Creating a Culture of Appreciation in the Workplace

Almost half of the employees leave their jobs because of not getting adequate recognition for the work that they are doing. Knowing how much time an employee spends at work, it’s time to rethink the employee-employer dynamic and make sure that things are healthy on both sides. Simply handing out a paycheck at the end of the month isn’t working anymore, what matters is making employers feel good about the work they are doing. 

If you only appreciate your employees on schedule, one day a year, your company and even your community is missing out on a big opportunity. There are many compounding benefits that can arise from employees feeling seen, heard, and valued, however, you must create a culture of continuous appreciation. 

While pizza parties are awesome, they are simply not enough to do this. Cultivating a culture of appreciation is about valuing your employees as human beings, while also acknowledging their positive effects on the company and their intention to grow and make a difference. Even when they fail. 

What are the benefits of building a work culture of appreciation?

A positive workplace culture built on appreciation can give you the following benefits at your company:

Boosts morale and overall employee satisfaction.

Having a positive company culture will lift morale simply because coworkers will make encouragement the norm. 

Improves recruiting efforts.

When your employees are happy about their job, they will talk about it and will be happy to give out referrals whenever there is an open position. 

Decreases stress levels and absenteeism.

Having a company culture based around appreciation will help reduce tension within the workplace and it also motivates individuals to show up and do their jobs with a passion. 

Raises employee retention rates.

Highly satisfied employees will stay at their jobs for longer. Having stability along with the right amount of variation while making room for personal growth and development is the winning combination. 

Increases employee productivity. 

Happy employees will want to keep their jobs and understand the connection between productivity and the ability to protect their livelihood while at the same time supporting the health of the company. 

Ways to Build a Culture of Appreciation at Your Workplace

So, where can you start? These are some principles and ideas that you can implement to build up a foundation of workplace appreciation.

Create a Recognition Program

Employee recognition programs are meant to reward employees for their achievements, milestones, positive behavior and actions, and other big actions such as anniversaries or promotions. These are incentive-based programs that appreciate and recognize every team member’s best efforts. In most cases, workplace recognition programs are used with rewards so they don’t end up being just hollow praise. 

Employee recognition programs also help to drive up engagement levels, because it is in our human nature to want our work to be recognized and rewarded. One unexpected benefit that can come from implementing a recognition program is how they boost customer service and satisfaction. Employees who are happy to be at work also transfer that good energy to customers and clients. 

Acknowledge Employee Milestones

Recognizing important employee milestones is critical. While you might sincerely care about your employees, they can take your silence in a negative way. If you do not explicitly celebrate their big moments, then they will definitely take note.

Acknowledging big employee milestones is one of the easiest things you could do towards building a culture of appreciation and increasing employee engagement. Building strong relationships is the backbone to having a successful organization, and it is such an easy way to show that you care.

Acknowledging milestones gives other coworkers a chance to encourage each other. Whether it be for a promotion, a work anniversary, getting a new certification, or reaching certain key performance metrics, you can make the occasion special with gift cards, time off, or a special award. 

Use Spot Bonuses

Spot bonuses can be extremely important when you are trying to create a culture of appreciation. This type of reward is something small that can either be a monetary reward or giving out points in a reward system to be cashed out later on. Spot bonuses are used to create a sense of spontaneity in the workplace and a feeling that good things can occur at any given moment. 

Celebrate Wins Both Big or Small

Morale is what keeps a business alive. People’s feelings towards their work is just as important as the work itself. This is why you should always take the opportunity to celebrate wins big or small. Celebrate employees’ big wins and great work with big rewards. This helps to break up the monotony of work and create a positive work environment, so that workers are able to return with increased focus, intensity and passion. 

On the other hand, celebrating small wins at work will help improve appreciation within the workplace on the daily. After all, it’s nice to be encouraged along the journey, rather than only once you get to the destination. 

Celebrating wins helps to reinforce good habits and is a great way to convey that you care as an employer. It’s also a good opportunity to get creative when it comes to the rewards that you give out. 

Level Up Your Team With 1Huddle

1Huddle can help you and your team stay ahead of the learning curve. We offer cloud-based employee gamification software. You can customize your content for a seamless experience and all of your employees will be able to access their training anywhere, anytime and at the push of a button. You can use our game platform to measure their performance and make key decisions on where you should take your gamification strategy next. 

Do you want to learn more about how 1Huddle can help you level up your own workforce? Talk to us today.