It is possible for employees to feel underappreciated for many reasons. Sometimes it takes more than just paying your employees well, giving them a promotion when it’s due, and providing them with all necessary tools to keep them motivated. Your employees must believe that their efforts matter. So, how do you fix this? Do you just walk over to them and tell them that you appreciate them? While this can be a good start, you might want to be a bit more sophisticated than that. There are a lot of ways you can tell and show them just how much of a difference they make in your organization. Here’s how you can do it.
The first and probably the most important thing that you should understand is that employee gifts can help in improving productivity and efficiency for your business. According to experts at Gift Market, employee appreciation gifts contribute massively to retention and building a positive work culture. It shows to the employees that their efforts are being appreciated by the owners and higher management of the business organization. Over a period, this will attract new talent to the business and contribute to the growth story.
- Improve your positive feedback efforts
Your positive feedback is always appreciated but the majority of employees can feel it when it’s just empty words. Saying that they do a great job or that they’re an invaluable member of your organization is one thing. However, if you took time to inquire or memorize a single great idea or something they did and mentioned that specifically. Saying: “Thanks for staying late last Thursday,” is a far better form of praise than just telling them that they’re doing a great job. Even if your organization is too big to know what everyone’s doing, you can inquire with their direct supervisor.
- Small personal gifts
Giving your employees small personal gifts is sometimes more efficient as praise than just giving them a bonus. After all, they know why they’ve received this bonus and they know full-well that they’ve earned it. A gift is something else. First of all, you’re giving them something of your own volition – there’s no rule saying that you’re due a thoughtful gift. It also means that you remembered, paid attention, and took time to place an order (or at least told someone to place an order in your stead). When choosing an appropriate gift for your employee you should always go for trustworthy brands like The Gift Box Factory.
- Encourage growth
The most ambitious of your employees are the ones that you can get the most value from. The problem is that these people are never content with their current posts. In order to feel like they belong, they need to feel like they’re growing professionally. So, giving them more responsibility, sending them to attend seminars and courses, as well as similar forms of growth encouragement might make a huge difference. While some fear that this CV enrichment might cause your employees to leave your organization sooner, the opposite is true. As long as they can see themselves growing within your ranks, they have the reason to stay.
- Listen to them
A lot of times, people will feel let down if there’s no one there to listen to them. Charisma is merely an act of actively listening to people, which makes them feel good about themselves in your presence. Now, not all of their complaints will be based on reality. Even if that is the case, you can make a world of difference by listening to them and telling them that you understand their concerns. Sometimes, by explaining why something is the case and why you simply can’t do it differently, you will face the sort of understanding that you haven’t expected before.
- Office perks
Getting a new coffee maker can make the day for your staff. So, how is getting a coffee maker different from getting a new printer? Even the latter can improve their quality of life, right? Well, you’re technically correct but an investment in a work-related tool is seen as an investment in the productivity of your company, not the leisure of your employees. Sure, they benefit but you didn’t get it to benefit them but to increase your own overhead. Investing in these leisure items can make a world of difference here.
- Avoid overworking them
Overworking your staff is not just something that will make their productivity drop. It is also a trend that will seriously endanger their identity as a professional. Having them work non-stop will make your staff members feel like you don’t value them enough. After all, you’re not saving them for later and you’re not taking their own plans into account. Remember that showing your employees that you do value their time requires you to do more than just reimburse them for the overtime. So, by organizing your workload more efficiently, you get to overcome this difficulty.
In conclusion
The last thing you need to keep in mind is that different people appreciate different approaches. So, as a manager and a leader, you need to adjust and strategize based on who you’re dealing with. That’s why appreciating your employees is a continuous process. Loyalty is a two-way street and you need to prove yours on a regular basis in order to make a lasting relationship.
Jasmine Anderson is a Sydney-based lifestyle blogger and a toddler mom. She loves to spend quality time with her family, go thrifting, and spend just a little bit too much time on the internet.