If you asked your employees, would they say that they felt appreciated? When statistics show that 60% of workers feel under appreciated in their place of work, the answer is probably not…
The reasons can range from lack of recognition, low team morale, no ability to grow within the company and lack of support from other individuals within the business - but it all boils down to one thing. Unhappy employees.
Showing recognition to your staff, even in small ways, can reduce turnover and make people want to go the extra mile for their company. It is also proven that consistent recognition means that employees 56% less likely to be actively looking for a new job and 73% less likely to feel burnt out, which in turn, means they’re giving their role their full attention.
There are lots of reasons to show your employees a bit of appreciation, so here are a few tips and tricks that could make all the difference to your team as, when it comes to appreciating your employees, you can’t do enough.
Recognition
Start meetings with a thank you:
At the start of meetings, before you’ve got into the nitty gritty of the agenda, take a few moments to say thank you or list a couple of things that you appreciate your staff doing. If someone went the extra mile, think about how you’d feel if it was skated over and mention it. Small things like this go a long way.
Take action:
There are plenty of ways to show recognition and I could go on for days about it but instead I’ve picked out some of the most well received ones among my team to share with you.
A simple one to start - share good feedback. If you’ve received an email from a client praising one of your staff members, send that email to your team member with a little ‘what great feedback’ message. If this isn’t possible for any reason, consider picking out the part praising their efforts or just sending them a separate email letting them know that they’ve received positive feedback.
Send your team something/bring something into the office. Whether it's a cake box or a chocolate box or any other form of food/treat/fun trinket, by bringing something in or sending your staff something as a thank you, you have instantly shown your appreciation without even having to say anything. If you’re working from home, there’s a multitude of options when it comes to ‘letterbox gifts’ so there’s no reason this can’t be adapted no matter what your office set up looks like.
No one likes having to fight for a pay rise. If you know members of your team are going above and beyond for you (and your business can afford it), why not look at giving them a pay increase to reward them and keep them pushing to the best of their abilities? There’s nothing quite like an unexpected pay rise to lift the spirits of your team!
Small actions mean that you’ve always got an arsenal of tactics up your sleeve to show appreciation.
It also means that you can show appreciation to any staff member, no matter their role within the team. Being able to adapt to the individual and the circumstances will mean that no one gets left behind when it comes to feeling appreciated.
A sticky note placed on a computer with a thank you, going for team drinks and buying a round, setting up a team lunch, sending an email to the team with kind words from clients, sending on emails to the higher up bosses with the good work your team is doing... There are so many small things you can do that will curry goodwill for a surprising amount of time.
Team Morale
Team quizzes every month:
By doing a team quiz every month and having someone create one and the winner create the next one you can spend 10 minutes per month having fun with your staff and also getting to know people better. It’s a fun way to start a Monday morning meeting and will help your staff blow off some steam before a busy day ahead.
Decorate for Halloween etc:
While most people love to get festive, the only time people usually decorate their office is over Christmas. There’s something special about walking into a restaurant, pub, or office and seeing a Christmas tree, isn’t it such a shame you only get this festive happiness one month in 12?
Why not try decorating for festive seasons such as Halloween, Burns Night, Easter or even a birthday? There’s no need to go overboard (and this will entirely depend on the personalities within your team) but even just a few bits and bobs - some cobwebs over a computer or a bunny on the windowsill, just something small can brighten your team's day.
While saying this I understand that, like myself and my own team, not everyone works in an office and there is a good amount of people that work from home. This can be slightly adapted to fit in with remote workers.
If you’re having a meeting online you could do a ‘silly/festive hat’ meeting, depending on what meeting site you’re using you can change your background to make it seem like you’re underwater or in a desert. During the Christmas festive period you can have meetings sitting in front of Christmas trees or wearing Christmas jumpers. If you want to take an extra step you could even send out birthday banners for team members to put on the wall behind them for specific days just to spread a bit of joy. It’s an easy and simple way to bring some fun to your team and boost morale.
Growth within the company:
This one is really simple. If you know of any job opportunities coming up within the company, make sure those in your team are able to apply. Whether this is in the form of supporting an application that they’ve made, or actively letting them know that the opportunity is coming up, it all shows that you have their best interests at heart.
Promoting from within is also a great way to reduce the costs of hiring as they should already know how the company operates, the systems and should just need training on the demands of the specific role. It also shows loyalty towards the members of staff hoping to apply and boosts overall retention within the company, knowing that there is a good chance of progression.
If you want to take this one even further you can always coach those who wish to apply so they feel more confident going for the roles available. Just a small conversation around the kind of work they could be doing or would like to do and some tips from someone above them can really help and make them feel valued.
Support
Monthly 121s:
By having monthly 1 to 1’s you can talk to your staff members about any support they may need, this conversation can be a quick 5 minute catch up or could be a half hour more in depth conversation. If you simply ask what they may need any help with or if there is anything they are struggling with it becomes easier to know how to support your staff. It also helps to remove the fear and anxiety that team members can feel around ‘a meeting with the boss’, and means you’re not only ever booking in meetings when something really bad or really good has happened. Allowing it to become part of your management style means that employees know to expect it, and can make a note of any minor concerns before they become major concerns!
A quick – does anyone need any support today – in a team chat:
Creating a team chat can be a good idea within a company so staff members can help each other. If you know you have a long day of hard work ahead, just sending a quick ‘does anyone need any support today’ message can show that you are there for your team while they work hard.
Most of the time they may not actually need the support but will appreciate the sentiment of the message. However, on the odd occasion someone does need help it saves them struggling and feeling like they can’t ask. It also helps to build camaraderie and relationships within the team which can lead to a happier, more productive, work place!
It’s important to show that you are there and accessible as a leader. It is proven that when staff members know there is someone there to help lead and support them with work, no matter how big or small the task is, they get a boost in productivity and will often excel with the task at hand.
By doing two, three or all of these things you will overall boost morale, productivity and give your employees a much needed boost to work hard.
Thanks is in the little things and the little things go a long way.
