Three Impactful Ways to Make Your Employees Feel Recognized
Learn how businesses can reward and recognize employees more effectively.
Employee appreciation can significantly contribute to a positive work environment and foster growth in your business. Matt Strauss, the CEO and co-founder of RiseKit, covers how employers can start giving employees the recognition they deserve.
Did you know that acknowledging employees’ hard work is one of the most effective non-finacial factors for retention? It is also essential for boosting employee morale and driving work perfomance.
Despite the well-documented benefits, many organizations must catch up regarding employee appreciation. Gallup and Workhuman found that only 36% of employees reported a recognition program.
If you are one of those who still need to implement a system, Employee Appreciation Day is the perfect time to shine a light on the people who help your company thrive. This event is held on the first Friday of March annually, and for 2023, it falls on March 3.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to appreciating hardworking employees. Recording a heartfelt Loom video and sending a thoughtfully crafted message on your team’s Slack channel can be easy – but effective – methods to express gratitude. However, remember that a one-and-done process will not cut if you aim to create a happy, high-performing team.
Here are three practical ways of recognizing and appreciating your employees’ hard work and dedication this Employee Appreciation Day and all year round.
Explore a Variety of Tech Solutions
Although the more flexible and hybrid workplace has improved work-life balance, it has made it easier for employees to be “out of sight, out of mind.” To ensure that everyone feels recognized regardless of their location and time zones, organizations need to adopt new strategies and practices—and technology can be a game-changer in scaling appreciation practices across organizations.
For example, there is a wide range of affordable employee recognition software. With their noteworthy features like strategic goal-setting and measurable feedback tracking, these tools can help business leaders support and reward employees in real-time. Additionally, they can effectively build bridges between teams and dissolve tensions that may arise due to different priorities or approaches.
If you want more exciting ways to foster a culture of appreciation, consider jumping on the latest trends, such as using non-fungible tokens (NFTs). These unique, unmodifiable digital assets can make a great impression on your team. For instance, an Indian firm gave away NFTs to celebrate success and thank their employees last year.
Start a Charitable Initiative that Inspires Your Employees
Picture this: One of your employees has just achieved the unthinkable and landed a massive sale that will bring in substantial profit for your company. You want to reward their efforts, but sending a simple gift card or giving a bonus does not feel like enough. In that case, why not leverage this opportunity by donating to a cause on their behalf?
When a company decides to donate to a charity, it conveys a clear message: Being profitable is not the only end goal. We are also committed to fostering a culture of social impact. This is vital since more people – especially millennials, who will make up 75% of the workforce by 2025 – want to work for an organization that aligns with their values and goals.
If you want a charitable initiative to be motivational and inspiring, allowing your employees to make the decision is essential. Are they eco-warriors aiming to make an environmental impact? Would they like to take action against hunger? Do they want to donate to a non-profit organization (NGO) supporting cancer patients?
Giving your team the power to select a charity that is important to them can transform a simple donation into a deeply meaningful and personalized gesture. And it can lead to building a stronger sense of community and fostering a more positive work culture.
See More: Stakeholder Philanthropy: The Way Forward for Corporate Giving
Automate Repetitive Tasks to Free up Time for HR Teams
HR professionals often spend countless hours screening resumes for a single hire, only to discover that nearly 88% are not qualified. On top of that, they are responsible for dealing with discrimination and harassment cases, payrolls, time-off requests, absence records, updating employee data, and offboarding.
With such a heavy workload, business leaders cannot wait for their HR teams to design a charity program or devise innovative ways to reward employees.
The good news is that modern solutions like video interviews, applicant tracking systems, and HR automation software are transforming the landscape, significantly reducing the time spent on recruitment and repetitive administrative tasks.
This means that HR teams can focus on the human side of their jobs to create meaningful experiences, such as celebrating a milestone or completing a significant project, organizing events like employee appreciation parties or rotating awards, and providing personalized feedback.
See More: The Many Flavors of Automation: Which One Do You Need?
The Bottom Line
A well-functioning employee recognition system can profoundly impact both employees and business leaders. When valued, team members are more likely to be motivated and engaged, resulting in a positive work environment and higher performance. To reach this goal, it is essential to make appreciation an integral part of your company culture.
And one last thing: No matter which HR software or technology solution you use to express gratitude to your top-performing employees in the best way possible, follow these steps:
- Highlight specific details about their achievements.
- Talk about their unique skills and strengths that helped them get better results.
- Show enthusiasm for what’s on the horizon.
- Be sincere.
What other ways can you think of to show support and care for the staff beyond Employee Appreciation Day? Do let us know on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Image Source: Shutterstock
MORE ON EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION DAY
