A little appreciation can go a long way – especially when building a strong and happy team. Recognition can boost morale, increase retention, and get better results. In fact, an amazing 81% of employees who feel appreciated are motivated to work harder!
What is employee appreciation?
When we talk about employee appreciation, we mean any form of showing employees that their contributions are recognised and valued. Appreciation may be shown through formal channels, informally in conversation or through an effective rewards and recognition platform.
Why is employee appreciation important?
Employee appreciation is important for just about every element of your business.
Employees who feel appreciated know they are valued, which increases feelings of motivation and aspiration. They’re also more likely to stay with you, reducing churn and saving you time and money regarding retention.
Employees who are recognised and rewarded are more engaged, and the Harvard Business Review found that 71% of respondents rank employee engagement as very important to achieving overall organisational success.
1. Recognise employees
The first and most obvious thing to do is to recognise your employees and the unique skills and talents they bring to the table.
How often do you take the time to reflect on the positives of your team? You could find that you enjoy a big reward for employee performance with a small investment. You don’t have to go it alone. A social and company-wide rewards platform like ours makes recognition fun, easy and social.
2. Encourage education and levelling up
If you want people to feel truly and deeply appreciated, one excellent way to do it is to invest in their growth. Making it easy for employees to identify and attend training and educational events is a brilliant way to let them know that their skills and potential are thoroughly appreciated.
From in-person seminars to online courses, there are ways to level up that can fit in with any workplace – and your team will surely thank you for it!
3. Celebrate birthdays and anniversaries
Making a little bit of a fuss when a special occasion rolls around is an excellent way to break up your days and a regular opportunity to highlight particular employees.
There’s a lot to be said for a gathering in the kitchen or staff room along with some cake cutting or fun and games, but it’s also a great idea to have a check-in policy that gives employees a chance to opt out of anything too public.
Some people, introverts especially, would much rather have a digital card, or teams can share Moments publicly or privately to celebrate special occasions when using a platform like Mo.
4. Give balanced feedback
Feedback is one of the most important things you can give your employees. Both positive and negative feedback is essential for growth and if you’re able to give constructive feedback, you’re setting people up with the information and tools they need to move upwards. Employee feedback builds trust, increases confidence and helps you make sure you’re all aiming for the same goals.
5. Recognise outside achievements
There is an expectation that any workplace worth its salt will put some effort into recognising and celebrating internal achievement, but if you want to set yourselves apart, consider external achievements too.
When your employees are happy to share their wins from outside the office, you know you have a welcoming space, and when you celebrate them, you’re creating a tangible feeling of value. From exceptional hobbies to personal milestones, there’s always something to celebrate.
6. Touch base regularly
The chance to chat through thoughts, ideas, concerns and any little things that have popped up throughout the working week is so valuable. Not only does it show your employees that you set time aside for them, but it’s also an opportunity to grow trust and improve communication in the long term. Even short, informal chats can be worth their weight in gold, as they create a feeling of rapport and the knowledge that you’re willing to listen to problems big or small.
7. Provide snacks, not bribes
Food might be the way to our hearts, but employees are too savvy not to recognise that a free breakfast served before working hours is a way to entice them into the office early. If you want to show appreciation, do it with no strings attached. Have biscuits and fruit on hand and when you push the boat out with extra treats like pizza or filled breakfast rolls, do it within working hours for extra kudos.
8. Introduce peer-to-peer recognition
It’s one thing to be told privately by your manager that you’re doing a good job and another thing entirely to have your colleagues tell you how much your contribution means to them. By introducing a peer-to-peer recognition process into your workplace, you give your team the tools to support and celebrate each other
9. Offer flexibility
From keeping up a hybrid working model to being flexible when it comes to annual leave or unpaid time off, flexibility is a great way to show your employees that you trust and appreciate them.
According to a report from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, 8.7 million full-time workers say they want to work flexibly and some 92% of people born between 1980 and 2000 identified flexibility as a top priority when job hunting. If you’re meeting that demand without being asked, you can be sure your employees will feel appreciated.
10. Offer fitness and wellness opportunities
From massages to fitness classes, making it easy for employees to access ways to care for their physical and mental wellbeing is a great way of showing how much you value their happiness.
Just remember that none of these activities should be compulsory – everyone likes to relax in their own way! Offering to subsidise gym memberships, running a cycle-to-work scheme or starting lunchtime yoga are nice, low-pressure options.
11. Help them give back
Rewarding employees can make them feel great but offering them opportunities to give back to the community can be even better. Whether that’s forging links with local charities or allowing employees to identify opportunities themselves, letting them donate some working hours to volunteering can be a huge morale boost.
Did you know that most millennials are looking for socially responsible employers? If you decide to work with a couple of specific charities, include your employees in deciding which ones.
12. Give them the rewards they actually want
If you’re struggling to hit the right heights when you’re offering tangible rewards, there’s a decent chance you’re barking up the wrong tree. Every workplace is different, and it could be that your team has an atypical idea of what a benefit looks like – so be sure to ask them! A simple survey could get you on the right track in no time.
13. Make the most of every moment
From the smallest achievement to the biggest, life-changing events, it’s great to have a way for employees to share and congratulate each other – and that’s something we’re here to help with. Mo is short for Moments, and our platform makes it so easy to celebrate success, share wins, mark special occasions and communicate results that your employees can bask in appreciation at the touch of a button.
Transform your culture with Mo
- Improve employee engagement scores
- Reduce employee churn
- Build a collaborative culture
Mo is an employee recognition and engagement platform that can help leaders improve collaboration and morale, reduce employee churn and drive change.
Our platform creates a vibrant culture by developing team habits, encouraging people to celebrate success, recognise results and appreciate colleagues.
Your complete toolkit for connecting and motivating teams in the new world of work. Book a demo with our team today!
