Besides a nice paycheck, what motivates your team to work hard and deliver effective results? Employee recognition is one of the most important parts of your company. When an employee feels recognized, they feel like their work is positively contributing to the company’s bottom line. When employees feel recognized, they stick around. This means that your turnover rate is reduced. Employees who feel recognized are generally happier and, as a result, are more productive.
Here’s the kicker: a pay increase will not always show that meaning. We all think that employees want a raise, which is true; most of them do. But if we are talking about ways to make them feel recognized and ways to show them that the work they do matters, increased pay is not always the way to achieve that goal.
Here are eight simple ways to help employees find meaning at work:
Give them new opportunities
When an employee does the same thing on a day-to-day basis, it’s easy for them to become burnt out. When employees are introduced to new opportunities however, it excites them and shows them that they are trusted to handle other projects and tasks that are outside of their daily responsibilities.
Management should meet with team members to get a better understanding of their personal and professional goals. Management might find that several employees are interested in taking on more responsibility. By providing employees with new opportunities, you are showing them that they are respected, trusted and that you are invested in allowing them to grow with your company.
Be transparent
When employees do work that contributes to the bottom line, they want to know the outcome. Several workers complete projects and never hear of the outcome. They have no idea whether this project they spent so much time on made an impact or if it was ever even used. A way to make employees feel appreciated is to keep them in the loop and share with them how their work impacts the organization.
Allow employees to have a say in decisions
Several companies have a distinct separation of power between management and workers. This gap can lead to several problems within your organization that impact your overall company morale. By getting your team members involved with decision making, employees will understand that their ideas are an important contribution to the company.
Relate to Employees
Have you ever seen an office where executives have their own parking spot or maybe even employee’s part out of the way the second executives walk through the door? Employees oftentimes put executives on a pedestal because they hold important roles and make the big decisions in the company. As a leader, this is not the best environment to foster. In the past, It was easier for executives to look down on employees in smaller roles when those employees would make a mistake. However, times have changed, and that kind of environment can negatively affect a workplace. When employees are struggling or face a problem, think about the challenges you have overcome. Talk with your employees about how you have overcome those challenges in your career. This will show your team that you, too, have imperfections, and you most likely will help them overcome these challenges.
Show that you care about their lives outside of the office
Now, there is a fine line between personal life and office life. It's unnecessary to ask employees about every detail in their personal lives but you don’t want to completely ignore the fact that they have a life outside the office. When a team member celebrates an important milestone in their life, make them feel important! This could be a celebration of their birthday, marriage, new child, or a new home. This simple gesture is a way to show your team that you don’t only see them as a worker.
Have you ever seen an office where executives have their own parking spot or maybe even employee’s part out of the way the second executives walk through the door? Employees oftentimes put executives on a pedestal because they hold important roles and make the big decisions in the company. As a leader, this is not the best environment to foster. In the past, It was easier for executives to look down on employees in smaller roles when those employees would make a mistake. However, times have changed, and that kind of environment can negatively affect the workplace. When employees are struggling or face a problem, think about the challenges you have overcome. Talk with your employees about how you have overcome those challenges in your career. This will show your team that you, too, have imperfections, and you most likely will help them overcome these challenges.
Don’t forget the little things
The best part about making your team feel appreciated is that you don’t have to think long and hard about it, and you don’t have to spend a ton of money doing it. Little things such as sending words of encouragement go a long way. There is nothing like receiving an email from your manager that compliments you on a job well done. This is an effective way to show your employees that you acknowledge the work they do.
Make time for them
It’s difficult for team members to feel appreciated when those in leadership roles don’t have a few minutes in their day to chat with them. It is easy to get caught up in projects but if you set time aside to meet with employees, even if it's just once a month, employees will feel valued and respected. If you are able to make time to chat with employees, remember to remain genuine and appreciate the fact that they look forward to this time to meet with you.
Do things that set you apart
Being creative with employee perks is a way to show your team that you are not like any other employer, and you are truly invested in their life outside of the office. Employee perks don’t have to be costly, but it should show that you have considered ways to make their lives outside of work a bit more exciting.
A unique perk that will set you apart from the crowd is Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSA) LSA are an account-based benefit in which an employer allows employees to make specific types of purchases. Some of the most common costs that these accounts cover are things like gym memberships, fitness classes, nutritional coaching, or financial coaching. LSAs are intended to promote health and wellness in the workplace. LSAs are widely popular in other countries such as Canada and European countries. Several American companies have caught onto the trend of LSAs, but it still remains a unique perk.
If you are looking for a unique perk to set you apart from the crowd, LSAs are for you! LSAs are a great way to show your employees that they are an important part of your organization.
Want to learn more about LSAs? Try a free demo with Work2Live