There are many important aspects to running a business. You need growth, sales, returning customers and much more. However, one aspect that sometimes gets overlooked is appreciation for your employees. This can be from management but is also towards each other. Let us look at 7 ways to begin building an appreciative culture in your workplace.
1 Reward Programs
Reward programs can be a great way to increase appreciation in the workplace. Having employee rewards makes your teams feel valued and happy, which in turn will increase your productivity and loyalty. Think about what types of rewards your employees can use and make them achievable so that everyone is in with a chance of winning if they work hard enough.
2 Recognise Hard Work Quickly
Rewarding your employees hard work should be done as quickly as possible. This helps your workers understand why they are getting the reward, and shows that you as an employer care about their work. It only takes a quick note or email of thanks, but it will make a big difference to their morale.
3 Personalise Your Appreciation
While a generic thank you note or email will make a lot of people’s day, it will have a much greater impact if you try to personalise it. Try to present the reward in person, or draft a personal note which talks about what they did that needs recognising. You will find that this will boost motivation and enable staff to feel happier and less stressed.
4 Make Small and Big Wins Just as Important
By breaking up large projects into smaller tasks you can reward your employees more often and maintain a level of happiness and appreciation. It will also encourage harder work and more productivity. These smaller rewards will be a good way to build up the team to the larger reward at the end of the project.
5 Use Gratitude From The Top Down
Line managers and leaders don’t always have the time to praise workers for their effort. This can make some workers resentful of management because they feel undervalued and underappreciated. This is why it is important to encourage line managers and team leaders to reward workers and praise their effort more often.
6 Add Appreciation to Your Company’s Mission and Message
Companies are now part of a wider social media community where they try to entice customers by showing their products and talking about important issues. This also includes blog posts and newsletters. These posts should include how your employees have made the difference to your company and how they have helped it grow over the years.
7 Build a Culture of Recognition
Making one-off messages of gratitude to your workforce will be appreciated, but it won’t necessarily make a big impact. It is important that companies start to build a culture of recognition from the top down so that feeling valued is part of working life, not just an occasional celebration.
Appreciation can go a long way in any company. Creating a workforce that is appreciated and rewarded for hard work will lead to a more productive and loyal team that will be with you for the long haul.
