Let’s face it – everybody likes to be appreciated. It’s always nice to know that people value what you are doing, and this is especially true in the workplace. When you consider the fact that the average full-time employee works at least 35 hours a week, or, in other words, the vast majority of their waking hours, it is important they feel recognised, valued, and appreciated for the efforts they put in to make your business thrive.

While bonuses, pay rises and other types of monetary rewards are always great to receive, the fact of the matter is that this isn’t always appropriate or feasible. There are plenty of other ways to make your staff feel valued, which in turn increases their productivity, reliability, and makes them more likely to stay on with you.

Recognise Birthdays 

Some employees might not want their birthdays to be broadcasted around the office, so check with them before you make any kind of arrangements. If they don’t mind, ensuring each employee’s birthday is celebrated is a great way to guarantee recognition on at least an annual basis.

This, of course, does not need to be extravagant. We’re not suggesting that you hire out a local venue and put on a free bar, but something simple as getting everyone to chip in a couple of quid towards a gift, cake, balloons etc. could really make somebody’s day. 

You could even go the extra mile and offer the day of, or a half-day when it is somebody’s birthday.

Celebrate Achievements on Social Media

To have any hope of being successful nowadays, your business needs a presence on social media. While businesses use these platforms to share news, promote products, and post updates, relatively few use social media to celebrate their staff. 

We think this is a real shame, because sharing the hard work your employees put in with followers, customers, and other users who are generally interested in your brand can make an employee’s confidence boon.  

LinkedIn especially is a great place to celebrate your employees’ successes. As the prime platform for connecting networking, upholding your employees’ talents in front of other professionals is an excellent way to show your appreciation and make them feel good about themselves.

Write A Note

This one can take as little as thirty seconds but can go a long way in creating successful relationships with your employees. Maybe an employee made a really great phone call that day, finished a project ahead of schedule, or provided a bit of training to a new starter.

A little message on a post-it note left at their desk for them to see next morning could set the tone for the day and make them happier in the long run.

Applaud Non – Work Related Achievements

It’s important to remember that your employees have a life outside of work. They are much more than just cogs in a machine, they are people with hobbies, dreams, families, and more. It’s important to recognise that they are more than just an employee at your company, and taking an interest in their personal lives (as much as they are willing to share, of course!) is a great way to connect with them.

So if an employee shares the news that they have won a new belt in karate, completed a half-marathon, or finished the painting they’ve been working on, make sure that the achievement is recognised just like any work related one.

Create A Culture of Appreciation

Praise does not always need to come from an employer or manager. Creating a way or incentive for colleagues to show appreciation for each other can help make your workplace a much happier place to thrive in. For example, if your colleagues use a messaging service like Slack or Microsoft Teams, why not set up a group channel where colleagues can thank / call out  each other for help or favours they have received?

Showcase Your Staff On Your Website 

Most websites have an ‘About Us’ or ‘Meet The Team’ page, but often they are neglected or not updated regularly enough. If you don’t have one, they are fairly easy to set up. Simply list each employees’ title, have a photograph of them, and a short bio about what they do in their day to day. A few personal interests wouldn’t go amiss, either!

To add to this, it’s always a good idea to get your new starts up on your website as soon as possible. Not too early of course, perhaps when they have passed their probationary period. This way, new employees feel like they are a valued part of the team from the get go, which sets them up for success.

Flagship Partners 

At Flagship, we have always believed that good people are the foundation of any business. Your employees work hard (that’s why you hired them!), so it’s vital that they feel valued, appreciated, and looked after. If they don’t, the likelihood of burnout and unhappiness grows, which ultimately means less productivity, less profits, and more headaches for you.

If you would like to increase both your employee productivity as well as retention, our HR Consultants are on hand to help you or your HR team to develop a plan. As part of our bespoke service, one of our consultants will come out and meet with you, discuss your business, goals, and people, and then develop and plan with ongoing support. 

For more information, please get in touch with us via our online contact form, or over the phone at 03300 553643.