According to the U. S. Department of Labor, employees who voluntarily leave a job often cite lack of appreciation as a primary reason for exiting. Whether you’re in-office, hybrid, or remote, showing staff appreciation and gratitude is a powerful leadership habit.
Written Words
Texts, emails, and apps, are great workplace communication tools. They are also a convenient place to express real-time appreciation. These personal messages come across as authentic and meaningful (and if done on a team channel can inspire others to look for the good and congratulate each other). You can also use your company’s social media to show your appreciation by posting a picture and caption about a job well done. And although it may be a little more work, don’t neglect the power of an old-fashioned, handwritten thank-you note.
Spoken Words
Sometimes the best communication happens when you pick up the phone and talk to someone. Don’t let a work problem always be the driving force behind a phone call. Call to express appreciation for the work done on a project. Use team meetings and staff meetings to share kudos and acknowledge impactful contributions to the organization. Seeing that work is valued and appreciated in your organization will inspire others to make their own contributions and create a culture of calling out good work.
Acts of Service
Never underestimate the “little things” when looking for ways to show staff appreciation. Offer to have the call in your employee’s time zone instead of yours. Connect your remote employees with home office staff to handle some of the routine tasks, such as booking plane tickets. Avoid scheduling meetings before 9:30 am if you know a team member has daycare drop off and can’t make it in until 9am. Arrange for some coveted mentoring or training. Think about ways to make your staffs’ lives a little easier to show appreciation—the bonus: it allows them to do their best work.
Quality Time
At the beginning of a project, arrange a conference (whether in-person or remote) to introduce all those involved in the project. Explain the project AND leave time for informal conversation. Then, when the web developer is waiting on information from the copy editor, communication will likely go more smoothly. Another way to connect your employees is to have a “hackathon” to get the job done. You could arrange a common location for the event, or your team could work with an open video link. If you order pizza for the group at the office, be sure to send a pizza gift card to the remote employees, as well!
Gifts
Some people enjoy appreciation expressed through gift giving. Find out about your employees’ favorite restaurants. Send a restaurant gift card with a thank you note. If your company has quality swag, such as branded coffee thermoses or the latest outdoor wear, send a sample to your freelancers, too. Gift giving doesn’t have to come at a high cost to you. Give credit to your employees through a byline. Acknowledge staff on your website. If you give out Christmas bonuses, don’t forget the freelancer who gave you six months of work earlier in the year.
Gratitude is always in style. Show staff appreciation beyond a thank you with words and actions. Appreciation is contagious, and the ripples will be felt in your business and beyond.
Need additional inspiration, check out the following resources:
- https://www.appreciationatwork.com/blog/show-appreciation-managing-remote-workers/
- https://wheniwork.com/blog/37-employee-appreciation-ideas/
- The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace. By Gary Chapman and Paul White. 2011