“THANK YOU for your efforts.” This line may sound plain vanilla but the expression of this single line may leave a crackerjack impact upon whom the expression is being shared. In the organizational workplace, this line belongs to the employees’ appreciation. Employee appreciation not only makes the employees feel valued and included but motivates them to dedicate extra effort at the workplace. An organization must ensure that all the team members of the organization get the recognition and appreciation they deserve. Employees’ appreciation should not just be limited to March 3rd i.e. Employee Appreciation Day. Employee appreciation has several synonyms. Employee appreciation can be referred to as Employees' Kudos or Employee Praise too.
Employee appreciation is not just about providing “THANK-YOU” notes during a special event but also giving a public shoutout and creating a Wall of Fame to celebrate the employees’ achievements and efforts. When employees get recognized, they are more inclined towards dedicating more efforts that ultimately bring positive impact upon business. Hence, employee appreciation can be stated as the strategic plan and action that yields positive ROI on organizational businesses. Employee appreciation brings multiple benefits to employees themselves and the organization as well. Let’s check out the whip hands of Employee Appreciation.
i) When employees are recognized, they feel valued and employee engagement increased making them more productive, creative, confident, and committed towards their work.
ii) When employees are valued, their productivity is enhanced ultimately resulting in employee retention and reduced turnover. Also, leaves and absenteeism are drastically reduced.
iii) With stronger and improved employee morale, employees are more focused on a collaborative approach to teamwork.
iv) Positivity and satisfaction among employees emerge that motivate employees to deliver top-notch and excellent customer service leading to customecr satisfaction and positive brand loyalty.
As employee appreciation constitutes a plethora of pros, let’s check out some employee appreciation ideas to boost their confidence and creativity. Multiple employee appreciation ideas can be applied in the workplace per organizational size, policies, employees’ expectations, and more. We will be discussing some common employee appreciation ideas that any organization can embrace for the employees. Let’s dig in.
Employees’ appreciation should not only be concatenated with the business KPIs as it is directly linked with the organizational success. An organization must make efforts to understand the employees’ interests, expectations, and aspirations. Personal growth is also what an organization must seek for an employee. So, an organization must act accordingly to reach the employees’ targets based on their expectations as well. When employees feel someone is listening to them, they feel valued and map out their career pathways as well. Active listening and planning accordingly are also part of employee appreciation.
As the COVID-19 pandemic struck the globe a few years back, Work-from-home and online working platforms emerged as the new trends. As mentioned earlier, listening to employees is necessary. According to the situation, an organization can introduce hybrid working modules offering flexibility to the employees. A remote working environment can be more comfortable than a 9-5 working period. So switching from physical presence to hybrid work modules can provide the employees autonomy to dedicate more efforts with creativity and confidence.
Birthday celebrations and proportional parties may be the organizational practices but apart from monetary rewards to the employees, praising them and giving a public shoutout with impromptu speech amongst the organization for their deeds and achievements can be the best way to express gratitude. This practice should be included in the work culture list. Appreciating one another for their achievements as a part of office culture is the ultimate way to value one another.
A monotonous work schedule may drain the employees. Always the same stuff may not boost creativity and interest among employees. So, there should be the creation of a work environment where interesting challenges are added to work. This will enable the team members to use their creative thinking for the accomplishment of the goal. An organization can place the team members in CSR activities and other projects that align with their jobs so that productivity gets enhanced.
Not every day is a happy day for the employees. Situation of a stressful environment, burnout, and frustration may occur at times. Any team member must have that personal space to get free from such distress. An organization must be able to recognize its draining times. For the remedy, for freeing ourselves from such agony and getting back to normal situations, an organization must create a platform where employees feel they are understood by the organization about their frustration. For this, organizations must design team-building activities and collaborative programs to foster healthy team relationships amongst team members. There should be an open door policy of constructive feedback and criticism as well so that employees express their recommendations and grievances. This belongs to the employee appreciation idea motivating employees to share their personal opinions.
An employee must keep on learning striving and thriving in the organization. A degree of study is not just enough for a lifetime. When employees don’t get opportunities to learn, their productivity and creativity are defunct and they see no career growth that may result in high employee turnover. Learning and development should be part of the business strategy. Reskilling and upskilling programs should be organized timely and make the learning management system easily accessible to all employees. These programs positively shape the employees’ minds.
A healthy employee whether physically or mentally can perform better in the workplace. Due to workload and stressful work environment, they may not dedicate the required efforts and absenteeism can cause due to this. Hence, an organization must implement employee wellness programs including therapy sessions and employee counseling to deal with mental health issues, stress, and burnout. Organizations must allocate a certain budget for employee well-being by conducting employee wellness programs.
Expressing gratitude and giving praise won’t cost money. Sometimes paychecks can also motivate employees for more contributions. The financial incentives and monetary rewards for good employees as the lagniappe for their contributions is like a celebration of their good deeds and achievements. So per the situation, financial acknowledgement is also an important part of employee appreciation.
Creative mindsets always bring positive outcomes. In this way, when innovative ideas are welcomed, employees are fuelled with the motivation for their long-term commitments to the organization. Organizations should create a platform where employees can pitch their ideas or share their out-of-the-box thoughts. They can give presentations on certain topics where they can share their personal opinions and alternatives on services, customer service, and many more. This approach will enable the employees to participate in such collaborative platforms and enhance their creativity and confidence.
Handwritten notes, customized gifts, impromptu praise during company meetings, organizing peer-to-peer recognition programs, personalized appreciation, offering e-learning options, and many more are the best ideas for employee appreciation. These programs should be consistent in nature. Appreciating the remote teams and virtual recognition should also be part of the employee recognition program.
Apart from these, using quotes on employee appreciation, THANK YOU notes, and posting appreciation messages on social media are some of the best ideas for employee appreciation. These small efforts can enable the employee to celebrate their personal and professional achievements. With the organization as a part of their achievement, employees are ready to dedicate more than 100% effort to the organization leading to business success, organizational productivity, and customer satisfaction.