Appreciation is a fundamental human need.
When employees and their work are valued, their satisfaction and productivity rises, and they are motivated to maintain or improve their good work. Looking for ideas about how to praise and thank coworkers and employees? Read below for some practical ways to show your appreciation.
Praise Good Work
By affirming employees, staff members will feel more motivated and encouraged that their hard work is being recognized. Aim to replace general and generic statements such as “Good job!” with comments that identify specific actions that you found admirable. As well, try to also emphasize the actions that you’d like to see the employee do more often, to give them clear direction on how to improve.
Show You Care
Appropriate questions and acknowledgments about a staff member’s life outside of the workplace are a great way to show that they are more to the company than just another proverbial “cog in the wheel”. Your genuine interest in an employee’s weekend plans, hobbies, or special events can help them feel valued and cared about. Try asking open-ended questions such as “What are you up to this weekend?” or, as a follow-up, “How was that trip you went on?”.
Create Community
Foster a work environment that staff members are excited to return to each day by implementing events or conversations everyone can be a part of. Whether this looks like throwing a yearly holiday party with a gift swap, buying donuts for the office, or simply signing a card together when an employee’s birthday comes around, there are many ways to encourage staff members to rally together and become a more cohesive group.
Provide Opportunity
Lastly, but also most importantly, providing opportunities for employees to grow in their professional development can act as a “gift that keeps on giving”, allowing them to better themselves as well as better perform their roles in your organization. Changes such as allowing staff members to attend professional association meetings or allocating a budget for professional development workshops and reading are good first moves to start with. By showing that you are willing to invest in their growth, employees can feel better valued in the company.
Business image created by Katemangostar – Freepik.com
Esther Chen is currently employed by Gedcor as a Junior Technical Writer. She is pursuing her BFA in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia.