Ways to Show Employee Appreciation Through Wellbeing

Employees are the lifeforce of any organisation. Without them, there is no service, no growth, no organisation. It can be easy for leaders to lose sight of their employees as individuals by focusing on the big picture of the organisation. If employees don’t feel valued as individuals, it will result in higher turnover rates and losing highly talented people. Showing employees how valued they are can motivate them and keep them committed to organisational success.

What is Employee Appreciation Day?

An annual celebration, organisations can celebrate their employees and their excellent work on Employee Appreciation Day. Employee Appreciation Day takes place on the first Friday of March every year. This celebration has grown in popularity over the years with large companies across the globe celebrating the occasion. The celebrations can range from award ceremonies, prizes and gifts to complete shutdowns which give employees the day off.

Although such gestures can seem performative, it is proven that acts to acknowledge performance can boost employee morale. Recent studies have shown productivity and engagement are 14% higher in organisations that recognised employee performance and that 69% of employees increase their effort levels when they feel appreciated in their role. The impact of employee appreciation cannot be understated. Employee Appreciation Day provides the perfect opportunity to celebrate the efforts and contributions of people within an organisation.

How to deal with burnout

On average, employees spend 30% of the year in a working environment, so it is vital that to motivate them to perform to their highest capacity in this time. However, maximising productivity can sometimes be confused with overworking people. Pushing people to the brink can lead to exhaustion and burnout which will ultimately be detrimental to an organisation, causing absenteeism, presenteeism and drive higher turnover rates. Organisations must tow a fine line of keeping people motivated, increasing productivity whilst also avoiding employee burnout.

Burnout is not simply a colloquialism that has been passed around by disgruntled employees. It is a syndrome recognised by the World Health Organisation as an occupational phenomenon, related to a variety of symptoms associated with health-related issues. Burnout can come as a direct result of stress. Whereas stress which might encourage action and bursts of adrenaline, burnout can result in emotional detachment and lack of motivation. Although burnout is not necessarily tied to the workplace, it is often associated as such due to excessive demands and pressures experienced in a working environment. In the UK, 45% of employees do not believe their organisations have adequate plans in place to support them or prevent burnout. Managing burnout and putting preventative measures in place is essential for keeping employees motivated and productive.

Dealing with burnout isn’t as simple as allowing employees to take their designated time off. Pressures in work can be built up over an extended time and lead to a lack of motivation that is hard to diagnose. Having the procedures in place to not only spot workplace burnout but also prevent it can lead to noticeable increases in productivity. Here are some tips on how to effectively manage burnout:

• Task segmentation:

Overloading employees with tasks can cause people to misunderstand priorities and become overwhelmed by the amount of work they are faced with. By breaking tasks up and establishing clear structures and processes, employees can better understand methods of working and how to prioritise. Having these processes in place makes the working week seem more manageable and prepared to handle new tasks that being assigned and taking priority.

• Achievable goals:

In large organisations, people can lose sight of their personal or team goals and focus on the more intimidating and overarching goals of the organisation. Keeping people focused on the success of their team with short-term and quarterly goals will benefit every team due to each team’s symbiotic relationship within the organisation. Be ambitious, encourage teams to strive towards loftier goals. But by setting manageable goals and celebrating these achievements, stress can be relieved, and confidence inspired. Setting individual and team SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound) goals, affords employees a sense of control and establishes a healthier relationship with their work environment.

• Open communication:

If people feel afraid to come forward about their struggle, it becomes more difficult to carry out job roles effectively. It is estimated that 2 in 5 people worry that if they informed their line-managers about struggling with a mental health condition, it would negatively impact them in the workplace. Cultivating a positive environment where people feel confident they will receive the appropriate support when struggling with stress and poor mental health allows for effective resolution. If someone is prepared to discuss issues they are facing in the workplace and how it may affect their performance, necessary adjustments can be made to support them This ensures employees return to their confident best and are at their most effective.

How to praise someone professionally?

It may seem small, but rewarding people for their efforts can lead to success. In many instances, people just want to feel recognised and valued. This can often trump incentives of career progression, self-sufficiency or training. Team morale can be tenuous in high-pressure environments and efforts not being acknowledged can lead to dissatisfaction and disturb team harmony. Being specific with recognition and praise is simple, personal and reinforces positive behaviours. Simple practices of acknowledgement and praise can be repeated year-round to keep employees motivated. For example, in team meetings or over internal channels, be sure to note a positive contribution from each member of the team. This will demonstrate how valued a member of the team is and that their work does indeed have an impact.

Simple praise establishes a basis for a positive work culture. However, for some, this can begin to wear thin without greater incentives and appreciation. That is why employee appreciation must be a year-round practice. This might be achieved in the form of monthly or quarterly celebrations for hitting targets. It could also be the incentive of career-progression for positive performance. Practicing techniques such as this can sustain employee engagement as they are aware of upcoming celebrations. These celebrations can be something simple such as treats, i.e. free food being brought into the office, or something more notable such as office parties or organised team activities.

Demonstrations of praise make employee achievements more tangible and motivational. For this reason, bigger rewards can result in significant growth. Although it may not be for every organisation as it is not financially or operationally viable, rewards such as extra time off or bonuses can really inspire team performance. Setting loftier and more ambitious goals can sometimes seem demotivating as they seem unachievable.

To counter this and inspire dedication to this goal, greater incentives and signs of appreciation might be required. It is the gambit of dangling a larger carrot to inspire greater commitment and improved performance from each person. The thinking behind this show of appreciation is that if an employee is successful, it will feed into other teams and drive organisational success. Putting incentives and demonstrations of appreciation in place such as this can also translate into making recruiting a smoother process. Pitching these incentives to potential candidates makes an organisation a more appealing prospect and help to retain talent already in place.

Wellbeing workshop

Sometimes, appreciation can be missed by employees as they are suffering from excessive stress and pressure. Recognising this and receiving appropriate assistance by an organisation is greatly appreciated. Wellbeing workshops offer training on a range of topics to assist employees that will benefit an organisation in the long run.

As might be expected, wellbeing workshops cover topics such as stress management and resilience, better equipping employees with the resources and techniques to deal with stress in the workplace. These workshops understand that in a working environment, employees are always likely to encounter stress. Understanding and practicing processes on how to manage stress leads to optimal performance. Wellbeing workshops help employees understand the key indicators of what is considered good stress and bad stress and how each respectively can drive a person to succeed and the other cause them to collapse. As stress affects everyone differently, wellbeing workshops help individuals to recognise stress in themselves and what steps they can take to minimise the negative effects.

It will allow people to identify key stress triggers, the steps they can take for early intervention and ultimately prevent stress from building to an unmanageable level. Providing employees with this people with this knowledge and awareness creates a positive culture which maximises productivity by utilising positive stress rather than focusing on negative stress. The workshops provide attendees with a greater understanding of an EAP and how it can be effectively utilised in times of stress to relieve pressures and provide a secure channel to explore and understand negative feelings.

Employees appreciate the other services available with wellbeing workshops. Covering a range of topics, wellbeing workshops inform people about topics they may have less knowledge and awareness of. Topics such as nutrition, steps to take to maintain a balanced diet in a working environment to reduce sickness and maintain morale throughout the day. Other topics covered include coping with change, understanding trauma, menopause and financial wellbeing. Providing employees with knowledge, advice and understanding creates a more positive feeling about their working environment. It demonstrates to people that the organisation values them as individuals, their development and their wellbeing.

Support with an EAP?

Mental health is very personal and often internalised. It can leave a person feeling isolated and with no way out. In a working environment, this is especially true, as many people do not want to feel like a burden and tackle the issue themselves. This kind of thinking can lead to more concerning issues such as burnout, absenteeism and presenteeism. These issues will have a greater negative impact on colleagues and organisations than discussing any struggles a person might be experiencing. If someone is struggling and seeking out a secure space to discuss their issues, an EAP provides them with the necessary support. Whether it is a professional or personal challenge, an EAP can offer short-term, expert support to help people with stress and their mental health.

Read our related article - How an EAP works

Organisations aren’t always equipped to deal with every issue a colleague is struggling with. Sometimes, the issue may require qualified experts. Offering employees an avenue where they can feel safe to discuss issues and receive expert advice cannot be undervalued. Health Assured’s EAP is available 24/7, 365-days a year, which connects employees with an accredited counsellor prepared to provide qualified support on a wide range of topics. It could be for emotional, mental health, financial or legal advice.

An organisation that provides this level of support is one that shows appreciation and care to its employees and wants them to succeed within its internal structure. Support in any form is always appreciated in a workplace environment. Support makes people feel valued, seen and provides the space to grow. The support provided by an EAP can make a working environment more comfortable and ultimately boost productivity and performance.

Conclusion

There are a variety of methods to effectively show employees appreciation. It could be simple gestures; it could be grand incentives. Often, it could be something as simple as ensuring people feel seen and supporting them to reach their potential. Showing employees appreciation by nurturing their wellbeing is vital to a team’s success. This applies to every level of an organisation.

If one employee is feeling underappreciated, this will impact their colleagues and an organisations overall performance. To promote success, each member of an organisation must be striving towards a shared goal. If employees feel underappreciated, their efforts will decrease and ultimately result in a lesser return. Appreciating employees and focusing on their wellbeing in a professional environment drives organisational success.