Taking the time to show appreciation for your employees is not something you should take lightly. It may seem like an optional feel-good practice, but it has a direct effect on employee motivation and productivity.
According to a survey by Nectar, 83.6% of employees feel recognition affects their motivation to succeed at work. Another 77.9% said that they would be more productive if they were recognized more frequently.
Also, 71% of employees said they would be less likely to leave their organization if they were recognized more frequently.
The Psychology of Meaningful Appreciation
There is no one universal method to express appreciation to your employees. While one gesture may mean the world to some employees, for others, it can come across as thoughtless with little intention behind it.
This is why it’s critical to utilize various methods to express your gratitude and ensure it comes across as meaningful to your team members.
Consider the personality types on your team. If you aren’t certain where some team members fall, you can always conduct company-wide personality tests to get a better understanding of how your people think, act and feel.
For extroverted employees, public recognition and group activities can mean a lot to them, while more introverted employees may prefer quiet rewards like additional PTO or handwritten notes.
Providing your ambitious go-getters opportunities for advancement as well as bonuses for reaching goals is a good form of recognition for them. Steady veteran employees who have been with the company for years may not want to move up in the company, but giving them thoughtful anniversary gifts and acknowledging their years of service can go a long way.
The Five Languages of Appreciation
One way to think about expressing appreciation is through the lens of the five love languages. While most assume this concept is reserved solely for romantic relationships, it can be modified to function in the workplace as well.
Understanding how a person gives and receives appreciation helps your efforts be more impactful. If you don’t know which language your team members are, simply ask them when they feel the most supported and appreciated.
The five languages of appreciation include:
Words of Affirmation: This includes positive feedback, thoughtful notes, encouragement or other forms of verbal praise. For detail-oriented employees, you can highlight specific aspects of their work that impressed you. If you have a team member branching out into a new role, encouraging them can help boost their confidence.
An example of words of affirmation in action is at Myatt Landscaping & Construction, based in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, where the owner, Scott Myatt, thanks every employee as they return to the shop in the afternoon.
“I don’t think there’s been one day where either Scott or his brother Todd or his dad Ronnie have not said thank you to me,” says Misty Gil, recruiting specialist and company ambassador for the company.
Quality Time: This can include one-on-one mentoring, taking your team out to a nice lunch or dinner, or conducting team-building activities.
Green Lawn Fertilizing/Green Pest Solutions, based in West Chester, Pennsylvania, shows appreciate to their employees via quality time by hosting company parties. These events include everything from bowling to visiting Hershey Park.
“It’s just to show our appreciation for how hard everybody works for Green Lawn and Green Pest,” says Alex Wolfington, SVP of business development for Green Lawn Fertilizing. “It means a lot to us with what they do every day for us, and we like to give back to them. The culture of our company is taking care of our employees, and then, in turn, our employees will take care of our customers.”
Gifts: Tangible gifts can include a gift card to an employee’s favorite restaurant, a turkey or ham on holidays or other personalized tokens of appreciation. It can be easy to just give employees some extra cash, but taking the time to select something specific to their interests will help them feel seen and valued.
For instance, GreenSweep LLC, based in Silver Spring, Maryland, has new hires fill out a questionnaire with their favorite things, so they can provide a goodie bag of these favorite items on their first day. Having this information on file will make it easier for you to give thoughtful treats throughout the year without having to guess.
Acts of Service: These are ways you help your staff, which could include stepping in to help them finish a job, removing a task from an employee’s plate that they struggle with or ensuring they have all the tools necessary to be successful.
For instance, Local Roots Landscaping, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, will consider adding new pieces of equipment if it will eliminate a grueling task for their team and make their work more enjoyable.
“We’re seeing a large range of people saying, ‘I’m just so thankful that I can feel proud of my work, and I can actually feel very refreshed after work doing it,’” says Patrick Murray, managing partner of Local Roots.
Physical Touch: In the workplace, physical touch is the trickiest language of appreciation to apply as you don’t want to cross anyone’s personal boundaries. Appropriate forms of physical touch include handshakes, high fives, pats on the back and fist bumps.
This form of appreciation should be supplemented by the other languages of appreciation.
Pitfalls to Avoid
It can be easy to be caught up in the business and push towards your next goal, but always take the time to celebrate your team’s successes. Make sure you are thanking and recognizing your employees regularly as only sporadically showing you care can seem insincere.
While monetary rewards can be well-received, make sure to balance these incentives with more personalized touches specific to your team’s preferences.
As your team grows, it will fall on your managers to execute the more personal forms of appreciation as it will become much harder for you to get to know every person in your organization at a deep level. Hold your leaders accountable to continue the practice of showing appreciation often.
