As many employees are re-evaluating their jobs and what truly matters to them, it’s essential that employers clearly and consistently communicate that their teams are appreciated. The benefits of showing appreciation are well-documented:
- Appreciation leads to increased retention. According to Gallup, the #1 reason most leave their job is due to lack of recognition. Moreover, Deloitte reports that organizations with defined recognition programs experience 31% lower voluntary turnover.
- Appreciation improves employee attitude and interpersonal culture. A survey from the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) reports that organizations with recognition programs experience nearly 29% lower frustration levels than those without structured programs.
- Appreciation fosters higher engagement and can lead to better performance and outcomes. According to SHRM, 79% of employees work harder due to workplace recognition.
The benefits of a defined employee recognition program are undeniable, but developing a program from the ground up can often feel insurmountable, especially for smaller teams. However, a defined recognition program doesn’t have to be complicated, or even cost money. Below are three easy-to-implement recognition tools that don’t need to cost the organization anything except some time to execute.
- Give employee shoutouts on social media
Public recognition of hard work can boost employee engagement and morale. Posting recognition on social media is one of the most public ways to praise team members. Along with giving shoutouts on the company’s social media profiles, giving employees recommendations on their LinkedIn profiles can be a powerful form of professional recognition.
2. Write a thank you card
Not everyone feels comfortable with public recognition, and some may rather not have their digital identity connected with their employer, so going back to basics may be the best option. A quick, hand-written thank you note highlighting a specific action or outcome the employee assisted with can go a long way. Personalizing the note with something specific to their contribution shows the employee that you’re paying attention and that their hard work is noticed.
3. Throw an employee appreciation day
An employee appreciation day doesn’t have to involve a costly offsite event or anything financially-intensive. It can be as simple as a team lunch, playing games, and taking a moment to individually thank team members for everything they do. If possible, speak with the team in the weeks leading up to the appreciation day and ask what sorts of activities they would like to do. Another approach that has been gaining more mainstream popularity is to hold a company-wide rest day, in which every employee has the day off without it affecting their allotted PTO.
These items are a powerful way to show appreciation and can be further enhanced with one simple, budget-friendly item — a gift card. When paired with a thank you note, or moment of recognition, gift cards are a great way to let employees treat themselves for their hard work. Digital platforms make offering gift card rewards easy, and the ability to select denominations as low as $5 means gift cards are a terrific budget-friendly way option. Incorporating these ideas as often as once a quarter or once every six months is an easy way to create a consistent cadence to show appreciation.
The Prizeout Perks platform is a terrific example of an easy-to-use and cost-effective platform that puts the power of rewards into the hands of employees. Prizeout Perks gives employees access to a curated marketplace with exclusive deals and promotions from top brands. When an employee receives a reward through Prizeout, they have the option to redeem the funds with the gift card(s) of their choice. Plus, there is no technical integration or connection to ancillary software required and no cost except for the money that goes directly to the employee.
Interested? Learn more about Prizeout Perks here.
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