Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and although you may only be thinking about what dinner reservation to make, it’s also a great time to think about showing your employees some appreciation.
Recognition and appreciation go a long way to retaining talent, boosting engagement, and improving productivity.
A worldwide study conducted by Towers Watson revealed the single highest driver of engagement was whether or not workers felt their managers were genuinely interested in their wellbeing. Another study by online career site Glassdoor, further highlights the benefits, by showing that more than 80% of employees say they are motivated to work harder when their boss shows appreciation for their work.
So, what’s the best (and easiest) way you can begin to show support and appreciation to your entire population?
1. Give personal words of affirmation
Look for opportunities to give sincere appreciation to each individual employee. This can include things as simple as saying, Sally, you did a great job handling that client question, she went away feeling like you truly cared about her, and would do whatever was necessary to fix them.”
For the upcoming Valentine’s Day, consider giving each employee on your team a hand-written card, giving a specific reason why you are appreciative of them.
2. Order lunch for everyone
It’s a tangible gift that benefits everyone, not just the high performers. Consider making it healthy, to further enforce wellbeing and health as a cornerstone of your culture. Also be sure to include a sentence in the email, or speak at the beginning of the lunch, thanking employees for their continued hard work and support of the company.
3. Schedule one on one meetings/informal sit-downs
Though not applicable in every business setting, leadership should strive to have a support meeting with each individual employee. It can be as simple as walking into their office and asking them what’s going on in their life. The key is to actively listen and empathize.
4. Offer your help
Do you notice a stressed employee? Is there a deadline fast approaching? Simply offering to help in whatever way possible will go far in boosting appreciation levels.
5. Give high fives
There’s a reason almost every coach on the planet gives high-fives. They’re a quick effective, nonverbal way to show you care and you are proud of their accomplishments.
It’s important to note, each employees’ appreciation levels will rise differently based off their own personal beliefs and values. That’s why it’s important to implement a variety of the methods listed above, vs. doing just one.
It’s also important to evaluate your efforts, making sure to take note when Sally doesn’t seem to respond to the verbal affirmation, but loves when you offer to help. The more you can understand what makes employees feel their best, the better.