Demonstrating Appreciation for Your Employees is Good Business

Do you want to attract the best job candidates and maintain a positive company image among the public? Promote a strong company culture? What about raising employee satisfaction, motivation, productivity, morale and retention? Then strive to be a better boss. The best bosses do more than treat and pay their employees well and demonstrate strong leadership skills; they go above and beyond to show their team members they’re appreciated every day of the year.

There are innumerable ways to show your employees that they are valued. Reward employees frequently, consistently and in a variety of ways. The most meaningful gestures of appreciation are thoughtful, memorable and of personal value to the employee recipient. The standard ones are fine and shouldn’t be overlooked. They include:

• Catered lunch
• Bonuses
• Treats, just because
• Paid time off
• Shoutout on social media
• Host company events
• Gift cards
• Celebrate professional anniversaries and milestones
• Work party or happy hour
• Regular, balanced performance feedback
• Basic, respectful "got your back" actions like advocating for them, making a point to thank them for work performance, recommending them for promotions

Here’s a compilation of some of the more unique ones I’ve heard of - they’re extra motivational, I think:

• Trick out your break room with comfortable furniture, game consoles, books, snacks, TV and beverages
• Give tickets to a virtual event
• Establish an employee wellness program
• Cover expenses they incur due to employment, such as transportation or parking
• Involve employees in the way they are acknowledged so it has greater meaning to them
• Hold a surprise party to recognize a job well done
• Support their further education by sending them to training or setting them up with a mentor
• Ask the employee for their help or advice on a project
• Hold a team retreat
• Invite an employee to an executive meeting
• Establish a wall of fame
• Give small, personalized gifts based upon their interest, cause or hobby
• Institute a "Boss for the Day" (or week)
• Spend time with employees to chat about anything or take them to lunch
• Make the employee a business wide "go-to" resource for their particular strong suit
• Provide opportunities for them to volunteer for a charity of their choice
• Make an office spa day happen
• Invite some food trucks
• Write a glowing LinkedIn recommendation
• Invest in quality office equipment and furnishings
• Plan a DJ for a Day or karaoke afternoon
• Encourage feedback and survey participation with a small reward
• Designate certain hours during the week as time for employees to work on any project they choose
• Add fun to unofficial holidays with workplace activities
• Hold spontaneous fun events
• Choose a winner of a VIP parking spot for a week
• Offer services to help with tax preparation and investment counseling
• Make sure communities within your business are represented by creating resource groups to serve diverse interests
• Show that you’re listening to employee suggestions by frequently implementing them

As you can see, employee appreciation is a mindset - it’s looking for ways other than a paycheck to ensure that your employees are well taken care of and feel recognized for their efforts in your business. These measures ensure there’s a lot more life in your company culture so that employees come at their duties refreshed and supported. There is a myriad of ways you could implement your own unique employee appreciation practices that will please and motivate those who work for you. Make it a habit to think in terms of what will make your employees happy; in the end, it will benefit you with greater productivity which translates to higher profits.

What new ways could you demonstrate appreciation for your employees?