An alarming number of employees will say that a lack of recognition for their work is the biggest barrier to them maximising their productivity. Recognition can be simple, and a little appreciation can go a long way.
Employees will feel recognised as important parts of the company if employers simply show appreciation. Appreciation leads to happy employees, and happy employees lead to improved productivity. When staff feel valued for their hard work, they will become more loyal to their company. This yields a creative and positive working environment – but just how do you show appreciation in an effective way?
HOW DO WE DEFINE APPRECIATION?
In general terms, appreciation is the recognition of the good qualities someone or something has to offer. In the workplace, appreciation starts with the simple gesture of thanking a person for a job well done. This can also be used to show appreciation for swift work, or for good preparation before arriving at a meeting.
You will find that appreciation plays a fundamental role in the workplace for the creation of a positive culture and strong employee-leader relationships. Appreciation is a great motivator, enabling people to be at their most productive and feel committed to their job.
WHAT PRACTICAL BENEFITS CAN YOU EXPECT TO SEE FROM APPRECIATION IN THE WORKPLACE?
There are many advantages to showing appreciation for your employees. Here are just a few:
Appreciation leads to greater productivity. Employees who feel that their hard work is appreciated will have a sense of their value within the organisation. This gives them the impetus to continue working hard and striving to get results.
Appreciation boosts the morale of workers. When one employee is acknowledged for their dedication, there will be a ripple effect throughout the workplace as employees show more appreciation for their peers and their management teams.
Appreciation leads to increased engagement. This means that not only will your employees become more productive, they will also feel more engaged and dedicated to the work they do.
Appreciation builds loyalty among team members. People who feel valued at their place of work are far more likely to want to stay there.
WAYS TO SHOW APPRECIATION
Appreciation is something that should be offered daily. It can be as simple as offering positive feedback and showing gratitude for the work being done day in, day out. Special efforts should always be met with thanks and positive feedback.
Some people think the concept of showing appreciation sounds vague and unnecessary. Why should additional appreciation be shown – employees are being paid for the work they do. But the happiness and morale of a workforce are about more than money, particularly when the workload is challenging and people need to work together as a team.
Organisations that fail to make the effort to show their employees are appreciated are likely to see things like errors creeping into work. Employees who make errors will feel defensive and threatened when they are pointed out, and frustration will abound in a disjointed team that does not know where it stands with one another.
The idea is to really watch your employees and notice when they go above and beyond to get the work done. For instance, if someone stays behind to do some extra work on a Friday evening, a leader can approach that person and thank them, explaining exactly what they are being thanked for and acknowledging the benefit for the organisation.
This is a basic yet effective example of showing appreciation, and it can lead to that individual feeling more valued. They may feel more engaged with the organisation and the work it does and make more effort to ensure they are working to the best of their ability, all thanks to a little acknowledgement for the effort they make.
SHOWING APPRECIATION WITH REWARDS PROGRAMS
Many companies recognise the value of workplace appreciation and implement systems to motivate employees. These systems are employee reward programs, offering rewards beyond an employee’s salary for doing their job well.
Some organisations offer incentives like free gym memberships or money off at certain venues for eating and entertainment. Others offer company outings or early finishes on certain days. One incentive program that has shown itself to be effective is the offering of gift cards.
Corporate reward programs are aimed at developing strong relationships between companies and their employees. The concept is simple – offer gift cards for desirable products and services from well-known brands as rewards for good performance at work. This could come in the form of navigating busy seasons, completing important projects or being recognized as an outstanding worker for a certain month. It could even be more personal, setting individual targets for improving and rewarding employees who meet those targets.
Essentially, it is an additional incentive on top of salary, and the results can be very impressive if corporate reward programs are implemented correctly.
HOW CAN I IMPLEMENT A CORPORATE REWARD PROGRAM?
It may sound like a big undertaking to design and implement a reward scheme to show appreciation to your employees. But there are actually organisations out there whose entire purpose is to do just that.
True Rewards is a gifting platform that focuses primarily on reward cards as a means of incentivising employees or customers. They are partnered with a range of brands and offer a number of ideas for implementing rewards and loyalty programs that you can adopt. They will advise and support you throughout the time you partner with them and your employees will feel the benefits.
DON’T IGNORE THE IMPORTANCE OF APPRECIATION
As you can see, appreciation is a powerful thing. You can start showing it to your employees in simple ways by simply thanking them and acknowledging their efforts. But there are things that speak louder than words, and corporate reward programs are very effective methods of making your employees feel valued and appreciated.
Take the time to make your employees feel like valued people within your organisation and the benefits are there for the taking.
