Employee Appreciation Day is an annual holiday which induces employers throughout the land to do things to show that they appreciate their employees. Of course, this is a great idea – every office should celebrate Employee Appreciation Day.
But what is an even better idea is to make sure that employee appreciation doesn’t just last one day of the year. (See: Valentine’s Day celebration. Should you just appreciate your partner one day of the year? Rhetorical question.) It behooves all employers to create a positive culture of appreciation at the workplace – which can have wonderful effects on the workplace all year long.
How can you create a culture of appreciation at your company?
Listen to employees about what perks they want
There is often a mismatch between what employers offer and what employees actually want. For example, employers might think that workers want “Employee of the Month plaques,” office happy hours, and sponsored golf tournaments, but what employees actually want are massages at work, a 401(k) match, and sponsored volunteer time, for example. An anonymous employee survey is a fast way to take the pulse of the company.
Take employee schedules into account
Many employees would love to celebrate with their colleagues – but might have after-work commitments and/or weekend commitments that cause them to miss evening trips to the bowling alley or weekend retreats. Make sure all your employees are taken into account when planning events. That includes your remote employees – make sure they are involved in company activities too.
Build trust with employees to build a positive culture
Trust and transparency aren’t just business issues – they are health issues as well. A lack of trust increases stress and reduces cooperation. According to one study, only 19% of millennials say that most people can be trusted. To build trust with your employees, you need to build a good relationship. Make sure they understand the reasons for actions the business takes. Involve employees in decisions that directly affect them. Show that you’re paying attention to their accomplishments, and directly thank and praise them when praise is due.
Happy Employee Appreciation Day – or should we say, Employee Appreciation Year?