Employee Appreciation Day—March 2
It’s easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day tasks of working life. That’s no excuse, however, for managers, CEOs and employers to forget just how important and valuable their employees are. Employee Appreciation Day encourages managers of all levels to support and reward their employees, and to show their appreciation!
Organizations that have a “culture of recognition” have employees who report they are five times more likely to feel valued, seven times more likely to stay with the company, six times more likely to invest in the company, and eleven times more likely to feel completely committed in their jobs, which has been shown to account for 57 percent greater effort on the part of employees in research by Towers Perrin.
Dawn Pieke, a marketing manager at Hirease, Inc., a background services company located in Southern Pines, N.C., says Employee Appreciation Day is “an extremely important event.” Not only do the founders, Heidi and Paul Dent, bring in delicious food on this day and give a heartfelt thanks during a company-wide meeting, but they also carry this event throughout the year by having fresh flowers on each person’s desk, free oil changes each quarter, chair massages each quarter, reimbursement for gym memberships, and give incredible Christmas gifts, which last year included iPads and iPods for each employee,” said Pieke. “They also give praise regularly to employees that give great customer service, bring on new clients, and also those that come up with exceptional ideas to help the company.”
Offering recognition to your employees doesn’t have to be a huge effort – in fact, sometimes the simplest methods are the most meaningful. A quick, handwritten note can be just as memorable as a gift. Whatever your means of acknowledgement, following three simple tips can help you leave a lasting impression with your staff.
- Be specific – State exactly what you’re thanking or recognizing them for.
- Be sincere – Don’t try to be who you’re not. Use your voice and style in the writing.
- Be relevant – Show how their efforts relate back to the company’s goals and values.
Here are some employee appreciation ideas which managers can use to make employees feel valued and motivated.
- Say lots of “thank you’s” and “please” and the employees will definitely appreciate this trait.
- Build relationships with your employees—make efforts to know them personally—ask them about their children and other family members and sound genuinely interested when you do that.
- Give employees a free pass—give out a certain number of free days off to employees to use as they see fit.
- Create your own “Club Med” – set aside a quiet space or unused office in your building where employees can meditate, chill out, nap or otherwise re-center themselves.
- Give employees gifts of appreciation if you liked their work. Some interesting appreciation gift ideas: books, pen holders, mouse pads, electronic gadgets, event tickets, gift cards, employee appreciation letters.
- Select one day each month as employee appreciation day and provide snacks for break time.
- Host a pancake breakfast where managers cook for employees.
- Send electronic thank you cards with sound attached.
- Sponsor a “chips & chat” session—you provide the chips & dip and discuss an upcoming project.
- Have an employee appreciation party and offer food and drinks and let your employees enjoy the day.