Managing a team of people takes dedication, intuitiveness, and the ability to recognise employees for their hard work. For any company, employee appreciation is a must as it is one of the most direct ways to improve both morale and retention rates within a team. Here are five ways it can be done.
Hold Weekly Meetings
Weekly meetings are the perfect space to communicate all of the challenges and successes from the most recent days at work. This is the time to listen to employees, hear their concerns and achievements, and respond in a way that validates everything for every single person on the team. Managers and leaders that value the importance of strong communicative practices have better working relationships with their employees and staff who show up knowing that their role and input are valued.
Invest in Well-being
One role of leadership that is more important than ever, is to recognise and support employees who are struggling with their mental health. Protecting well-being can look like many things. One effective route is to ensure there is a link to support whenever and wherever it is needed. If an employee is struggling with some kind of mental health, give them a route through by providing a therapy service or a specific area for talking through their problems. Every employee should have access to support around financial troubles, relationship problems (for instance dealing with abuse), and grief services too.
Support Their Physical Health
Companies all over the world are tuning into the benefits of promoting healthy habits for their teams. This is partly because a healthier team is less likely to call in sick, and also because physical health directly dictates capacity and productivity or engagement. All of these things are highly significant to the bigger picture and the way a business is able to function. There could be subsidised gym benefit schemes or training about the best ways to support a busy mind and body.
Hold Specific Appreciation Nights
Something that will make everyone feel nurtured and seen is a regular company-wide external event like a meal at a great Italian restaurant in Islington, for example. There are loads of options to pick from, and you can even let the team decide where they may want to go. This kind of thing is especially important if there are any major achievements to celebrate, or for someone’s birthday or a special occasion like winning an award.
Make Your Own Awards Night
Even if the business is being nominated and selected for official awards and recognitions, there is nothing stopping you from doing just that for your employees. Let them know that their achievements count and focus on strengths as opposed to things like attendance. Make sure everyone is recognised in some way, and don’t be afraid to invite family and friends to really make it a significant moment in each employee’s life.
Showing employees that you appreciate their hard work is an essential thing in modern times. People burn out and work overtime so very often that it is the responsibility of the business leaders to know when to step in and look after their team.
