3 Employee Appreciation Ideas that Also Improve Productivity
February 11, 2020 | Staffing Blog
Giving your employees recognition is one of the main ways to keep them happy and motivated in their positions. In fact, Globoforce found that 78 percent of employees put more effort into their work when they’re better recognized.
This can be done in a variety of ways, and it’s important that you are strategic in the way you approach it. Knowing what your goals are for your staff gives them something to work toward in addition to your praise and acknowledgments, making the whole design a lot more rewarding for all parties. Keep the following in mind as you consider employee appreciation ideas for your team.
Creating Incentive the Right Way
It’s becoming increasingly important for workers these days to have something more to work for than just a paycheck. Of course, money is always received with great appreciation, but people want to go home feeling like they really did something meaningful with their day. Finding ways to provide that for them will, in turn, cause them to work even harder to reach those goals you set for them.
To ensure that you are getting the most out of this as well, make sure to:
1. Be Thoughtful about When You Reward
It can be easy to reward for too many things when you’re trying to give recognition to your employees. Get more specific about the things that earn them those points. If you give equal recognition to things, no matter how big or small, the reward will quickly become less sought after. Your staff will learn that they don’t have to work very hard for recognition, so they will have no reason to take that extra initiative.
Make up a plan for what gets rewarded, and designate small to large rewards depending on the effort. Some things to consider as you do so:
- Provide incentives based on the strategies and goals of your business.
- Determine what your small wins/rewards are in comparison with the big ones.
- Ensure you are encouraging everyone to continue to work as a team with friendly competition.
2. Include On-The-Job Perks
Yes, people love to work for those promotions and raises. However, that shouldn’t be the only thing that is motivating them to come to work every day. Providing daily perks are a surefire way to keep your employees excited to get out of bed in the morning and light on their feet as they leave at the end of the day. Some ideas of perks for your employees are:
- Giving memberships to a nearby gym.
- Access to a local pool during the summer.
- Birthday parties whenever one of those comes along.
- Holiday parties with little bonuses tucked into the cards.
- Yearly trips to nearby fun attractions (amusement parks or a sporting event).
3. Involve Your Team When Setting Goals
It’s one thing to know the goals you have for your company, but it’s also important to involve your team in these decisions as well. Considering employee’s experience in their jobs and looking through different sets of eyes can allow you to pinpoint ideas that may not have occurred to you. This also makes employees feel valued and listened to. The more you can incorporate each person’s perspective within daily incentives, the more people will be motivated to work together toward those goals. Though this reward is not a physical one, it is one of the best gifts you can give to your team as well as your company.
It All Starts with a Strong Team
While setting goals and providing rewards are great employee appreciation ideas, you still want to make sure you’re starting out with a strong team to build upon. Take a look at your staff and see where you can stand to fill in some gaps. Need help finding strong, dependable employees? Allegiance is here! Reach out to us today for assistance with any of your staffing needs.