Showing your employees how much they\u2019re appreciated isn\u2019t just for Employee Appreciation Day. You can (and should) make your team feel valued every day of the year. Because it\u2019s not directly linked to business KPIs, companies don\u2019t always work to find effective employee appreciation ideas.<\/p>\n
But, it turns out, making the effort to recognize your employees does matter to your business\u2019s success.<\/p>\n
To illustrate, consider this experiment<\/a> run by \u200b\u200bresearchers Christiane Bradler, Robert Dur, Susanne Neckermann, and Arjan Non. They hired over 300 employees to do a basic data-entry task for three hours. After two hours, a random sample of work groups received unexpected recognition for a job well done.<\/p>\n Researchers saw increased productivity and work quality among those groups where praise was offered\u2014even by those employees who didn\u2019t directly receive the praise! If you want a more loyal, motivated, and high-performing workforce, it\u2019s time to emphasize employee appreciation.<\/p>\n Key takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\n People usually celebrate National Employee Appreciation Day on the first Friday in March. It was founded by Dr. Bob Nelson, a founding member of Recognition Professionals International, in 1995.<\/p>\n This day was initially created by Dr. Nelson to celebrate the publication of his book, 1,001 Ways to Reward Employees.<\/em> But soon after, this day became a strong reminder for employers to recognize and appreciate their employees<\/strong> for their hard work, dedication, and contributions to the organization.<\/p>\n National Employee Appreciation Day motivates companies to create a culture of active recognition. According to Dr. Nelson, when organizations celebrate Employee Appreciation Day it\u2019s easier to enhance morale, team relationships, retention, performance, and talent attraction.<\/p>\n Showing appreciation means recognizing and acknowledging the work people do in your organization.<\/p>\n It involves expressing gratitude and valuing employee efforts, contributions, and achievements in various ways. For instance, through verbal praise, written recognition, awards, bonuses, and more.<\/p>\n The goal? Employee appreciation makes people feel valued and respected. Plus, it increases employee engagement, which means happier employees and better well-being at work.<\/p>\n It also affects your profitability.<\/p>\n When people are engaged with their jobs, they have increased job satisfaction and are more likely to stay for the long term. Retaining top talent is always a financial benefit, but is especially important in the era of The Great Resignation<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Investing in an employee recognition program doesn\u2019t necessarily mean spending lots of time and money. Consistency is key to helping employees feel your appreciation is sincere. Let\u2019s explore ten ways to show appreciation for making employee appreciation a regular part of your company culture.<\/p>\n To show your team how valuable they are, take time to learn about their personal career interests and aspirations. Then help them create a plan for reaching them.<\/strong><\/p>\n You can build this into regular performance reviews or even just casual chats over lunch. Ask about what interests employees about their job, where they\u2019d like to be in a few years, and what skills or roles they\u2019d like to learn.<\/p>\n Then, genuinely listen when employees open up about their lives. Have managers help them create a plan to work toward their goals. That might mean offering leadership training to someone interested in moving into management in the future. Or, keeping employees in mind for advancement as new internal roles open up.<\/p>\n You can also plan workshops that help employees map out their career paths within the organization. Or invest in mentorship programs. Pair employees with more seasoned ones who will offer guidance and support in achieving their goals.<\/p>\n\n
What is National Employee Appreciation Day?<\/h2>\n
What is the meaning of employee appreciation?<\/h2>\n
10 employee appreciation ideas your workforce will love<\/h2>\n
1. Recognize employee goals as well as achievements<\/h3>\n