Employee Appreciation Day is March 2nd and it’s the perfect time to show some gratitude and appreciation to the hardworking individuals in your office. Richard Branson once said, “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so that they don’t want to.” Here are a few ways that you can treat your employees well this Employee Appreciation Day:
Whether you take your employees out to a nearby restaurant or have lunch catered, they will appreciate the thoughtfulness of your providing them with lunch. Entrepeneur.com boasts that employers see 150% ROI (Return on Investment) when they provide lunch as a perk to their team. This figure is so high because providing lunch for your employees offers the double benefit of making employees feel appreciated and also increases productivity by boosting energy levels. Although providing lunch for the whole company is not cheap the benefits outweigh the cost. Happier, more productive employees are the result of showing appreciation and gratitude.
After sitting at their desks all day your employees may appreciate a fun, physical activity to do together. Getting your employees moving whether this activity is bowling, skating, golf, or go-carts, anything that gives your employees a little break from all the hard work they do will show that you appreciate all the hard work that they do and let them know that you believe they need a mental break. Jenn Hyman, founder of Rent the Runway, states “We’ve found that team members often get their best ideas when they’re out of the office with time to breathe and have fun.” Not only will your employees be appreciative of the breather, but they may also become more productive employees as a result of the time away from the office.
With the Winter Olympics coming to a close this past week, the Olympics are still fresh on everyone’s minds. Hosting your office Olympics is a fun way to get everyone moving and working together. Creator provides some great ideas for how to keep your Office Olympics organized and fun for everyone. You will need to create a list of events, such as desk chair soccer or rubber band javelin, split up your office into teams, perhaps by department, keep score, have a selection of prizes, but overall keep the spirit of teamwork and comradery alive. Letting your office turn into a center for play and games for the day will remind your employees that they are working for an awesome company that puts their employee's well-being first.
With Employee Appreciation Day coming up now is a great time to implement a rewards system into your company culture to provide a platform to continuously show your employees that you care and appreciate their hard work year-round. Rewardian offers the opportunity to provide your employees with recognition on a platform that the whole company utilizes and can recognize their peers for a job well done on different projects. O.C. Tanner suggests that by implementing gratitude into company culture, employees are more willing to spread their positive feelings to others.
You invest so much time into your employees already, the magic happens when you let it show. One way to show your employees that you appreciate them is by hosting a happy hour. Having a successful happy hour for your office is more than just sitting down some adult beverages and snacks, it requires carefully cultivated planning. Make sure that the happy hour that is planned works around everyone’s projects so as not to interfere and keep them distracted for the kind gesture you have set out as a symbol of your gratitude. Perhaps provide some board games for entertainment and an icebreaker to your employees so there is no awkward standing around and small talk. Not only will your office happy hour serve as a tool to show your employees your appreciation, but it can also help bond your employees.
Harvard health studies show that employees who received a message of gratitude at least once throughout the day were at least 50% more productive than those who received no recognition. Employees who receive recognition and gratitude for a job well done are generally happier and more productive, therefore creating a better work environment. Emergenetics.com suggests that employee recognition and appreciation can create a unique company culture and strengthen employee relationships. The result of employees who feel appreciated is a thriving, more productive company.