10 Ways To Show Employee Appreciation

Without question, people work to make money, to make a living and support their family and the lifestyle to which they’ve become accustomed to or would like to achieve. But, if your business strives to maintain a healthy environment it must go beyond monetary reward. People are motivated by more than money, they are motivated by a sense of value, the feeling that they are appreciated by their immediate supervisor, manager, and other stakeholders in the company.

Employee appreciation is not reserved for one day out of the year. However, this is the way many companies approach the concept. If your employees do not feel appreciated, your business will suffer from the inside out and it could begin to crumble one employee at a time. Soon, you’ll be surrounded by poor, dissatisfied employees with the good ones gone, seeking job fulfillment.

Employee appreciation leads to stronger motivation to succeed, higher productivity, and overall wellness within the corporate environment.

According to Dr. Paul White, co-author of Rising Above a Toxic Workplace, regular communication is a significant condition that needs to be present for employees to feel appreciated. Any cadence is fine, so long as it’s more than once a year during an annual review.

Here are 10 ways to show employee appreciation, at any time.

1. Be vocal with compliments. If a colleague praises a coworker in a meeting, let that coworker know. Spread the word that they are appreciated.
2. Be creative and think about how you can make your reward different enough that it actually stands out as a part of your culture. If you want to show how much you appreciate an individual, the best way to do it is to find out what they really like, what they’d be interested in, their hobbies, or what they want the most.
3. Stock the office with a variety of snacks and treats. Snacks makes employees happy.
4. Celebrate small accomplishments– whether in a meeting, an email to the company, or another creative way. Actually call a coworker to your office to thank them, rather than in passing or through email. The gesture is more personal and will be a nice surprise.
5. Allow your office to leave early on the day before a holiday weekend. This is a simple way to make their day (and weekend!) better.
6. Host a challenge with a prize of a free pass for time off or late arrival: These passes are sure to be coveted, and they’ll demonstrate that you respect your workers’ outside commitments. The flexibility of being able to pick a day to come in late, leave early or stay home will reduce the stress of conflicting demands, and will increase employee engagement.
7. Do people’s chairs need replacing? Providing your staff with ergonomic office furniture is a great way to ward off possible back problems and improve productivity. Your team will appreciate the fact that you care about their health, and they will be more comfortable as they work.
8. Reserve the first hour of one day for a truly great catered breakfast. Once the food has been brought, grab a coffee pot and start pouring the coffee and serving the waffles. It will show that you’re willing to go the extra mile for your people!
9. Track team wins. What goals do various teams have? A little friendly competition is good, and as your staff keeps climbing towards a particular goal, you can not only congratulate their hard work, but spur them on for a reward for whichever team makes the mark first.
10. Treats, just because. Who doesn’t like a surprise treat that no one expected? Have a pizzalunch. Grab bagels or muffins and leave them in the break room. Treat your staff, just because you appreciate them.

A thoughtful example of employee appreciation is the “Crush-It” Call, SnackNation’s time-honored tradition. Each Friday afternoon, the entire SnackNation team huddles together and goes around the room stating 2 things: a “Crush” on someone on the team whose work they want to recognize and why, and something for wish they are grateful.

It’s a great chance for people to not only recognize each other and take advantage of positive thinking but also bring that person’s hard work to the attention of the entire team. As the team has grown, this gives everyone a chance to see the awesome work of the people who they don’t work with very often.

Remember, employee appreciation does not have to revolve around raises, or lavish parties. Employee appreciation is most effective when it’s given out on a consistent basis and is an integral part of your daily routine.

When you make employee appreciation part of the cultural norm of the entire organization, the morale and productivity of your entire workforce will feel the ripple effects.