It is in the nature of a human being to want to be appreciated by their peers, superiors and even their subordinates. You see, the ambition in terms of position is not always financially-determined or oriented. Sometimes, it’s also about the respect that comes with the position. However, if you could find a way to show this same level of respect without moving one vertically in your business structure, would the effect be the same (or at least similar)? This is just one of the many considerations that you have to make in order to make your employees feel appreciated. While still on this topic, here are five simple methods that you can use to make your employees feel appreciated at any given moment.
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Celebrate personal milestones
Celebrating a company anniversary is usually an event that lets everyone blow off some steam and spend time with their coworkers in a less formal environment. The problem with organizing such events too frequently lies in the fact that it’s an expensive concept. This is why most firms don’t celebrate personal milestones (like birthdays or work anniversaries), which is also a bad idea. You don’t have to throw a full-size corporate party for every single one of your employees, but taking one hour off and ordering some pizzas might be a nice gesture that you should at least consider.
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Pay attention to what they’re saying
The next thing you need to understand is the fact that when it comes to your employees, their voice counts even if you don’t agree with them. Just let them tell you what they think and if you don’t agree with them, try to be respectful when giving your counterarguments. Not appreciating someone can take many forms, but not paying attention to what the person’s telling you is the sign that’s the easiest to notice. By actively listening to your staff, you’ll already make them feel appreciated.
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Go for a gift
Previously, we talked about personal milestones and achievements. When this happens, it wouldn’t be that bad of an idea if you were to follow up with a gift, as well as a public appreciation act. Due to the fact that choosing a gift, especially for someone you know only professionally is difficult, it’s the gesture that counts. For this reason, going for gift cards as your tool of choice is more than a great idea. This way, the spotlight goes to you caring enough to give them a gift and not the gift itself, which is what you’ve aimed for from the start.
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Take their side
In previous decades, there was a misconception that the customer is always right and that whenever there’s a disagreement between a customer and a member of your own staff, you aren’t supposed to take the side of the latter. Of course, it’s more than clear why this kind of behavior would make your employees feel betrayed and underappreciated. Therefore, you need to start by shifting your mindset and realize that – no, the customer is not always right. Sure, a loss of a client may be bad for business but keep in mind that demoralizing your team to appease one angry client may be even worse.
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A career-based reward
The very phrase career-based reward may sound like we’re talking about promotion but this is not always the case. You see, sending an employee on a course, a seminar or an industry-related event where they can do some networking can be a worthy reward on its own. In this way, you’re not only giving them a chance to grow as professionals but also demonstrating that you count on them as an important asset within your organization.
Conclusion
The very last thing you need to take into consideration is the fact that a well-motivated team tends to show a peak in performance. You see, the sensation of being appreciated is bound to make your employees a lot happier in your employ and there are numerous studies suggesting that happy employees tend to be 12 percent more productive. This means that you get more than seeing the effectiveness of these methods, you even get to calculate their ROI. In other words, this is a clear win-win scenario, regardless of your standpoint.
