Celebrate Your Employees - How To Communicate Employee Appreciation
When is the last time you felt appreciated or appropriately compensated for the work you're doing on a daily basis?
For some, I hope you say “I feel that way right now!” but for others… I have a feeling you might feel a little burned out, depleted, and underpaid.
Been there. I'm in the trenches with you too. I don't have a solve for alllllllllll the external factors we are facing – overloaded calendars, demanding inboxes, bills that never end, family obligations, etc, etc, etc – but I do know how hard it is to find a balance between working hard and not being burned out.
I also know how important it is to feel supported and appreciated despite the chaotic world around us.
ICYMI: Employee engagement, trust in organizations, and employee wellbeing has declined in the U.S. in 2022 (Gallup, April 2022). I’d be surprised if this wasn’t continually on the downfall in 2023 as inflation rises, layoffs continue to impact thousands of workers, and social/political turmoil seeps it’s way into business.
We can control how we treat other people.
And that matters a whole lot when it comes to collaborating with others the workplace. Employee Appreciation isn't just a dedicated social promo on the calendar (or another Hallmark holiday) – it can be done each and every day through small acts of communication. are struggling to find balance between working hard and not being burned out.
I don’t have all the answers but I wholeheartedly believe that within all the chaos of the market/economy/business, the people who you work most closely with on a daily basis, have the most impact on your success, your productivity, and your mental well being.
We never know what people are going through. We don’t know the type of morning someone had before they started work. And we don’t know what they are going home to after 5pm.
But we can control how we treat other people. And if we are spending 40+ hours a week with colleagues and clients, we sure as hell better know how to communicate with civility and respect so we can make our work lives just a little more bearable.
Enter → Employee Appreciation.
If you're not celebrating the people you work with, you're missing out on a huge opportunity to intentionally engage with your workforce.
A potential remedy? Appreciate your people. And then communicate it.
Effective communication can present itself in many forms and appreciation is one of the most simple, yet effective ways to cultivate a positive workplace culture.
And yet – I am consistently surprised at how many organizations miss the mark on celebrating their people.
Spoiler - you do not need to be in a leadership position to create a positive and healthy workplace environment. Be the change you want to see in your company!
And if you’re wondering HOW, you’ve come to the right place. Career Civility is here to help you communicate more effectively in the workplace and will always provide you with tactical and concrete tips and advice.
Let’s get started.
First and foremost - PLAN. Plan an Employee Celebration Program.
Plan to celebrate your employees. Plan for proper recognition. Plan for the financial investment this will require. If you’re a business owner, plan for employee recognition every year when you are doing your annual business plan. You’re already planning headcount and the number of people you need to hire right? Great, then make sure you’re also allocating a line item for the employee recognition/appreciation program.
Good news - I’ve done the work for you and I have put together an Employee Celebration Program.
Check out the FREE resource and start implementing it today!
And if you’re an individual contributor, plan to invest a little time and effort into celebrating the people you work with on a daily basis (ideas below).
Second, build in a PROCESS. As with all plans, you need a process to execute.
When someone starts at your organization, ask them when their birthday is and add it to your calendar
When in team meetings, 1:1s and emails, ask people “what are you looking forward to this month?”
Write it down
Send recognition
And lastly, EXECUTE. Start celebrating. Start recognizing.
Here are some ideas for the Employee Celebration Program in your own workplace:
Life events
Birthdays. Weddings. Buying a house. Buying a car. Graduations. Kids birthdays. Adoption. Becoming a parent. Retirement.
Accomplishments
Promotions. Big presentations. Side hustles. Hobbies outside of work. New clients/contracts. Hitting any kind of goal. Winning awards. Paying off debt.
Gratitude
At the end of the day we are all here to do a job. And the work can be hard. But gratitude can help highlight the hard work being done and give appropriate recognition.
Recognition can come in the forms of: hand written cards, gift cards, coffee, flowers, and simply a nice text/email/phone call.
Do not underestimate the power of a job well done. Communicate appreciation to your employees. All year round.
Civil Communication is the key ingredient to creating and fostering positive, inclusive and belonging organizations. Start celebrating your employees.
