At the heart of every successful business is its employees. These hardworking individuals keep the wheels turning and the doors open, no matter what niche or industry your organization exists in. To keep spirits high, productivity maximized, and to promote a fun and supportive work environment, employees need to know that they are respected and valued. With that in mind, and in honor of Employee Appreciation Week, here are five simple steps to show employee appreciation.
Acknowledge and Engage
No one wants to work in a stuffy workplace where employees slug through the motions without putting in much effort. Unfortunately, this is still the environment many people deal with, and it can lead to several problems – low employee morale chief among them. One way to fix this quickly is to acknowledge staff as often as possible while increasing engagement along the way.
Work doesn’t need to be boring, even if it sometimes feels that way. The simple act of acknowledgment can help employees feel more involved in the workplace. And when someone feels more involved, they are more likely to contribute to the best of their abilities. If you notice someone in your organization putting in the effort or going above and beyond, be sure to acknowledge that right away. Not only will your doing this encourage the employee to keep up the good work, but it can also set a solid example for others. Acknowledgment can be as simple as congratulating an individual for achieving a task, but you can also incentivize performance with small awards or bonuses.
Engagement is another excellent way to better encourage productivity and make employees feel seen and supported. Ask questions or get employee feedback as often as possible. Don’t make this feel like a check-in but rather approach it in a way that makes employee input feel valued. This will help support team building and allow individuals to speak their minds, offering valuable insight that could otherwise slip by.
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
We all mess up from time to time. Regardless of what role you hold in a business, screwups and mistakes do happen. This applies to CEOs as much as it does to everyday employees. While you always want to encourage people to put in their best effort, they also need to know that making a mistake is not the end of the world. When individuals are constantly afraid of making a mistake, innovation and progress can suffer.
Business leaders should take a supportive and encouraging approach when mistakes or problems occur. All good leaders understand the power involved in their position, but not all understand that how they handle mistakes can affect employee happiness. Don’t sweat the small stuff might sound like Family Channel advice, but it can actually be highly effective in the workplace. Mistakes should be pointed out, but they don’t need to become a focus. Instead, help employees move on and learn something from the situation.
Offer Incentives
Incentives in the workplace are another effective tactic for showing employee appreciation. The sky is the limit with this in mind, and any sort of reward can boost morale while encouraging productivity and commitment. Incentives can be as simple as executive acknowledgment but can be even more effective with a tangible award. Financial incentives are common, and these create motivation for employees to work hard to achieve. But incentives don’t always need to be based on money.
Incentivizing hard work is a common approach but rewarding employees for other reasons can be equally effective. Maybe someone always brings a good attitude to work, or they have been going through personal troubles but still showing up and putting in the effort. Awarding these situations can help support a good work ethic while also demonstrating that the organization cares about emotional wellbeing. A little can go a long way, and there is never a wrong time to give a little extra to your employees – whatever form that incentive ends up being.
Limit Worry and Offer Support
Sometimes the best way to show employee support is to limit worry and offer support. This can happen in several ways, and one of the most effective tactics is providing employees with a company-covered service they can take advantage of. You can set up data breach and response services for your business to cover your employees if they experience fraud away from the workplace. With identity theft on the rise, and this service being essential for every business, this can help reduce employee worry before, during, and after an incident occurs.
Other ways to limit worry and offer support in the workplace include mental health awareness and flexible time off. When employees feel encouraged to take care of their mental health, they can find a better work/life balance and be open and honest about professional and personal matters that affect their ability to work. For example, flexible time off can increase morale and allow employees to schedule vacations or personal needs with less stress.
Connect Outside of Work
Creating opportunities to connect outside of the workplace is another great way to show employee appreciation. This can be as simple as a happy hour or as involved as a company retreat or getaway. A vital aspect of this is allowing space for employees to connect in ways that aren’t always directly related to the business. Sure, you might need to discuss business matters and a retreat can facilitate that – but you want to make sure that there is time to have fun and space to get to know one another without the limits a workplace can place on this.
Connections outside of work should feel more organic than forced. Find activities or locations that staff members are interested in. Ask them for ideas rather than force them into attending a preplanned party or event. Easygoing connections can help people let their guard down and feel more at ease, leading to better team dynamics back at work. Plus, any chance to have a little fun with your coworkers is always a good idea.
LibertyID is the leader in identity theft restoration, having restored the identities of tens of thousands of individuals without fail. If you retain personal information on your customers, now is the time to get data breach planning and a response program in place with our LibertyID Business Solutions data breach preparation program. With LibertyID Enterprise you can now add value to existing products, services, or relationships by covering your customers, employees, or members with LibertyID’s fully managed identity theft restoration service – at a fraction of our retail price – with no enrollment and no file sharing. We have no direct communication with your group members – until they need us.
Call us now for a no obligation proposal at 844-44-LIBERTY (844) 445-4237