Showing your employees that you appreciate them isn’t always easy, but here are some ideas if you’re struggling to think of what to do.
Praise them
If your employees have been working exceptionally hard, show them that you appreciate all of their dedicated work by praising them.
You can either do this in private by arranging a short meeting or mentioning it in their next development discussion, or you can make the whole team aware by announcing it at the next weekly briefing.
Be sure to read the room and do this in a way that could avoid embarrassment for your employees, as a shout out in the next meeting might be a bit much for some people.
Be pleasant
Say ‘thank you’ often, and don’t forget to say ‘please’, too. Maintaining pleasantries at work makes the day much nicer for everyone and keeps the atmosphere polite. An employee is going to be much more inclined to do some work that they have been asked to do nicely, rather than an order that has been barked at them.
Introduce a reward system
Reward systems don’t only work well with children. They work well with adults and employees too when done correctly.
You could set goals and targets for your employees, such as sales incentives. When they have sold so many products, they can be rewarded with a longer break, an early finish, or a gift voucher or bonus.
Reward systems help to keep productivity rates high and helps your employees to feel valued and appreciated.
Give a personalised gift
For the employees that consistently hit their targets, work incredibly hard, and are an overall pleasure to be around, you can be sure to give them a personalised gift to say thank you for all their dedication.
You can also do this at Christmas and for birthdays, as it will show your employees that you do think about them and value their efforts. If you can’t afford a gift for everyone, then a personalised card will work just as well. Make sure it’s handwritten to show that you have actually put thought and consideration into it and try to include something personal relating to their progression on each card you write.
Provide opportunities for progression
Employees that are going above and beyond for your company deserve recognition and a chance to further their progression.
Offer these employees the opportunity to take on more responsibility in the form of a promotion and ensure that their revised salary reflects this.
Promoting from within instead of outsourcing a new employee means that the training will come much easier due to the candidate already having business and workplace knowledge, and it will also give them a sense of achievement and a new goal to work towards.
