One component that makes your organization successful is your employees. They are the ones who work hard and contribute to the success of the company.

However, many managers overlook this fact and fail to show appreciation for their employees’ efforts. This can be very detrimental in terms of employee retention and productivity.

According to a study by Great Place to Work, feeling appreciated is the primary motivator for employees to stay in their current job. This means if you want to retain your top performers, then make sure you do not forget about them.

Why Is Showing Appreciation to Your Employees Important in Today’s World?

There are several reasons why showing appreciation to your employees is essential.

Retention

It has been proven that people who feel appreciated stay longer at their jobs. A study conducted by Gallup found that those who felt appreciated were more likely to remain with their employers than those who did not.

Productivity

Another reason why it is important to appreciate your employees is that they will be more productive. This would allow them to perform better and achieve a better outcome for their work.

Employee Engagement

If you want to engage your employees, you should start by appreciating them. This would help you create a positive culture where everyone feels valued and acknowledged.

Better Team Building

When you appreciate your team members, you build trust among them. This helps you get better results when working together as a team.

Encourage More Motivation

Being appreciated by your boss can motivate you to perform well. You will become motivated to achieve great things because you know that your manager believes in you.

Boost Their Morale

Lastly, when you appreciate your employees, it will boost their morale.

You Can Make an Effort to Show Appreciation to Each Employee in Different Ways

Here are five ways how you can show appreciation to members of your team:

Recognize Their Efforts In Their Work

Unfortunately, many employers neglect to recognize their employees. As more and more employees today have become accustomed to receiving recognition from their bosses, most companies have stopped doing so for the sake of achieving the metrics for your company.

However, it is still important to recognize your employees every once in a while. Your employees work hard every day to achieve goals set by management. To motivate them further, it is vital to recognize them for all their achievements.

Recognizing your employees shows them that you care about them. It also gives them an opportunity to feel valued.

Pay Attention to Their Achievements

See what your employees have achieved in the past month. Do not just focus on the negative things but also look at the positive side as well.

When you pay attention to what your employees have done, it helps them feel recognized. Sometimes we tend only to see the bad in people while overlooking the good. When you notice your employees doing something good, acknowledge them, which brings you to the next point.

Give Them Praise

Praise is one of the best ways to motivate your employees. However, it is important to praise them so that it does not come across as fake.

Instead of praising them for being perfect, you should tell them how much you admire them for their efforts. If you want to give them a bonus, you should let them know beforehand so they can prepare themselves for it.

If you notice that one employee has been working really hard lately, then give them praise or a compliment. You could do this through small gestures like giving them a pat on the back or saying “good job” when they complete something.

Provide Them with Constructive Feedback

Sometimes, our managers may not always be aware of what our employees are doing right. So, it is important to let them know if there is anything right or wrong.

Feedback is essential because it allows your employees to know where they stand. For example, if you notice that one of your employees has problems with their performance, you should provide feedback, so they know what needs improvement.

This way, they can correct any mistakes before they become a problem. Also, this allows them to improve their skills and learn from their mistakes.

Let Them Know What You Value About Them

You may be wondering why we mentioned this tip. The reason is that this tip is closely related to the third point.

In order to show appreciation to your employees, you need to understand what they value about themselves. This will help you determine how you can show appreciation to them.

If you value certain things about your employees, let them know. For instance, if you value honesty, tell them how honest they were during a meeting. Or, if you value loyalty, let them know that you trust them.

Another example, if you notice that your employees are passionate about sports, then you can organize a basketball game or soccer match for them. Or, you can buy them tickets to watch their favourite team play.

This is also important as it lets them know what you expect from them. In addition, this makes them more willing to collaborate with you and do the tasks you ask them to do.

Reward Your Employees

Acknowledging employees is excellent, but sometimes, providing rewards would cheer them up even more.

Rewards can include gift cards, free time off, discounts, etc. It all depends on the type of reward that you choose.

Rewards are great because they motivate people to perform better. You can choose between monetary and non-monetary rewards. Monetary rewards include bonuses, raises, promotions, etc., while non-monetary prizes include praise, certificates, awards, etc.

For example, if an employee completes a task within a deadline, you can give them a gift card or some other related reward.

However, make sure that these rewards are not too extravagant. Otherwise, it might look like you are trying to bribe your employees.

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Remember, showing appreciation to your employees will help you keep your best workers. So, take time out of your busy schedule to recognize, appreciate, and reward them.

This way, you will have happy and motivated employees who will work harder for you.