Some of the best organizations, regardless of the industry, have one thing in common: their dedication to their employees. Despite the changes in the work environment as technology takes over, employees remain essential to drive success.
In some sectors like Social, community, Home Care, and Disability Services (SCHADS), employees are everything. They are in charge of all operations and every activity and function; therefore, they deserve some appreciation.
Employee appreciation in such sectors is critical for the best service delivery and ensuring all the clients get the best care in the facilities. Therefore, frequent appreciation will be essential for the amount of work they have to handle daily amidst all the challenges of taking care of people. It is due to such concerns that employers in SCHAD can consider these strategies to appreciate their employees.
1. Organize frequent Awards and Rewards.
Organizations should choose the most impactful award to offer the employees. These awards can be in the form of trophies, salary increases, bonuses, overtime, etc. The awards should be offered at individual and team levels to boost performance. When deciding on the choice of rewards, the management must consider one that promotes equity and ensures everyone is aware fairly based on their impacts.
Therefore, such awards should cover various aspects like performance, discipline, diligence, socialization, etc. The wider the focus, the higher the possibility of awarding more employees and appreciating everyone for their input to the company. If you are unsure of the best awards to offer your employees, refer to the SCHADS Award schemes to ensure everyone feels appreciated for their effort.
Additionally, the awards can also be in the form of leave days, vacations, and breaks from work to enable employees to regain their strength. Finally, the rewards should target all employee levels, from junior staff to the top levels. This will ensure those performing other duties like sanitation are motivated to work and feel appreciated.
2. Offering Feedback on Employee Performance
Most employees tend to get demoralized when they fail to understand the impact they are making within the organization. As a result, some may decide to perform average or below the standards because of a lack of feedback. Employees need feedback to understand what they are doing, which can motivate them to give more and have the best spirit to work.
Regardless of their performance, the feedback should never be entirely negative. That means it should not be in the form of abuse, insults, quarrelling, etc. Managers must cautiously point out employee mistakes and areas of excellence. During such discussions, the manager can offer some help by telling the employee how they messed up and what they can do to correct it.
Employees must get feedback regardless of the nature of the project or work assigned. This is essential for future performance, employee development, growth, and future references and progress. For effectiveness, the input should be through the most impactful mediums like emails, verbal praise, social media, company community network, etc.
3. Training and Development
The greatest act of love towards your staff is to ensure they constantly achieve their dreams and goals. This means offering the chance to rise by ensuring they have the skills, education, and intelligence needed to grow. Regardless of their roles, always organize training and development sessions to ensure employees gain the latest relevant skills.
The training can be in different forms: experts who train only company employees offer in-house training. The following form is job-related training on the latest skills related to their jobs. Finally, there can be cross-training, which can offer diverse skills and experience by training them in other areas.
Besides all these sacrifices, the company should also organize credible certifications for the new skills. This can be through online training offered by various institutions. Other options include seminars, webinars, coaching, and providing resources like industry articles and newsletters.
4. Providing The Best Working Arrangements
When scheduling employee work shifts, take into consideration their needs and flexibility. It is good to consult them on their best working duration sometimes. This also requires being flexible and offering arrangements like hybrid working, which can be ideal for employee performance and satisfaction with their job. You can also consider other arrangements like part-time, night shifts, work sharing, etc.
Besides the flexible working arrangements, ensure the managers do not overload employees with work, which can lead to exhaustion or sometimes working beyond the required time. If such incidences must occur, offer some motivation, like overtime or more leave days. Above all, make the company a workplace with a perfect work-life balance to retain employees and ensure they are satisfied working with you.
5. Seeking Employee Input
Employees are the best resources every organization has, and despite AI and computers, their input should never be ignored. Employees are responsible for key decision-making and making the workplace ideal. Therefore, they should feel important and part of the organization by offering their opinion on various issues. On certain decisions, offer employee surveys and polls to understand their opinion about the new work arrangements.
Have some suggestion boxes and a whistleblowing hotline available so employees do not feel neglected at work. Engage them in committees, councils, forums, and other areas where they can best offer their opinions. A good administrator must also consider other decisions and complaints raised in informal employee groups since some feel more comfortable in such groups than in formal ones.
Conclusion
Appreciating employees’ impact on your organization is essential for high productivity, the best service delivery, and organizational development. Therefore, you can liaise with SCHAD for tips to appreciate employees’ input. Regardless of the impact, ensure they feel valued, motivated, and loved by considering their needs and congratulating them where necessary.