Employee Appreciation:
Six Ways to Appreciate Your Employees
How to celebrate your employees in the workplace
Today we celebrate National Employee Appreciation Day, a day dedicated to the employees of America. Falling on the first Friday of every March, employees everywhere are recognized and celebrated. OutSolve has identified six ways to show your appreciation to your team not just today, but consistently throughout the year:
1. Put appreciation on display – People appreciate being appreciated. Show your team you value their hard work by displaying thank you notes or employee shout outs around the office for everyone to see.
2. Plan an event – Your team may benefit from a change in scenery. Prepare a staff outing to a local landmark, facilitate a team volunteering effort, or simply bring the team outside for a relaxing picnic. To show OutSolve's commitment to the community and environment, OutSolve partnered with the NOLA Tree Project to plant trees in the community. This was a win-win event. The employees took pride in beautifying the neighborhood and the community benefited from the environmental advantages.
3. Feed them – Who doesn't like to be fed? Show your team you value their hard work by sponsoring a team lunch, and allow your team to vote on their preferred restaurant or food service.
4. Make custom trophies – Trophies are a great way to recognize an employee's effort. These can be found online and can be customized based on your industry. Taking the 'gold star sticker' to the next level, trophies can make an employee feel celebrated and will likely be displayed proudly in his or her office for years to come.
5. Facilitate a wellness activity – Invite a local yoga instructor or other fitness expert to facilitate a workout class for your team. Have a team member with a passion for fitness? Celebrate his or her talents, and request their input for a wellness initiative for the staff. Who doesn't love a good puppy cuddle? OutSolve partnered with Take Paws Rescue to bring puppies to the office. This was a welcomed stress-relieving surprise for employees.
6. Ask them - The goal of Employee Appreciation Day is to ensure your team members feel appreciated in the workplace. If you plan something they don't like, you may be missing the mark. Ask your team how they would like to be celebrated and use their input to ensure they feel valued.
Have additional ideas about employee appreciation? We'd love to hear them! Share a comment below and let us know your thoughts.