5 Creative Ways to Show Employees Appreciation

Think back to a time when you felt undervalued or underappreciated for something you accomplished.

This could have been a task as small as cleaning the house or something as big as landing a monumental sale. Regardless of the size of your achievement, failing to be recognized for it likely produced a lot of unpleasant emotions in you. Whether you felt unmotivated to do the task again in the future or angry at your superiors, colleagues, or loved ones for failing to notice what you’d achieved, not being noticed or appreciated can have far-reaching, negative consequences.

The importance of showing employees appreciation and giving them recognition has been a hot topic at human-resource conventions and debates across the nation. And while many companies have found success in defining and implementing employee-recognition strategies, others continue to struggle. What is certain, however, is that showing employee appreciation is a must if companies wish to succeed.

What Happens Without Employee Appreciation

More often than not, employers claim that they don’t have time to show their employees that they’re appreciated or that personally acknowledging each of their employee’s accomplishments is simply too difficult. What these leaders don’t understand, however, is that by neglecting to show employees that they care, they are more likely to experience the harmful repercussions of a disengaged workforce and other damaging effects. Generally speaking, when employees feel undervalued or underappreciated, there is a direct correlation to

• Increased rates of employee turnover and an unstable employee base
• Decreased employee empowerment
• Poor workplace satisfaction
• Unsatisfying performance results
• Poor team culture

Experts across the board agree that recognition is perhaps the most valuable form of feedback that can be given. Team members are less likely to care about or drive the brand’s success if their employers fail to recognize the staff’s accomplishments.

Why Employees Need To Be Recognized

Contrary to what some lackadaisical employers think, showing employee appreciation is incredibly easy. Even hearing a simple as “thank you” or “great work” can have a profound impact on employees, helping them

• Feel good about themselves and that their work is valued
• Be driven to repeat the positive behaviors in order to be recognized again
• Share their acknowledgment with others, which helps encourage others to do the same
• Secure future results after remembering how they were treated in the past

Employee recognition is a powerful tool that can change the employment relationship by encouraging teamwork and camaraderie, reinforcing company culture, and opening a new path to success.

5 Creative Ways To Show Employees Appreciation

Employee attitudes are direct indicators of their morale and the company’s culture, and by showing appreciation to your team, you can boost the attitudes and morale of your employees, improve the team environment, and skyrocket the level of employee engagement. Consider these five easy ways to show your employees you care:

1. Give employees more control over their schedules, environment, and routine to help them better balance their workplace duties with their obligations outside of work. This is key in improving employee satisfaction.
2. Consider different ways to decrease the stress of commuting to work. Stagger start times to avoid rush hour, review in and out times to see if you can adjust the number of people arriving and departing at each hour of the day, or offer telecommuting options.
3. Encourage social connections to boost employee moods and help people build relationships with their coworkers. Arrange the workspace in a manner that fosters communication so that employees can see and talk to each other, encourage office celebrations for holidays and birthdays, or prompt out-of-office socialization like meet-ups or volunteer programs.
4. Create a culture of growth by providing training, acknowledging personal and professional benchmarks, and celebrating individual accomplishments. Encourage your employees to take risks, learn new skillsets, and grow from adversity and setbacks.
5. Break up routines. Monotony in the workplace is one of the biggest creativity killers, which can lead to demotivation, low inspiration, and unsatisfactory performance results. Look for small ways to surprise employees, like bringing coffee or baked goods to the office. You might also host a quirky office party or consider a raffle or competition to motivate your employees. The key here is to break up the routine of the work week to promote socialization and demonstrate your appreciation.

If you’re interested in learning how to better support and recognize the efforts and accomplishments of your employees, explore the supervisor development programs at CMOE today.