Showing Your Employees How Much You Appreciate Them

Your staff is an essential part of your business, and you could not succeed without them. They work hard, are loyal and do their best for you every day, but do you show them how much you appreciate their efforts? Whatever the size of your business, if your employees are excelling in their roles and making a real difference to your bottom line, then it pays to let them know you are grateful to them. As the boss, you may feel at a loss to know the best way to do this, but there are some basic principles you can follow to ensure you get it right.​

How Much Do You Appreciate Your Employees? Show Them!

Say it
Sounds simple, but it’s very often forgotten about in the hustle and bustle of the working environment. A simple thank you at the end of the day; a comment about a good piece of work or a great example of customer service; a compliment on a design or a report. All these simple remarks can boost your employee self-esteem and motivate them to keep working hard and keep up the standards. Most people need to hear positive comments about how they’re doing, and in passing on your appreciation, you are keeping people happy and keen to maintain the standards they’ve set.

Show it
For special occasions like birthdays and Christmas, or to celebrate a major achievement like winning a big contract or making a six-figure target, you could buy gifts for your team. It’s best to go for fairly generic items so that everyone receives something similar unless you have a very small team and know the members very well. Gift cards are a good example; you can ensure everyone receives the same value card and they can be spent on a multitude of products and services, meaning they will appeal to a wide range of tastes. If anyone doesn’t want their card, they can easily use a selling service to exchange them for cash, without hurting anyone’s feelings or being stuck with something they don’t want. Dividend mantra has a useful summary of card sales services which can explain how this works in more detail. You could also purchase a new appliance for the staff kitchen or buy lunch now and again for the staff, something less personal but that would be appreciated by everyone.

Don’t go overboard
Compliments and gratitude are only effective if you use them sparingly and when appropriate. Giving too many gifts or making too many comments can be counter-productive, as if heard too often these appreciative gestures become commonplace and lose their ability to make staff happy. Keep the praise and gift-giving reserved for exceptional circumstances, and don’t deaden the effect of being appreciative. Furthermore, if you are too lavish with your gifts, it could make staff uncomfortable and may lead to them feeling pressurized.

However you choose to reward your staff, keep it simple and not too expensive. You might just buy a box of donuts or a fruit basket for your team; small gestures, but they will be well-received and appreciated and don’t forget the positive comments to help keep morale high.
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