In this article, we will explore some employee appreciation ideas. If you are unsure why this is important, employees are 2x more likely to quit if they feel unappreciated. One of the big aftermaths of the pandemic is the people just quitting jobs where they think they are unappreciated and underpaid.
That is why it is important to form a sense of community in your company.
People will just put a lot more effort into their work if they feel like you will recognize them for it. So don't just make it one day, like the first Friday of March every year. Make it a habit of doing it all year round. It doesn't even have to cost you an arm and a leg to pull it off in a successful way.
So come on, and let's discover some of these employee appreciation ideas.
Give them a surprise
Find a reason to celebrate any of your company's success. Give them a surprise party for some milestone. It can be something small like a team finishing a task or big like landing a huge client. Then organize a surprise party at the end of the day, have food brought it and celebrate.
Give people gift cards
There is a reason the gift card industry was worth $170 billion last year in the US alone. Gift cards are prevalent, and you can give them to an entire team. Just try not to make them too generic. Try to give people gift cards so that they have a choice in what they can get. There are tons of things you can give out as gift cards, from discounts to popular stores, cooking classes, escape rooms, etc.
Google's personal time policy
Google's personal time was an idea that they give about 20% of their employees' workday to devote themselves to any project in the company they want. It doesn't need to be that much, but you could have that policy for your business to help break people's monotony they might feel. It doesn't cost you that much, and it could lead to some exciting things developing.
Celebrate birthdays
Celebrate your employee's birthdays by buying everyone cake or even by giving them a day off so that they can spend it how they like. Don't make your employees chip in on every cake if you get one. Since you are celebrating their birthday at work, make it a point for the company to buy and remember each employee personally.
Give out thanks
Sometimes a simple thank you can do the trick. For example, if an employee has just finished a massive project or is doing overtime, a simple handwritten thank you note can do wonders. Of course, it will boost their self-esteem, but also, a well-written thank you note will never go out of style.
Have snacks
Have snacks at the office, and you have no idea how much it can help put people in a good mood. This is especially true of some people who forget breakfast and get cranky, which can have a domino effect on other colleagues. If you find having snacks all the time is too expensive, then surprise them with doughnuts or pizza once in a while for lunch.
Give to charities
When you give to charities, make sure they are ones that your employees support. When doing the onboarding process, find out which are their favorite charities and whenever you have a drive, make sure that the money goes to them. Match your employee's donation whenever you can.
Never miss an anniversary
Never miss your employee's anniversary, especially if it is a big one like being in your company for 5,10,15,20 years. As more and more employees change jobs regularly, make sure you reward them when they stick around.
Invite a guest speaker
From time to time, you can invite a guest speaker that is relevant to your team and can supplement their skills and knowledge. This will help your employees grow and open up new horizons and ways of thinking.
Let them off early
This one is the easiest to do. If you don't have a deadline or arent pulling off a crunch, let your employees off early for the day. Especially try doing this on Monday or Friday. Some people are just looking at the minutes pass by, waiting for the end of the day.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this list of easy-to-do things to appreciate your colleagues. Of course, appreciation doesn't work if you only do it for one day. But, it is something that should be at the core of your company culture. If one thing on this list doesn't work, you can always try something else.
Because your workers will soon lose interest in their work without engagement and appreciation, and soon enough, move on to another company searching for other opportunities. So act right now, and show your workers you care.
On a related topic check out our article on improving your employee's business travel experience!