How to Show Your Employees You Value Them
You know that feeling when someone really appreciates you for who you are?
We can all improve our workplaces by showing our team members that we value them highly. It’s not rocket science, but it’s a step in the right direction for those who want to develop an even healthier work environment.
By the end of this article, you’ll know how to make your employees FEEL like they’re part of an AMAZING COMMUNITY and that YOU care about them.
The inevitable changes
When we think about the inevitable changes in our lives and the idea of everyone being replaceable, it’s difficult to stay optimistic and motivated. This was especially true in the past two years. There was a massive disconnect between the employees, managers, and the company.
People felt a lack of appreciation and understanding. They were right to feel that way. How could you even know what someone else is feeling when you don’t see them?
Yes, we continued our work from home and tried to stay as productive as we were in the office. That work became another routine and turned into a repetitive habit. Wake up, eat, sit in front of the computer, eat, take a break, care for kids learning from home, and other things that brought us to question our future.
This resulted in a massive dissatisfaction among employees, who became unhappy with their roles over time. Eventually, they started looking elsewhere for meaningful work.
Florida State University conducted a comprehensive study to analyze the reasons why dissatisfied employees leave their jobs. They surveyed over 700 people who work in a variety of jobs about their opinions of supervisor treatment on the job. The survey revealed that most of the time, employees leave managers, not companies.
Employee turnover is an enormous challenge for companies of all sizes and, as leaders, we need to truly dedicate time to make our employees feel appreciated. While there are countless ways to make people feel valued, I handpicked 6 effective ways that you can start using TODAY!
Create new opportunities
I always remember early days of my hospitality career when I think about creating opportunities. While I started in the facilities management, I quickly developed an interest in the rooms division department. Thankfully, the company leadership didn’t restrict learning and development, and soon after, I transitioned to the management of the rooms division.
Give employees opportunities to learn about different areas of your business so they can grow with it. If they’re curious about another department or a team, enable them to experience it by working on a cross-department collaboration. It enables people to develop their own career ladder and increases the role mobility within your company.
Regularly connect with remote workers
One of the first things I started missing when the pandemic forced us to work remotely was the conversations I had with people in the workplace. I had a habit of having regular talks with people in different departments. All that was gone overnight.
In the hybrid workplace, it’s crucial to maintain conversations among people in your company. We should do this on all levels and across teams and departments. I don’t mean you will talk with everyone, but make sure to find time to connect, even if it’s on a weekly basis.
Spread that habit to everyone in the company. It’s not just about leaders connecting with people. It’s about PEOPLE CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE. You can also organize bi-weekly get-togethers online, where people can share their thoughts with others. Whatever you choose to do, regularly connect with people.
Get consistent feedback
I love listening to people and their feedback. I found that the more I listened, the more I learned. Remember, you need to actively listen to your people. That is just the first step. It’s crucial to acknowledge the feedback, and then act on it. This points out that you are open to new ideas and shows that you respect people’s opinions.
Feedback and open dialogue are vital to the success of any company. By listening, you allow your employees a venue for sharing their thoughts on how the company could improve or do things differently.
This may lead them towards creative solutions that will benefit not only themselves but also others within the organization. It ultimately results in giving people a sense of purpose which can help improve morale and promote a healthy work culture.
Provide challenges frequently
It’s way too easy to get stuck in the daily grind, where the routines become something you just have to do. Check emails, respond to them, finish the report, send it, and so on. You get it.
It’s crucial that as leaders, we find new ways of challenging our employees. You can develop a new project that will be suitable for them, or that will push their boundaries of knowledge. This way, you will put trust in the abilities and develop a growth mindset culture at the same time.
It will also create a meaningful workplace where people will feel responsible for their own development, with your support.
Prioritize work-life harmony
Many years ago, when I first ran into the term work-life balance, it was puzzling me. Whenever you try to balance work and life, one suffers over the other. Why should you balance work with life? Isn’t work a part of your life? Why not develop harmony between the two?
Even before the pandemic, this was a crucial part of a healthy workplace. Now, more than ever, we need to help our people avoid burnout, reduce stress, and find true harmony in life.
You can harmonize work and life by promoting health and wellness programs across the company and offer wellness days. You can also establish flexible working hours, where applicable, and have well-paid time off options.
Celebrate important dates
I still remember like it was yesterday, a group of our team members carrying a small cake, with Happy Birthday note written on it. Everyone would gather around the person celebrating their birthday and sign a short song. It was such a cheerful moment. I miss those moments.
This doesn’t apply only for birthdays. It may be a work anniversary, or a project completion or milestone. I know what you’re going to tell me. How can we do this in a hybrid workplace?
It doesn’t always have to be a cake or a meal. It could be a company-wide announcement, an extra day off, or a gift certificate. You can get really creative with this. These rewards will make them feel valued and improve the overall morale of the entire company.
You can help make your employees feel valued
To create a work environment that allows for both productivity and wellness, you need to make sure your employees feel appreciated.
You can do this by celebrating important dates, providing challenges frequently and giving consistent feedback so that your people know what’s expected of them at all times.
What are some other ways you show appreciation at work? How do you make your employees feel valued? Let me know in the comment section.
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