It’s not unusual for employees to feel unappreciated by their employers and to believe that their hard work and their accomplishments go unnoticed. Getting passed over for a promotion, receiving no credit for the hard work you’ve performed, and being underpaid are some of the multiple ways that impact employee morale and can result in unhappiness with the company. What can employers do about this? Something as simple as saying “thank you” to employees can be a good start. Here are some other suggestions:
Employee of the Week
An employee of the week program gives each employee the opportunity for their efforts to be publicly recognized. Organizations can schedule an after-work function to acknowledge the contributions made by these employees. People selected for employee of the week could receive rewards such as gift baskets, gift cards, or even have their pictures put up on a bulletin board so their colleagues can recognize their achievements. How should employees of the week be chosen? Criteria could include punctuality, putting in extra work hours, etc.
Give Individualized Praise
An employer can express gratitude with an employee’s work in a more individualized manner by identifying the specific actions deemed praiseworthy. This type of personalized feedback demonstrates to employees that their employer takes the time to learn more about each of them and what they do.
Financial Incentives
Needless to say, employees greatly appreciate a bonus or some form of financial incentive. This displays an employer’s willingness to invest in his/her employees.