Appreciating Your Employees

With Employee Appreciation Day on March 6th, when was the last time you reflected on the achievements of your team members and how your company recognizes those efforts? Thought leaders often say that demonstrating appreciation to your employees -- not necessarily through financial compensation -- can drive productivity and employee retention.

"There are two things people want more than sex and money... recognition and praise."  
Mary Kay Ash, founder of the Mary Kay Cosmetics empire 

"Compensation is what you give people for doing the job they were hired to do. 
Recognition, on the other hand, celebrates an effort beyond the call of duty." 
Incentives Magazine 

"Employees who report receiving recognition and praise within the last seven days show increased productivity, get higher scores from customers, and have better safety records. They're just more engaged at work."
Tom Rath, author of "How Full Is Your Bucket?" and "Strengths Based Leadership"

It is important that businesses understand that there are many ways to demonstrate appreciation to their employees that don't necessarily add a huge cost to your bottom line. In fact, Richard File from Amrigon correctly states that "spending $1 on something clever and unique is better than $50 on something ordinary and forgettable."

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Tips from the HR experts at Clear Path 

Clear Path president Anna Aceto-Guerin agrees that recognizing employee achievements is a critical piece of a company's plan for sustaining a stable and high-performing workforce. She encourages employers to consider the following:

• Make it timely! Immediately praising a team member when you catch them doing something right will have a much larger impact that recognition that comes weeks or months after the event. You should empower your supervisors to carry gift cards or lunch coupons that they can hand out on the spot.
• Make it personal! Leaving a gift gift on their desk will have a lower impact than a hand-delivered note or recognizing their efforts at a company event.
• Make it fair! Consider creating a distinct "Behind the Scenes" award specifically for those whose efforts are not always in the spotlight (such as the teams that support your sales staff). Having a high profile in your organization should not be the only factor in receiving appreciation.
• Make it Escalate! Consider having different levels of recognition for your team members. You may have an award such as a Tim's card or movie pass for relatively small achievements, a larger $100-200 prize for medium-sized achievements, and a large "President's Award" for significant achievements.

Looking for some ideas?

​There are numerous resources you can use to gather ideas for your workplace. A favourite of ours is Bob Nelson's 1001 Ways To Reward Employees. First published in 1994, most of his ideas continue to resonate today. He shares hundreds of tips for managers, many of which are no cost or low cost, but may have a huge impact on your organization. Here are a few examples:

No cost and low cost appreciation ideas from Bob Nelson:

• Call an employee into your office just to thank them -- don't discuss any other issue
• Post a thank you note on the employee's office door
• Acknowledge individual achievements by using the employee's name during team meetings
• Make a photo collage about a successful project that shows the people who worked on it
• Offer a deserving employee a change in job title
• Wash the employee's car in the parking lot during lunch
• Cover the person's desk with balloons
• Bring the person special bagged lunches for a week
• Bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies for the person
• Make a contribution to that person's favourite charity
• Buy the person something for their spouse or children, particularly if work has kept them away from loved ones
• Book a limousine ride to the office or to a company party for the individual
• Rent a sports car for the employee to drive for a week
• Massage and spa day (either for them to use on their own or as a group activity for a department)

Additional low or no cost ideas from author Kevin Kruse:

• Throw a pizza party or cake party in their honour
• Create a simple “ABCD” card that are given when someone goes “Above the Call of Duty”
• Have the entire team sign a framed photo or certificate of appreciation
• Send a thank you note or gift basket to their spouse
• Let them dress casual for a day
• Have entire team honor them with a standing ovation at the start of the next staff meeting
• Offer to swap a task with them for a day or week

Forbes magazine contributiors David Sturt and Todd Nordstrom concur and offer some additional ideas:

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1. In-Office Services. Pamper your people at the office. We’ve seen employers hiring on-site massage therapists, car washers, and even ‘errand-runners’ for their team. Think about the services your people would love—services that either treat them like royalty or remove a burden from their day.

2. At-Home Services. One of the best ways to show your appreciation for your team is to show you care about their life outside the office. Some employers provide a day of house cleaning, lawn-care, snow-clearing, and even child-care or pet-care services so employees can have a night out with their significant other.

Want to have a memorable Employee Appreciation Day event?

The folks at www.baudville.com have come up with numerous themes you could use for your staff, including:

• Company dessert buffet (these are all the rage at weddings, birthday parties, and showers, so why not at the office?)
• Rock On! Why not set up a video game station in your boardroom with a "Rock Band" or "Just Dance" game?
• Office Olympics: Have employees create teams and compete in contests like miniature golf and other games within the office.

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We hope you were inspired by some of these ideas to have an incredible Employee Appreciation Day and ensure that you work appreciation into your everyday culture. If you have any questions or would like suggestions on how to handle an employee issue, please don't hesitate to contact us at (519) 624-0800 or anna@clearpathemployer.com

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