‘Tis the season to give thanks, and if you are an employer, it is important to show appreciation for your employees at Thanksgiving and all year long. It starts by simply saying “thank you.”
While it may seem obvious, a simple “thank you” goes a long way in making your employees feel appreciated, which is really good for your business and your customers.
According to Glassdoor, a jobs and career community leading the way in workplace transparency, an Employee Appreciation Survey revealed how appreciated employees feel by employers, what really motivates employees at work, and what employer-provided perks they want most this Thanksgiving. The majority of employees reported that their boss shows them enough appreciation, while more than half of those surveyed said they would stay longer at their companies if they felt more appreciation from their boss.
Sixty-two percent of employees surveyed said they appreciate not being required to work the day before, of and after Thanksgiving. Employees want to feel appreciated by their co-workers, too. One great way to build morale in the workplace is to encourage employees to “call out” their fellow workers for doing something good or offering an extra hand. You can provide cards or a place online where employees can go to “report” about how another employee went above and beyond, and share those stories at company meetings or recognition events.
Here are some ways to say “thank you” to your employees:
Give out bonuses. There are a couple of ways to handle bonuses. You can set performance goals and give employees bonuses for meeting them or you can give out smaller, “surprise” bonuses, like handing a $25 gift card to a customer service person who goes above and beyond to make a customer happy.
Show gratitude. A thank-you means more when it’s shared in front of the whole team. Whenever you praise employees, take a moment to call everyone’s attention to what you’re doing. It not only makes the employee you’re praising feel great, but also shows the rest of the staff what type of behavior you want to see at work.
Spread the good word. Go beyond spotlighting your employees’ achievements in the workplace by highlighting your high-performing staffers on social media, on your website or in your marketing materials. Choose an “Employee of the Month” and profile him or her on your website or in your email marketing newsletter.
Get Personal. Make employee rewards more meaningful by tailoring them to the recipient’s hobbies and interests. Get passes to a big game for a sports fan, or a gift card to a spa for a busy mom.
Offer flexibility. Thank your employees by treating them like trustworthy adults and not making them feel guilty if they need to take care of something personal during the workday. According to a study by FlexJobs, 74 percent of people want flexible work options so they can maintain a healthy work-life balance, and 82 percent of professionals say they would be more loyal to an employer if they had more flexible options. In an age when we all are juggling too many responsibilities and often taking our work with us wherever we go, employers who offer flexibility are more likely to attract and retain the best workers.
Encourage employees to give back. Thank your employees by encouraging them to volunteer in their community and paying them to do it. Some employers offer a specific number of paid hours per week for employees to volunteer, while others don’t question if a salaried employee is out of the office to attend a board meeting for an organization for whom they volunteer.
By showing your employees how much you value and appreciate them, you will improve your office morale, have happier employees who will want to work hard for you, and it will be easier to attract the best and brightest to work for you in the future. So this Thanksgiving and every day of the year, make sure the most important people in your business know how much they are appreciated and how thankful you are for them.