Employee appreciation is a term we often hear, but many of us underestimate the true power of this important action. Showing gratitude to someone is a win-win situation for both the giver and receiver of this act. It’s a fair assumption to think that many employees don’t feel appreciated enough while performing on the job. This lack of appreciation can lead to poor job performance and an overall low morale within any organization.
“The simplest way to avoid this problematic cycle is to give thanks to your employees for the effort they put in each and every day,” said Issa Asad Florida entrepreneur and businessman. Mr. Asad is the CEO of Q Link Wireless, Hello Mobile, and Quadrant Holdings, all located in South Florida. He is also the author of 4 e-commerce and marketing e-books that can be purchased on Amazon.
Here, Issa Asad Shares 4 Ways to Thank Employees:
1) Thank you email
A simple thank you email can go a long way in gaining respect from your employees. This often overlooked gesture doesn’t cost anything, except for a small ounce of your time. This modest gesture can reap great rewards by boosting employee morale. Your employees will feel appreciated and know their work efforts are not going unnoticed.
Many companies send out thank you emails at the end of the year, or maybe after a milestone project has been completed, but to truly benefit from this action, it’s best to increase the frequency of this communication. You can spontaneously send a thank you email at the end of any given work week. This would not only be a welcomed surprise to your employees, but boost their confidence in knowing their work is appreciated at any time of the year.
2) Employee monthly recognition
There is nothing like receiving rewards for a job well done. Some may think receiving a paycheck and having medical insurance coverage is enough, but why not add whip cream and a cherry on top to this employee benefits package by giving out monthly recognition rewards? This can be done in several ways. Based on different categories, each employee can nominate a coworker and the person with the most votes in the category would win a prize. For example, someone can be nominated for being calm under pressure.
This would be for anyone who can show resilience while navigating their way through a hectic time at work. Or you can recognize someone from behind the scenes whose work may not be clearly evident in the finished product, but without them, success would not be possible. These are just some category suggestions as there are many more you can choose from. The winners of these categories can be rewarded with a small gift card, treated to lunch or maybe given permission to leave work a few hours early if their position allows. Additional rules to these monthly rewards can be added, such as, no repeat winners would be allowed during the calendar year. This monthly reward program would play an important role in incentivizing employees to continue to work hard throughout the year.
3) Company outing
Have you ever noticed a welcomed change in a coworkers behavior when interacting in a setting outside of work? It’s no coincidence that many people are less stressed once they are removed from their work environment. This is all the evidence you need to schedule a company outing as long as pandemic restrictions are not a deterrent. Interacting outside of your work setting is a great team building exercise.
An outing can be as simple as lunch or dinner at a nearby restaurant or something more entertaining like bowling. The options are plentiful, but whatever you choose, please know this is an important step in building employee morale.
4) Holiday events
Outside of the customary end of year holiday party, many companies refrain from any other celebrations during the year. This is definitely a missed opportunity when it comes to employee appreciation. If your budget allows, why not entertain small scale parties for Thanksgiving, Memorial Day or July 4th? You can suggest each employee bring a snack or dish to the party and put up simple decorations according to the corresponding holiday theme. This is another beneficial networking event in which employees can interact in a less stressful setting.
