How to Appreciate Your Dedicated Staff

Staff appreciation means showing employees that their work and effort toward your organization’s growth are valued, regardless of the result of said work. It requires you to positively reinforce your staff’s self-esteem, inspiring them to do better work.

Staff appreciation is vital to your organization’s overall progress. It accounts for a satisfied and more efficient workforce. Business owners who are intentional about a thriving business prioritize staff appreciation. When your workforce is happy, they diligently carry out their duties. 

According to a 2015 study by Kaufman and Andrew, thirty-seven percent of a sample of corporate America’s workforce noted that they would do better work if their bosses appreciated and recognized them more. The other 63 percent were split between answers like higher pay, more training, more autonomy, and the promise of promotion.

Appreciating your staff can be anything from words to a gift. However, here are five great ways to show your dedicated staff how much you appreciate their effort, loyalty, and contribution to your company’s success. These proven methods raise morale and friendly competition in organizations, contributing significantly to the financial bottom line.

Give Employee Awards

Several organizations have yearly parties or events to celebrate the closing of a successful business year. Some do it to celebrate the year coming to an end because it has become part of their culture.

At these events, company-wide employee awards are usually given to exceptional staff who have performed brilliantly in their roles throughout the year.

Rookies, interns, middle management, upper management, and even domestic staff are recognized at events like these. According to available data, these awards contribute to the culture of excellence at these organizations.

If you own a company or a business that employs and pays people and you have not already done so, this is your cue to plan one for the end of the year. Staff display these awards on their work desks to inspire them for the following year. Their colleagues see them as the benchmark and will work to claim that award at the next event.

You can give out several employee awards, such as best intern, funniest staff, leadership award, etc.

Vouchers for Educational/Upskilling Classes

Some employees do not invest in their staff’s growth. This is a bad precedent to set for your organization as an employer. Your employee churn rate will be high, and you may find quality staffing very difficult at some point.

To show appreciation to your employees for doing good work, you can sponsor a training program for them to upskill. The training could be in a field related to your industry or a skill the employee has always wanted to gain (which you should know from interactions with them).

Several online schools offer these training courses. Sign them up, or hire a professional to train your exceptional staff.

Incentives and Compensation

Incentives and compensation are effective ways to recognize dedicated members of your workforce. Big companies show appreciation to their employees by offering pay raises, increased bonuses, company cars, or accommodation. 

Small businesses might not be able to offer all of these incentives. However, you can consider the options your business can handle, such as bonuses and pay raises. 

Additional Perks

One great way to show appreciation for your dedicated staff is by giving them additional perks.

Say you have a dedicated staff for cold calls to potential clients whose work rate is impressive; you could reward them with one month of free voice and internet on their preferred carrier. This perk will encourage them to do more work outside office hours as a thank you to you, the boss, for paying their phone bill.

You could have a staff member who travels around the city, state, or country for your business. Rewarding them with air miles is a great way to motivate them to work more for your organization, even outside office hours.

Six percent of the staff sample that Kaufman and Andrew interviewed believed that perks would make them work better, while 12 percent felt that their bosses needed to inspire them to work more. Perks are a great way to encourage people to work more, which will mean killing two birds with one stone.

Free Lunch

Many employees barely have time to prepare lunch before work, so they will have to spend more money every day to stay nourished and hydrated enough to think about work and perform well at it.

The solution? Free lunch!

Most big companies already do this, and the results are precise.

Giving free lunch may not be feasible for small businesses with fewer staff members. However, as the boss, you can order a pizza or something similar twice a week for your staff, making lunch break something to look forward to and a bonding moment for your staff.

This helps to relax the employees, as they will have one less daily expense to worry about. This is especially key for rookies and interns starting in your industry or life. Less pressure means more dedication to smashing work goals, contributing to your financial bottom line.

Do not underestimate the power of free food in making things work out as planned for your organization.

Celebrate Employee Appreciation Day (First Friday of March)

The first Friday of every March is dedicated to celebrating employees. Employee Appreciation Day is an event similar to Customer Service Week that celebrates customers and customer service personnel. However, it is meant for employers to give thanks or recognition to their employees.

It was first celebrated in 1995 after Dr. Bob Nelson, a Recognition Professionals International founding member.

It is still gaining global appreciation, but many US states have adopted it. Your state may not fully embrace it, but you can start it in your organization.

On Employee Appreciation Day, HR managers and executives appreciate their staff, colleagues, and themselves for their roles in their companies. There is no template for celebrating Employee Appreciation Day, so you can celebrate it with a prize-giving ceremony where you give out employee awards or an office party to boost the morale of your staff.

Appreciating your employees is an effective way to boost productivity in your company. When your workers feel valued, they become more loyal and committed and are happier to do their work more effectively. Regardless of the size of your organization, this article has provided several ways to show that you recognize the effort your workers put in to ensure your company’s progress. Consider your capacity and choose the options your company’s finances can accommodate.

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