Any experienced company leader knows that the health of a business depends first and foremost on its employees. The products and services on which companies build their success would be nothing without the people behind them. From the sales and marketing teams, the product development department, and customer service providers to the office managers and IT support, every person in the company eco-system keeps things moving forward day after day.
It is why leaders pay so much attention to creating the right company culture. Employees who feel valued and motivated are more likely to deliver their best work. This, in turn, improves results for the overall business.
One of the most powerful and effective ways to make employees feel valued is by instilling a culture of appreciation. This ensures those within the workforce are suitably recognized for their contribution to a company, whether that consists of acknowledging a moment of success, marking a significant anniversary, or making them aware of your appreciation for their work on behalf of the company. Displaying genuine appreciation will only lead to greater loyalty and dedication from members of staff.
There are many ways that a culture of appreciation can be demonstrated in a company. Here is a look at a few of the methods you can adopt within your own business:
Financial and Professional Incentives
Instilling a culture of appreciation is about more than pay rises and promotions, but financial and professional incentives will always be important motivating factors for employees. Additionally, they are among the most effective methods to show appreciation. Pay increases and bonuses will of course be dependent on company performance, but opportunities to offer financial rewards when possible is a great way to demonstrate appreciation.
Perhaps more important is displaying appreciation by creating pathways for advancement, so dedicated and talented staff know that career progression is not only possible but encouraged within the organization. What better way to show employees how much they are valued than by giving them well-deserved promotions?
Recognize Employee Efforts
A few words of thanks and encouragement can go a long way to showing how much a company appreciates an employee’s work. This can be expressed in a one-to-one situation, brought up at the next company meeting, or relayed to their head of department so they too are aware that a supervisee’s efforts are being acknowledged.
As a company leader, being able to recognize each individual’s input can be tricky, particularly in a larger organization. If that is the case, conduct frequent meetings with senior managers to keep up to date with the performances of staff who deserve special praise.
Celebrate Success
Success in the workplace can manifest itself in myriad ways, both professionally and personally—and both deserve to be recognized and celebrated. From a professional standpoint, perhaps the sales team exceeded targets, or the company staged a particularly successful event. From a personal perspective, if an employee has reached 5 or 10 years with the company, or an individual recently became a grandparent for the first time, these milestones should be celebrated, too.
Of course, not every occasion needs to be marked with a big party. However, celebrating the big and small successes and key moments in employees’ lives goes a long way to making staff feel valued and appreciated.
Personalize Employee Gifts
Gift vouchers have always been a go-to option when it comes to companies offering rewards to employees. While those will always be appreciated, adding a personal touch to gifts can make staff members feel that some extra thought has been applied.
These do not have to be expensive, either. For instance, personalized mugs, pens, and photo frames are always thoughtful gifts that can be offered. This can also be applied to gift vouchers, which can be personalized to suit an individual’s interests.
Say your company typically offers $100 gift vouchers for a restaurant. The same budget could be applied to any number of experiences. If an employee is a marathon runner, consider offering that person gift vouchers for a sports retail store. If another member of staff is a regular cinemagoer, movie tickets might be appreciated. There are many ways even the tried-and-tested gift voucher can be personalized.
Stay Aware of Employee Wellbeing
Just as important as celebrating success and rewarding great work to show appreciation is being aware of any problems or stresses employees may be facing. Make a genuine effort to show support by asking after their wellbeing and discuss ways that workload can be adjusted to help alleviate some of that stress.
When there are personal problems affecting an employee’s wellbeing, be sure to demonstrate compassion and offer whatever professional support you reasonably can. This ensures you company’s culture of appreciation is not limited to professional matters but also extends to the employee as a human being.
Bill Malloy 