Did you know that in 2013, 23 percent of people who made work-related New Year’s resolutions vowed to look for another job? Almost one in four employees are determined to make a break for it in 2016, which may come as a surprise, but according to research conducted by TINYpulse, not even 33 percent of employees feel valued at work.
But rather than plan to ramp up hiring and backfill 23 percent of your organization, wouldn’t it make a lot more sense to implement new ways to help your employees/peers feel significant and valued during their day to day?
Yeah – we think so too! Below are some quick and easy tips to help improve employee recognition in the workplace:
- Hand-written thank you cards: Do hand-written thank you cards ever get old?
- Honor them at the next staff meeting: Instead of writing down your thank you, why not take the time to share your appreciation for the employee with his or her whole team?
- Ask them about their hobbies/weekend/family: But don’t do so to be nosey. Do it out of a genuine interest to get to know your employees
- Gift them something small: Think gift card or some movie tickets – or maybe their boss brings them coffee every day for a week?
- Let them dress casual for a day: Who doesn’t love being causal every now and then?
- Hand-written thank you cards to family members of the employee: Maybe your employee has been working late for several weeks in a row. Send a thank you card to his or her spouse, thanking them too.
- Feature him or her in a company newsletter: This is perfect for the introvert employee on your payroll.
- Cater in breakfast/lunch: They say the way to every employee’s heart is with a good meal!
- Perfect attendance prize: Maybe a $100 gift card or a weekend getaway!
- Wall of memories: Establish a recognition wall with pictures of people who have been recognized for going above and beyond
Recognizing your employees doesn’t have to be rocket science. Saying thank you and expressing your gratitude in a genuine and caring way go a long way to making employees feel valued. And valued employees are more likely to make New Year’s resolutions to improve their work performance instead of looking for a new job.
