What if we say we know a secret weapon to reduce employee turnover?
A CareerBuilder survey found that 50% of employees would stay if recognized tangibly. Another survey found that 40% of “not significantly recognized” employees will not exceed their formal responsibilities to get the job done.
So how do you show employee appreciation? We have 37 ideas to choose from:
1. Plan to recognize your team.
This blog post should help you come up with ideas, but until you estimate the plans and understand how to execute them, nothing happens. The first way to show how much you value your team is to create a workable plan for what you will do and when you will do it.
Read this list. You don’t have to apply all the tips, but pick a few that you’re good at and that your team can take seriously. Some are easier to implement than others, but they all bring their results.
2. Celebrate happy birthdays.
If your team doesn’t mind (some might want to go unnoticed on their birthdays), celebrate their birthdays!
Eat or order a cake so everyone can come to the office. Offer the employee a vacation, which he can use in the future whenever he wants. Give them a day off from sales. Birthdays are for gifts; what would your team appreciate most?
3. Greetings from colleagues.
Let your team be valued. Employees know more than you think about their day-to-day work. Give them a chance to talk about the positive things people do to get their attention, as well as everyone else’s.
4. Ask your employees what they want.
Research your team. Ask them what they want from you, and at the same time show that you appreciate it. You can be amazed at the results and reward your team with something they appreciate.
5. Hold a trophy.
In professional sport, the great champion’s trophies travel year after year. Create some kind of trophy (a real trophy or something better) that is recognized as a symbol of team appreciation and pass it on in the workplace to team members who have achieved something good.
6. Show your appreciation.
Show that you value your team by extending it beyond internal recognition. Inform your customers through boards or social networks. Take a picture, tell them how much you appreciate what your team has done and how they received this award.
7. Track team victories.
Consider how nonprofits use a thermometer or other visual device to indicate the gradual increase in giving as they reach a goal. Whether you’re using a truly visual approach or keeping everyone informed about regular meetings, you can do the same.
What are the goals of the different teams? A little friendly competition is good, and if your team continues to achieve a certain goal, you can not only congratulate them on their hard work but also encourage them to receive a reward for the team that comes first.
8. Reward your staff based on individual interests.
Do you know what “thank you,” says well? Show appreciation in a way that is unique to each person. Of course, a standard type of general reward works (and is necessary) in some situations, but if you want to show how much you appreciate someone, this is the best way to find out what they want, what they like about the interest in their hobbies, or whatever else they want.
9. Thank you letters didn’t die.
A real piece of paper telling a team member you appreciate them and thanking them for their work can help a lot in the digital world. Whether it’s a simple post-it note or a real or certified business card (try our free employee certificate generator) on your locker door, try to break the old use of thank you cards.
10. Give employees the right choice and the right voice.
Appreciation is not just a game and a reward system. It has to be integrated into your culture. One way to do this is to give your employees the right choices and the right numbers.
Can your team choose which projects to work on or do they always have homework? Do you listen to their ideas or concerns and act on them, or do you listen to them but forget about them, or do you throw them away and just move on?
Sincere appreciation is the key. You can give a team member a gift card for their birthday, but if they worry about you repeatedly and you’ve never tried to do anything about it, the gift card will be empty.