More Than Words: Creative Ways to Show Employee Appreciation On International worker's day

“People work for money but go the extra mile for recognition, praise, and rewards.”- Dale Carnegie

In every workspace or even as an individual we love to be appreciated, it doesn’t only drive employees to do better but also as well motivates them to help put in more work, especially if this appreciation comes from someone we look up to or somebody that makes life easier. Just a simple thank you goes a long way and also creates a better workspace/ environment.

Employees work tirelessly in the background. They need to know how much their hard work is appreciated. Keeping your current employees is cheaper than hiring new ones and your current employees are more likely to stick around if they feel appreciated.

Now aside from the fact that they will stick around it also does drive productivity. Employee satisfaction equals increased output, having happy or satisfied employees increases productivity and this can be achieved through simple demonstrations of employee appreciation.

Top Five Simple Ways to Appreciate Your Employees Today

1. Career Advancement:

Do you know what employees love even more than recognition? Recognition that comes with a chance at career advancement. When you show employees that you’re invested in their careers, they’re more likely to remain with the company. As always, loyalty is a two-way street.

Career advancement as a reward can take several forms. One option is to simply offer someone a shot at a higher position after they’ve performed strongly. Another possibility is to provide training and development opportunities (our list of 2024 mapped-out training programs will be of interest to you, tap here) so that your employees know they can upskill on the job.

Whichever route you take, what matters is that employees sense you’re helping them meet their full potential and driving organizational success

2. Food:

Ah food is very important o

A hungry worker is an angry worker but a full worker is a happy worker [I think there is a quote like that]

Anyways, appropriating your workers through food can go a long way, you can decide to buy lunch, or snacks or when going out to share a meal. Aside from the fact that you are making them feel appropriate, it can also create time to bond, in that sense that you can get feedback on things going on in the office or even more creative ideas to move the organization forward.

3. Recognition:

The office can get creative and make a wall of fame, whoever does excellently in their task either individually or as a team can get appreciated by having their picture posted on that board.

Something like employee of the month with a write-up appreciating their hard work and dedication and also writing fun facts about them and this comes with a price like giving them the chance to take time off or work from home however they choose.

4. Host Company Events:

After all the seriousness of the year, it is amazing to at least host events where employees can loosen up a bit. Your team members can bond over food and games while still spending time to get to know each other better and build team bonding.

It is a great time to just relax and live in the moment and also provides a platform for two-way communication between management and employees. They offer an opportunity for employees to provide feedback, share ideas, and feel more engaged with the company's mission and vision.

5. Giving ‘’Small’’ Gifts:

As little as a mug, a notebook, a pen or a water bottle with a note saying thank you can go a long way—something to remind them of their handwork and dedication. If you want to make an employee feel truly seen, point out the little things that they do to make work better and show that their actions don’t go unnoticed.

In Conclusion, appreciating your employees is no longer a “nice thing to have,” but a firm “need to have” for employee retention.

When done well, the right activities and programming can help you boost productivity, increase employee morale and collaboration, and help you retain a successful work culture.

Can you share with us what ways you plan to appreciate your employees this year? We would love to hear from you!