8 ways to show employees they’re valued

birthdays

According to a recent BLS reports, Americans (25-54) spent nearly nine hours per day at work or doing work-related activities. And we’ve all heard that Americans spend more time working than any other developed country. Knowing this, it’s more important than ever for companies to keep finding ways to reward and recognize employees in ways that let them know they’re valued.

Above everything else, a company’s greatest asset is its people. From word of mouth to social media, your employees have the ability to shape brands and manage reputations, making it more important than ever to enhance workplace environments and employee engagement efforts.

And while a company may not be positioned to offer meditation getaways, state-of-the-art onsite gyms and big bonuses, there are still so many things that can be done to make sure your employees know they’re valued. In fact, several of these tips come at no hard cost at all and will leave your employees feeling valued – which is priceless.

  1. Listen to your employees. Create an environment that fosters conversation and dialog about the company, specific issues facing the company and smaller operational concerns. Allowing your employees to feel heard will go a long way in building a loyal team. Consider hosting town hall-like meetings, living the “open-door policy” and creating a way to employees to make suggestions for company improvement.
  2. Talk to your employees, too.  Ask about their weekend, their vacation plans, their interests or how they’d handle a particular work-related situation. The more you engage with your employees the more you’ll earn their respect (and the harder they’ll work). So, walk around, shoot the breeze and set aside time to connect. It’s simple and everyone wins.
  3. Understand their schedules and priorities. No two employees have the same life outside of work and the companies that understand that are the ones topping the aforementioned lists. If your business lends itself to perks like job sharing, flex schedules, compressed workweeks, wellness programs and onsite child care, then make it a priority to start discussing how your company can offer more.
  4. Pay your employees fairly. Not talking about compensation on this list would leave an elephant on your computer screen. This is simple: fairly compensate all employees for their contributions. If someone doesn’t have to worry about financial problems while in the office, then they’re more likely to focus on their work. So, to the extent that you can make that easier, please do so. And when possible, offer additional incentives and rewards to remind them that the company’s success is all because of their work.
  5. Allow them to shine. Your company is filled with experts who carry valuable product and industry knowledge. Find those exceptional employees and pitch them as thought leaders to business media, trade media and speaking opportunities. Not only will they feel recognized for their work, but awareness for your company also will be raised.
  6. Provide training. The best of the best invest in their people. Encourage and allow your employees to further their professional development by offering a stipend to attend classes and seminars, bring in speakers, coordinate lunch and learns, etc. Continual training keeps employees feeling sharp, smart and motivated.
  7. Empower everyone. Encourage employees to own their position on the team by asking them to bring you solutions rather than problems, make decisions (that can be made without greater discussions) and move projects forward. Micromanaging creates a dependent and sometimes toxic environment – avoid at all costs!
  8. Let them eat cake! Or wear jeans, host a happy hour, laugh or have a good time. We spend more than 40 hours together each week, companies should make that time as pleasant and comfortable as possible, without affecting work performance. So, allow a birthday celebration or a “just-because” celebration to go down. It’s worth it.

From this list, which act goes the farthest with you? Do you agree that the small things can make the big difference?

Lindsay O'Bar

Lindsay’s work focuses on community relations, internal communications and media relations for companies like Kroger, Virginia’s Community Colleges and the Virginia Department of Transportation. By marrying research and strategic thinking, she helps clients thoughtfully engage audiences and the community while driving business results.

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