If we talk about the only reason that largely contributes taking an organization to greater heights, the answer would be its employees.
Employees are the engine that pulls the workload of an entire organization on their sturdy shoulders. It won’t be wrong to say that employees are the real backbone of an organization in a true sense. But being an employer, how often have you expressed your genuine appreciation for them?
Recognizing the hard work of employees is an art that you must learn and develop in order to take your business to great heights. Such small acts of appreciation play a great role in making the work environment better and boosting their morale. So, don’t just wait for the first Friday of March to celebrate your employees rather make every day ‘Employee Appreciation Day’ for them.
Here are some ways to recognize employees for good work:
1. Shower some ‘nice’ words
Do you know that most employees feel that they are not valued enough by their bosses for their contribution? No boss would like to earn that reputation for himself or for his organization. It’s time to gift them what they crave the most – VERBAL APPRECIATION.
Employee appreciation is both powerful and important. It is one of the prime motivators for employees at a workplace as it can immediately boost their mood and push them to work harder. Showering some goodie words every now and then makes them more dedicated towards the company and would earn you their loyalty. If employees feel valued and respected, it would translate to higher job satisfaction and better employee retention rates.
So, the next time you see John working hard on his upcoming project, be vocal about his diligence and say something like this, “John, I’ve been observing that you’re leaving no stone unturned to make this project a success. We are lucky to have hardworking employees like you.” This would definitely boost John’s morale and make him excited to give his best.
2. Gifts and vouchers
Treating employees with due respect and pampering them from time to time is quite an art. After all, those high revenues and profits are pretty much due to their hard work and overtime. Don’t shy away from spending a chunk of it on your extended work-family.
Owing to the importance of employee appreciation, these days many organizations are pampering and showering employees with goodies, gifts, and shopping vouchers when they perform well. Taking them out for a lunch or drinks at a nearby restaurant has become a norm these days. Let them forget about meetings, projects, or deadlines for a while and give them a day to celebrate and have some fun.
Gather them around at a suitable hour and give out those hampers or gift vouchers to them. While doing so, share what you feel about them, their contribution, participation, and how they are making a difference and bringing value to your organization. As Richard Branson said, “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.”
3. Gift them a work management tool
It’s no secret that employees put in a lot of hard work while working on projects. Enormous workload, endless meetings, deadlines, changing scope, risks are some of the things they deal with almost every day. It’s difficult to maintain sanity amidst this chaos. That’s why implementing a work management software can reduce their workload and help them manage their work.
There are a lot of tools, software, and technologies out there in the market that are helping employees in many ways. Being a responsible employer, gift them the access to technologies and tools that help them and make their job easier. There are so many tasks that could be easily automated, tasks that could be scheduled and processes that could be improved. For every such task or process, there is a tool or software in the market. Introduce it to your team and gift them improved collaboration and boost in overall productivity and happiness levels.
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If you are looking for a software that can put an end to your project management woes, boost collaboration amongst remote team members, and streamline workflow, then ProofHub is the tool you’are looking for. Introduce it to your employees and help them make their professional life more organized and stress-free.
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4. Training programs and certifications
Dedicated and skilled employees are the greatest assets for an organization. Hiring skilled professionals and dynamic freshers is great but are you doing anything to take their expertise to another level? A time would come when the monotony would set in and the work wouldn’t excite them anymore. To strengthen the argument, a massive 74% of employees feel that they aren’t working to their full potential at work.
To not let this happen, gift them the joy and thrill to learn new things. You just have to take care of the two things required for these job training – TIME and MONEY. If you are wondering who has the time for it, then remember if they are keen to grow as a working professional, they would make time for it.
Training programs do come at a cost but the cost of not training your employees is much higher. It is an investment that would reap results later but they would be worth every penny. If employees feel that they are working, learning, and growing, that’s the greatest thing you can ever gift them as an employer. Apart from this, trained employees would be more equipped and technically sound at tackling serious or unpredictable situations. Moreover, it would also improve their productivity and happiness levels and would help you get commitment and lifelong loyalty from them.
At the end of the day, employees are human and every human has an innate desire to be liked or appreciated. Let’s go back to the day when you were working for someone else. I’m sure you would have a lot of ideas and suggestions on how to keep employees happy. Fast forward to the present day, if you are in a position right now where you have the power to change things, please do.
Always remember that happy employees lead to a happier workplace. And, when employees are happier, they contribute to the following things:
- More accountability
- Improved productivity
- Lesser sick leaves
- Willingness to take on higher levels of responsibility
- Better work-culture
- Loyalty towards the organization
In summary
Anyone can perform to the best of their abilities only when they are respected, valued, and appreciated for their work. As a manager, make sure you are doing your best to provide them the best work-culture, professional opportunities, and credit for their work.
Focus on effective employee engagement and employee retention techniques and engage them in fun activities that would break the monotony, infuse enthusiasm, and make them enjoy their work. It’s the least you can do to let them know that you care for them!
On an ending note, it’s time to ask if you’re doing your bit to recognize employees for their good work? If not, it’s high time you should start doing so.
