are to your company.