Let Your Employees Know You Appreciate Them!

More than 70% of employees don’t feel appreciated or valued by their employer. It’s a hidden problem with a big cost. A bit of gratitude goes a long way towards promoting employee satisfaction, company loyalty, and even job tenure. For hard-working and ambitious employees, nothing increases retention like opportunity. Employees who feel they can grow with your business don’t seek opportunities elsewhere, because they’re already reaching their potential with you.

Accounting Career Consultants has a few tips to let your employees know that you really do appreciate the work they do.

Words Really Do Go A Long Way
In too many workplaces, supervisors and managers don’t show employees that they even notice their performance and their individuality until something goes wrong. It really is the simple gestures that go a very long way with an employee. Make a point to tell a staff member when you appreciate something about the work that they’ve done. It truly makes a big impact on an employee. Praise people in meetings. Tell them how much you appreciate their work. Notice when they go the extra mile or when they’re doing work no one else wants to do. When sharing your appreciation with your employees, say more than just “thanks for your great work”. While hearing “thanks” feels nice, it loses its meaning if you hear “thanks for a great job” every day without receiving thanks for something specific. If you’re going to go through the motions of recognizing an employee, you might as well make it count. Be as specific as you can about the accomplishment that you want to recognize. Whether extra hours, getting an assignment done far in advance, or being a voice of reason in a meeting,  having something specific in mind shows the employee that you are paying attention to the good work they do.

By reminding your leaders to make a point of speaking or writing a one-sentence acknowledgment of their teams, you let your staff know that they’re valued, and you can cut down on the massive costs of turnover and recruiting.

Tangible and Intangible Appreciation
Gifts, cards, and public declarations say “thank you for what you’re doing.” In addition to giving your staff a verbal or written thank-you, give them something tangible to show your gratitude. While big monetary rewards are nice, you don’t need to be elaborate. A small gift card or a cup of coffee can be a greatly appreciated and unexpected treat.

New responsibilities also say “you’re good at what you’re doing and we believe you’re good at other things too.” Identify the people who you see meeting metrics, making a difference, working on integral projects, and just being there day in and day out. Start noticing the people who aren’t flashy or demanding. A consistent employee deserves the shining light of recognition.

Take Notice of Important Dates
Get to know employees so you know when birthdays or work anniversaries are coming up. Your HR team can be a great resource in identifying how long people have been at the company. Milestones are emotionally significant events in employees’ lives. Celebrate them.

Companies that can institute or instill in their leaders a rewards and recognition program, even if it’s simply a training to get leaders in the habit to say “thank you”, can expect to see their cultures transformed. It will improve retention rates, employee productivity, and heal broken cultures.

At Accounting Career Consultants we help you find the candidates with the right experience, qualifications, and personality for your business. Contact us to find out how we can help you!