Originally posted on Nectar HR by Amanda Cross, March 3, 2022.
When was the last time you thanked an employee? Were you thanking them because of something they did for you? Or did you thank them just because they worked at your organization? How often are you sending a gift card to your colleagues just because?
If you can’t answer that you are showing appreciation for your team regularly, it’s time to consider employee appreciation ideas. By having several strategies that are easy to use, you can remove excuses and increase your motivation to appreciate your team appropriately.
What Is Employee Appreciation?
There are many buzzwords in the employee morale space. Employee appreciation has become a vital phrase for companies, but what does it mean? How do you differentiate between appreciation and recognition?
Employee appreciation is an activity that great companies do often to show their teams how much they care for and love them.
It’s not about what that employee has done for you monetarily or culturally. Instead, appreciation focuses on the value that just having an employee brings to your organization.
What’s The Difference Between Employee Recognition And Appreciation?
Companies often use recognition and appreciation interchangeably. While doing so can make praising our employees simpler, we can miss important moments in our employee’s journey.
According to HBR, “In simple terms, recognition is about what people do; appreciation is about who they are.”
“Recognition is about what people do; appreciation is about who they are.”
Recognition focuses on what an employee brings to your organization. Maybe they’ve brought on a new client or saved a customer from leaving. Appreciation is all about validation and ensuring that you give employees credit for their inherent value to your team.
Companies that focus on appreciation aren’t tying their praise to specific events. Instead, they throw praise around like confetti and ensure that their team knows how much they care.
How Often Should I Appreciate My Employees?
Appreciation for your employees is something you should do early and often. You should be giving out appreciation to your team as often as possible. Make a habit of finding some small activities you can do to ensure that your team understands how much you love and appreciate them.
What Makes Providing Appreciation Different In A Remote Environment?
When you think about remote employee appreciation, you need to consider your ideas. Simple appreciation tactics like giving out the best parking spot or getting a food truck to cater won’t work on people who don’t go into the office.
Instead, you’ve got to focus on employee appreciation ideas that you can bring to your team together, no matter where they are. It can be tough to organize and execute a fantastic global appreciation strategy.
We hope that having a myriad of ideas will make the process easier for your team.
13. Sweat The Small Stuff
It’s easy to celebrate the big victories, but your team has to be sufficiently motivated to get there. Showing appreciation for all the small things your team does along the way can make a world of difference.
One of Nectar’s customers, We Are Rosie, uses the Nectar platform to celebrate those small but significant wins:
“Working remotely can be difficult – people don’t always see the hard work that goes into the crucial, time-consuming projects or the large client wins,” shares Tessa Dillenbeck, People Operations Lead for We Are Rosie, “That’s why expressing gratitude each day and celebrating the little wins is an essential part of our culture.”
18. Appreciate Your Team For What They Do Outside Of Work
Are you encouraging your team to share their wins outside of work? Even when employees aren’t firing at all cylinders at work, they may be dealing with and accomplishing things at home.
“One of the best parts of that is getting to know each other beyond our career-driven goals and learning one another’s personal motivators and achievements,” shares Tessa Dillenbeck, People Operations Lead for We Are Rosie.
Here are some examples Tessa shares for what you can celebrate:
- Buying a new home
- Graduating with an advanced degree
- Earning a certification
- Becoming a US citizen
- Being highlighted in an article
“Recognizing ALL accomplishments, not just the work-related ones, has not only given us more opportunities to celebrate our team, but also has created a more genuine, authentic, and supportive culture where we truly lift one another up,” adds Tessa Dillenbeck.
Conclusion: Appreciating Your Team Begins With One Small Strategy
If you’ve been putting off employee appreciation because it overwhelms you, start small. You don’t need to go above and beyond or spend thousands on employee appreciation ideas. There are simple ways to boost engagement that don’t require weeks of planning. Begin with a simple strategy like sending out thank you notes. Then, as you get to know what your team enjoys, you can invest in larger employee appreciation strategies.
Keep it simple, and soon your team will feel loved year-round.
Click here to read full list of remote-friendly employee appreciation ideas.