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Making Your Employees Feel Important

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Employees|Making Your Employees Feel ImportantThere are few things in life that will make someone better than knowing that they are important. Most people like the idea of being important to those around them, and this can be especially crucial when it comes to the world of work. Of course, each and every one of your employees provides an invaluable service to your company, but this isn’t something that a lot of employers express. To help you out with this, this article will be exploring some of the best ways to show your employees that you wouldn’t be able to do what you do without them.

The Impact Of Their Work

It can be hard for an employee to see the impact of their work, especially when they aren’t doing a job that involves working with money. This is something you can solve by simply showing them the results of their work, with regular meetings to discuss the state of the business and the work that is driving it forwards. Of course, you may have to keep some things secret, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t give your team members a glimpse at the success of their work.

Praise & Rewards

Many employers fail to take the time to talk to their team members. You need to make sure that you are praising the people who work for you, letting them know that you are grateful that they are working hard. Some bosses will also include rewards along with this. This effort will always help to incentivize harder work, pushing your employees to do even more to help your business to succeed. Of course, though, you need to make sure that this feels sincere.

A Good Working Environment

Many people in the modern world have to work in environments that don’t inspire a sense of importance. While you may not be able to give everyone their own office, you should make sure that their workspace is comfortable, personal, and filled with things that they like. Alongside this, you should also make sure that their work outside your business will also make them feel important. Options like a limousine company can help you with this.

Promotions & Progression

No one likes the idea of doing a job that will never have the potential to change or improve. Promotions are common in the modern world, but you also need to make sure that your employees can progress and improve their current roles. Personal development plans are great for this, though you should also consider the idea of advancing their training to ensure that they are always moving forwards.

Feeling important at work is crucial to your employee’s happiness. Many people lack this in their jobs, and this can make working feel very unsatisfying. Of course, though, you can’t do this at the expense of honesty and discipline, making it extremely vital that you balance this out and ensure that your team is always working to improve itself.

How To Thank Your Employees

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Employees|How To Thank Your EmployeesWhere would you – and your business – be without your hard-working employees? If it would be impossible to run your business without them, if you’re happy you have them, if they are the ones making the engine run, so to speak, then it’s a good idea to let them know and to thank them once in a while. Employees who know their bosses appreciate them and the work they do are much more likely to stay loyal, and they will be more productive, going above and beyond what would typically be expected of them. So it makes sense to thank you for a number of reasons. Here are some ways to do it.

A Thoughtful Gift

Getting someone a personal gift to say thank you is one of the best things you can do, but you need to ensure you get it right, or it could turn into a big mistake. Rather than generic flowers or chocolate, if you’re going to give a gift that shows how much you truly appreciate someone who works for you, it should be something personal to them. This means you need to know them well, or at least know their interests and passions outside of work. You might, for example, buy restaurant vouchers so that an employee can eat at a restaurant they’ve always wanted to go to, or you could find an autograph or other piece of memorabilia of their favorite movie star. The list goes on.

Get this right, and it’s an impressive feat that won’t go unnoticed. Get it wrong, and it will be a waste of money, and your employee will feel embarrassed. They might even decide that they need to look elsewhere for work as you don’t know them at all.

Do Up Their Workspace

Something you will know for sure about each and every one of your employees is where they work. You’ll know what their office looks like, you’ll know what the cafeteria is like, you’ll know what the outside spaces are like. If you really want to thank someone – or an entire team – making these spaces look and feel better is a great way to show how appreciative you are.

For an individual, a new office chair or computer, or even moving them from a small office into a large one might work well. For the whole team, organizing a renovation of the office itself or installing aluminum patio cover kits outside so they have a place to go to get some fresh air all year round are great ideas; there are many more.

Write Them A Recommendation

Although writing your employees a recommendation might make it seem as though you’re encouraging them to look elsewhere for work, the fact that you’ve done it – and perhaps posted it publicly on a site like LinkedIn – often has the opposite effect, and your employees will be more likely to stay with you.

A good recommendation is a great way to say thank you. It’s personal, it tells them exactly what you thought of the work they did, and it will make them want to do more to receive even better praise.

Employees Spill The Beans On What They Really Want From Their Employers

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article |What employees want|Employees Spill The Beans On What They Really Want From Their EmployersIf you think employees just want a paycheck at the end of the month, you’re sadly mistaken. Fortunately, (or unfortunately, depending on your perspective), they need a lot more than that.

In the past, business culture was very different. Companies pretty much told their employees what to do, and they got on with it, without really asking any serious questions. But with falling unemployment and changing expectations, that’s all gone out the window. Now firms have to give their employees many reasons to stay. Otherwise, they’ll look for opportunities elsewhere.

You can listen to consultants all day long, telling you what you should do to reduce employee turnover. But the easiest way to encourage people to stay is to ask them yourself.

When you do, here’s what they say:

Opportunities For Progression

Money today is great. But employees also want the promise of more money in the future. Often, this idea is more compelling than receiving a bonus in the here and now. People want to feel like their lives are going somewhere. They don’t want to get stuck on an eternal treadmill, doing the same things every day, without end. They need a sense that they’re progressing. They want recognition in their communities.

If you want to keep employees, therefore, you should create an explicit schedule for their careers. Make it clear what you expect from them and then make opportunities available once they gain sufficient experience and expertise.

Recognition For Their Work

Some people work for money and nothing else. But a lot of people feel like they’re part of a large social enterprise and expect recognition from their superiors. For them, work isn’t just a means of making money or achieving goals. It’s also about getting some much-needed affirmation.

If you’re a natural boss, you may struggle to see the importance of this. They already get paid, so why do they also need parenting? It seems weird. Sometimes, though, you have to ignore your instinct and spend a bit of time telling your employees you appreciate them. It’s the equivalent of the teacher giving the student a gold star.

StrategyDriven Talent Management Article |What employees want|Employees Spill The Beans On What They Really Want From Their EmployersShow Them You Appreciate Them

Paychecks are great. But ultimately, they lose their appeal. Sometimes, they can become a source of resentment. Employees often come to believe that you’re giving them too little for the work they do.

Corporate gifts for employees, however, can sweeten the deal somewhat. With these, you can show your appreciation without having to go through the rigmarole of a salary renegotiation. For workers, it feels like Christmas.

Offer Flexible Hours

If there’s one thing that workers want more than anything, it is freedom over how they use their time. Not everyone wants to be in the office on weekdays. Some people find it more convenient to come in on the weekend and get their work done then.

Create a system that allows people to work flexibly, where possible. You could allocate a certain number of flexi-hours per week if you need colleagues to be in the office together at certain times.

How to Show Appreciation to Employees for a Job Well Done

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |show appreciation |How to Show Appreciation to Employees for a Job Well DoneIt’s easy for bosses to take their employees for granted. Yet there are consequences if you do it all the time. One survey found that 66 percent of employees would leave a job if they didn’t feel appreciated.

Telling someone you appreciate them is one thing. But you have to show appreciation as well. Everyone likes to know they matter.

Employee appreciation week is a good start, but you should show appreciation all year long. Read on for four staff appreciation ideas that will boost morale at the office.

Buy Them Food

This is a basic method of staff appreciation. In fact, it’s so basic it can be easy to overlook.

Bring in a catered lunch on days where the workload is big and the deadlines are coming up fast. It’s a reminder that you see your employees as people, not just cogs in a productivity machine.

If you can, give them a few minutes to actually enjoy the food as well. If someone wants to eat at their desk, that’s fine. But it’s always nice to say, “The work can wait.”

Don’t Micromanage Their Time

Speaking of time, try not to be an obsessive bean-counter. Yes, that’s true even if you’re in an office full of accountants. If someone comes in five minutes late on a Monday, don’t scold them.

Now, if they come in an hour late, it’s fair to ask if something’s wrong. That’s especially true if they don’t call or text first.

But a significant part of employee appreciation is trusting adults to act like adults. You’re managing an office, not a daycare.

Don’t assume people are irresponsible or untrustworthy. As long as they’re getting the work done, it shouldn’t matter as much when they arrive or leave.

Allow Office Dogs

Pet ownership has a clear connection to better heart health. Yet not everyone has an apartment or house suitable for a pet. Other people might want dogs, but not want to leave them at home all day.

You can help out both groups by inviting dogs into the office. If a dog is well-behaved, there’s no reason why it can’t join its person at work.

Again, this is a way to show staff appreciation by reminding people that work is not the be-all and end-all of their existence. Encourage them to spend their break time petting dogs. Both the employees and the dogs will be better off for it.

Dogs are a gift for everyone. Check out gift ideas from Bonusly for more.

Remote Work Days

As remote working becomes more common, you’ll have a choice: Allow it or continue insisting everyone is in the office 40 hours a week.

The best businesses will offer more flexibility. You can start by offering remote work days every Wednesday, for instance. If that goes well, you can add more remote work options.

Not everyone will want to work remotely, and that’s fine. But it’s a good option for people who feel more productive in their home office.

How to Show Appreciation to Employees

Figuring out how to show appreciation to employees may feel awkward, at least at first. Yet that’s no reason not to try. The more you do it, the better you’ll get at it.

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