Your company’s greatest asset that deserves recognition, is your employee.
Employee Appreciation Day is celebrated on Friday 06 March in 2020, and yearly on the first Friday in March.
The day was established in the USA and first commemorated in 1995.
This day is focussed mainly around Honoring employees and thanking them for their Efforts and Services throughout the past year.
It’s the little signs that an employee gets that let them know they truly count in the eyes of the company. When the company cares about their prosperity and wellbeing, the more willing they will be to go the extra mile.
Thus, when employers express gratitude through an Employee Appreciation Day celebration, the employees’ job satisfaction, engagement and commitment increase.
In short, the day is about making an emotional association with your employees and your organization.
This will make your company’s greatest asset, the employee, feel esteemed, honoured and even loved.
SUGGESTIONS HOW TO SHOW APPRECIATION TO EMPLOYEES:
The following are some short suggestions which can be used to show appreciation to employees:
- Say ‘Thank you’ for the year’s support and financial success. Praising employees publicly in front of peers and superiors
- Provide Positive Feedback on their role in the company
- Acknowledge Special Events and Occasions such as birthdays and work anniversaries
- Offer flexible scheduling for work hours and reward with ‘work from home days’
- Offer Internal company rewards such as an employee of the month award
- Host a staff luncheon or breakfast out of the office
- Organize an outdoor team building session or office party
- Give education & Skills training to allow employees to excel in their jobs, develop skills and creates personal pride and confidence in their position
- Rewarding employees with surprise bonuses and gift hampers
To have a successful Appreciation Day, Ensure that your day encompasses the following 3 Factors: FUN, RELEVANT & ONGOING.
Make Employee Appreciation Day FUN
What’s important for your employee appreciation day is to plan something outside of the normal day-to-day routine. Consider ways to make each employee feel acknowledged and valued. Above all make the day fun; after all, appreciation is about spreading joy.
Make Employee Appreciation RELEVANT
Remember why you are appreciating your employees and make sure that message is clearly communicated to your staff.
Your words or notes of appreciation should include how your employees create value for your company and its mission.
You probably inwardly appreciate your employees in a million little ways. Now is the time to let those words of gratitude flow out to their intended recipients.
When your team members understand in a concrete way how their virtues of hard work, patience, diligence, conscientiousness, tenacity and loyalty add value to your business, they will be encouraged to build those virtues. Both them and your organisation will benefit from that.
Make Employee Appreciation ONGOING
After the sun sets on Employee Appreciation Day, remember that appreciation doesn’t get forgotten for the rest of the year. Put a Rewards program in place to build a culture of recognition in your organisation. Rewards can be achieved throughout the year for hard work and goals achieved.
Good employees flourish at work when they realize their contributions have meaning. Telling your workers the ways in which their work matters to you or the company, help keep your workers engaged and excited in their job.