Through Thick and Thin

We need to ensure that our good staff of today is still with us next week, next month, and hopefully next year. So, is there an employee recognition program in place at your business? Is it used consistently and in a meaningful way?  Employee recognition events and programs that are done correctly can raise productivity, employee morale, engagement, and performance as well as help you retain your top staff.

According to recent studies, only a quarter of staff feel highly valued at work. What do you think the other 75% is feeling?

Today we will look at a few different ways to recognize your staff. There are countless benefits of establishing an employee recognition program; we all yearn for praise from our parents, teachers, coaches, and friends. This is still relevant as people enter the workforce. How can we say no when there are so many advantages?

1. Encourage Peer-to-Peer Recognition

Remember that praise does not always have to come from the top. In fact, peer-to-peer acknowledgment has a 35% higher chance of improving employee satisfaction than recognition from a manager alone.

Create a program that supports peer-to-peer acknowledgment. This could be as easy as setting up kudos jars in the break room. Draw a name from this jar for a little gift on a regular basis.

2. Recognize Your Top Performers on Social Media

Social recognition is a terrific method to show your staff how proud you are of them. It also aids in the development of your brand by putting your business’s culture and values on display for all to see. Staff who are recognized are more inclined to share social recognition postings with their followers, resulting in good PR for your business. When thanking staff on social media, make sure to include their name, job title, what they did to deserve credit, and how it impacted the business. Make sure your staff are aware of your plans and are willing to be acknowledged publicly beforehand. Not everyone desires to be in the public eye. Some folks would rather be honored in private.

3. Send a Handwritten Note

It should be no surprise to those who listen to me that I am a huge fan of handwritten notes. A handwritten note is such a simple touch and can make all the difference in the world. A handwritten message thanking them is a powerful tool. Make sure your message is timely, personalized to the employee’s action and impact, and aligned with your business’s vision and values. You will encourage repeat, positive behavior and the development of a strong business culture by recognizing employees for specific acts.

4. Celebrate Birthdays and Personal Accomplishments

Allowing staff to take the day off and enjoy it as they like is one method to acknowledge birthdays. If this idea is not feasible for your business, you can still celebrate with a card signed by the staff and a sweet treat.

Don’t forget: your staff are people first, staff second. Did you have an employee that completed their first 5K? Graduate from high school or college? Move into their first apartment? Purchase their first vehicle? Master a new hobby? Celebrate these wins with your staff as well.

These small gestures are impactful and can go a long way toward making an employee feel valued and respected.

5. Let Staff Be Part of the Solution

It may seem unusual to reward staff with more work, but studies show that an employee who participates in a special project increases their sense of purpose by 26%. As leaders, we are always attempting to resolve major difficulties. How can we enhance our revenue? How can we continue to deliver excellent service with fewer staff? What can we do to improve guest satisfaction? How can we cut costs? Our front-line staff have some of the best ideas. Why not enlist their assistance in coming up with innovative solutions? Assign them to a group and present the problem to them. Give them time each week to collaborate on potential solutions that they can present to the leadership team. Including them in the solution will benefit both the employee and the business.

6. Surprise and Delight

Have you ever caught an employee doing something admirable? On their way in the door, they may have picked up trash from the parking lot. Perhaps they went above and beyond for a guest. Maybe they took that pesky, hard-to-fill shift. Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could notice them right away when they are demonstrating such wonderful acts of kindness? What’s holding you back? Give your leadership team a stack of $5 gift cards for coffee or gas and encourage them to hand them out whenever an employee does something admirable. This spontaneous and unexpected surprise will show employees that their efforts are appreciated.

7. Make a Plan to Celebrate Employee Appreciation Day

Every year on the first Friday in March, Employee Appreciation Day is observed. The date for this year’s event is Friday, March 4th. This is the ideal opportunity to show your staff how important they are to you. Themes, food, team building activities, contests, and wellness activities could all be used to celebrate. There is still time to plan so consider how you would like to honor the staff who have stuck with you during this unprecedented period.

Actively appreciating your employees lets them know that you value their hard work and dedication. Thankfulness breeds camaraderie and trust between managers and workers.