You get your results for the end of your business quarter. The company is looking up, and it’s thanks to the hard work of your employees. They’ve been working hard.
You’ve thought about sending everyone “thank you” cards, but that feels a bit impersonal. We have a few ideas to recognize employees that everyone in the office will love.
For example, food is always a great way to reward hard work. Maybe create a shout out to your employees on social media. It’s the little things that matter the most.
Check out this guide for a few more ideas that will make your staff happy and keep them loyal.
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1. Celebrate Birthdays
Grab a calendar and write down everyone’s birthdays. When the big day arrives, honor them with pizza or a cake in the breakroom. If you can manage without them, give them the day off to spend their special day however they want.
If you need them to work on their birthday, let them do a job duty in the store that they like doing. For example, if they don’t like running the cash register, don’t make them do it.
Try to give them a gift, even if it’s a small gift card to the sandwich shop next door. Nothing says happy birthday like a free lunch.
2. Say Thank You
Take a moment out of every day to tell a hardworking employee, “thank you.” Many employers don’t think that this makes a difference, but it does. Acknowledgment makes people happy.
If telling an employee “thank you” feels a bit awkward, you can send them a card instead. It can act as a nice little keepsake that they can have.
You can either hand them the card at work or have it sent to their home address. Be sure to make it personal and tell the employee what they’re being thanked for.
3. Ask Them What They Would Like
Some employees will hold on to a thank you card for the rest of eternity. Some will toss them or throw them in a junk drawer and forget them. That’s why it’s important to ask your employees what they would like to get as a gift.
You don’t even have to ask each one of them individually. Create a survey and request for each staff member to fill it out. This way, everyone gets something that they can value.
4. Throw a Party or Host a Competition
Appreciation does not always mean direct or even indirect praise. Instead, you can make it a fun break or something different from the “norm.”
Consider putting together a chili-making or baking challenge. This will allow your team to show off any hidden talents they may have.
You can also throw a potluck or just let your workers bring their pets to work one day.
Another great idea is to host a competition. This could be anything team-based, such as baseball, a scavenger hunt between departments, or something else. There are many options to consider.
5. Make it Public
There are many factors to consider when providing recognition to your employees. While this is true, you should consider taking this appreciation public.
Let your customers know how much you appreciate your employees using visible signate or going to social media. You can take a photo and talk about how much you appreciate what one or several employees have done.
Taking things public makes it more official and will let your employees see how proud and appreciate you are of their hard work and services.
6. Learn Your Staff’s Interests
Do you know something that will show your staff how much you appreciate them? This is showing your appreciation in a way that is unique to every person.
While a standard or generalized award is fine in some situations (and even necessary) if you want to show people how much you really appreciate their time and effort, one of the best ways to do this is finding out what they really enjoy like.
What would they be interested in? What are their hobbies? Give awards or appreciation gifts based on what you find out.
7. It’s the Little Things That Matter
What are the words that are coming out of your mouth? What message are you sending with your day-to-day actions?
Keep in mind, a single moment of a reward does not make up for several months – or longer – of words that do not show much appreciation. For example, do you have an employee who goes above and beyond to ensure the office functions properly?
Do they clean up after other workers simply because someone has to do this? Are they a de factor manager because employees know they can go to them with questions?
If you have staff members who do good work, especially work beyond their job description, take time to acknowledge this. Doing so will go a long way.
In some situations, it is a simple thing, such as calling your employee into your office and telling them that you have noticed what they are doing and appreciate their extra effort. For many, this is enough – just to know that someone has noticed the hard work they are putting in day in and day out.
Ideas to Recognize Employees and Let Them Know You Care
If you are looking for ideas to recognize employees, start with the ones here. Remember, employee appreciation is not something that should be reserved for a single day.
Instead, it needs to be an essential part of your company culture and an attitude that your entire management team adopts. Your employees are your biggest asset; however, some businesses show more concern about maintaining the equipment than letting their staff know they are appreciated and valued.
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