3 Simple Ways To Appreciate Employees

There are many ways you can appreciate your employees and I would like to share three of them with you.

1. Say Thank You More Often

This may seem obvious and yet many employees have shared with their employers and others they wished their employers would thank them more.

As employers we can argue the employees get paid for doing their job. Saying a genuine thank you and recognizing an employee for doing their job shows your appreciation as an employer.

I have always felt I was saying thank you more often and realized just a couple of years ago that I was actually not doing this. Being aware and making changes to say thank you more often has made a difference.

An example was our Open House in June. Everyone on the Team stepped up and did a lot of work. The day after the Open House, the first thing I did when I walked in was to personally thank each employee and shake their hand. Was this necessary?  No. Why did I do this? It was my way of showing the appreciation from the Partners for everyone's efforts and for making it such a great event.

2. Listen & Recognize Your Employees

Your employees see the business and daily tasks differently than the employer. Ask your employees what they think. Ask them what they recommend to improve and make things better.

Listen to them. Acknowledge their ideas and input. Employers may not always agree, however, seeing the employees' perspectives and blending it with the employer's perspective creates very positive results.

At our monthly Team discussions, we say thank you to employees for specific things accomplished from the previous month such as certifications, targets reached and client experiences. We also recognize milestones with awards for 5 years, 10 years and 20 years of service.

3. Provide a Fun and Creative Environment

We spend a significant amount of time at the office and employers should consider the environment the employees work in. Is it confined, stuffy and no room for any enjoyment or leisure activities. Where do employees have lunch and where do they take a break?

We have created areas of very open space. There is a ping pong table for some leisure time when taking a break. We have meeting rooms that are relaxing and the "Unplugged Lounge" for interactive and creative discussions. There is a lot of outdoor green space for playing catch, throwing a football around and kicking a soccer ball.

As long as there is balance with work, leisure and creativity, this type of environment works very well.   Our employees have embraced and supported this environment and enjoy the "java" stations for many types of coffee or tea.

What are you doing to appreciate your employees?

(Originally published 09.12.12)