How often have you seen this quote in your LinkedIn or Facebook news feed?
"A person who feels appreciated will always do more than what is expected.”
Probably a lot, right? There’s a good reason! People who work and with you want to feel like they are valued. If they do not feel valued, the economy is such that they might just walk out the door. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported, “The number of job openings reached a series high of 7.1 million on the last business day of August.”
So how do you celebrate the people who work to help you succeed? Here are some ways we’ve found that work VERY well!
Tell Them
Okay, this might seem obvious…but if people achieve something or even if they do something better than they usually do, it’s important to give them a pat on the back. Big companies have done this for years to increase brand awareness, but doing it for your employees is just as important to the vitality of your company.
Here is a great example! Check out this 2012 throwback from Planet Fitness! Way back it was called the POTB Generator. This generator allowed you to send kudos to anyone including their employees! It was a fun way to say, way to go, which is absolutely the direction any company should head towards.
If you’re not quite ready to launch an app, just do one of the following:
- Walk up to their desk and say “hey, great job!”
- Put a card on their desk and tell them how happy you are to have them.
- Tell others about an awesome idea your coworker or employee had.
These completely free gestures go a long way toward employee loyalty and they take…seconds. There’s no excuse!
Hit Goals (Loudly)!
Here at Harger Howe, when we close a sale we ring a literal bell! It’s just a signal that the whole team has achieved something worthy of a celebration. The bell doesn’t stop the productivity of the day, but it sure motivates us to keep up the good work.
You don’t have to install a bell in your office, but you can send an inter-office memo, install a visual representation of your goals for each month (think a thermometer etc) or even hold a little award party to celebrate all of the deals you close in a certain timespan!
Nurture It
If you find someone who goes above and beyond on your team, nurture that person! That can mean so many different things…
- It could mean taking the time to teach them something you know already.
- It could mean sending them to a conference.
- It could mean purchasing them new tools for their job.
- Or it could even mean simply asking them what they want out of their future within your company.
All of the options listed above will show your employees your genuine interest and appreciation for them as a worker.
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In addition to all of these tips, we think having fun is a big way to say thank you. If you need more fun in your work life, check out this blog by Jamie Taylor!
