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Employees love to be rewarded for their loyalty, especially when they’ve been working hard to hit a business target or satisfy a particularly difficult client. When it comes to business environments, it’s no secret that employees work better and more productively when there is a reward on the table, not least a monetary bonus. However, it’s not all about the money. As a manager, familiarize yourself with the other ways to reward and show appreciation to your employees. You do not have to hand out financial bonuses every quarter or every year. Rather than avoid the reward process entirely, consider changing up the work environment to show your employees that you care about their comfort and well-being.
Set Up A Snack Table
Eating healthily is on the top of many people’s to-do list but with schedules and bills the way they are, fruit and healthy snacks can be an expensive luxury not afforded by everyone. Providing a snack table with some fresh fruit, energy-boosting health bars and other sugar-free treats can be a sure-fire way to get into your employee good books. Not only does it show them that you care for their healthy lifestyles but by providing staff the opportunity to have a snack between tasks can do wonders for employee productivity. Use employee performance tracking software to gain insight into how much this employee appreciation strategy affects workers’ productivity rates.
Provide An Office Playlist
Do you have the radio playing in the office or do you allow staff to listen to music privately on headphones? You can provide an excellent bonding experience for staff if you allow for a shared playlist to be generated and played in the office. Rules can be set, for example, no explicit songs (radio edits only), no more than x amount of songs per artist and to avoid cinematic or ‘epic’ music. By playing music in the office, you provide an opportunity for staff to share more about themselves with their colleagues. More so, employees can introduce new interests and potentially grow friendships that otherwise wouldn’t have formed. Thus, an office playlist can initiate team building in the workplace.
Recognize Personal Traits And Lifestyles
Too often do employees end up feeling more like a number than an individual who holds value when employed at a company. Typically, this occurs because management and supervisors gloss over individual details of a person. When managers take the time to learn a bit about an individual, they build on their relationship with that employee. Hence, learning about employees is crucial for team building. You can easily improve communication in workplace environments through asking simple questions. Inquire about more than just their name and birthday. Consider taking a moment to ask about their preferences. Ask if they have special occasions that they and their family celebrate or have achievements that mean a lot to them.
Form A Social Committee
Social events outside of the workplace provide a fantastic opportunity for colleagues to get to know each other. However, unless someone takes the initiative, social events can be few and far between. Speak to your staff about starting an activity and social events committee and task them with coming up with a monthly activity. They may want to hold a pizza lunch during a shorter week. You can suggest a night out to a local beer garden. Organize a team building activity such as an escape room or outdoor games with your committee. Social committees help take the pressure off of managers to keep employees socially connected. They can also help think of ideas outside the box that aren’t normally considered. Work with your employees to come up with a list of team building ideas and activities to do outside of the office.
Reach Out To Employees
It’s a standard part of our language to wish someone a good evening or to have a good weekend when they leave on a Friday afternoon, however apart from the obvious, it’s not often you hear colleagues or managers wishing employees good luck for a personal test or sending well-wishes on a religious holiday, such as Ramadan Mubarak! In the month of Ramadan in the UK Or Happy Cinco de Mayo! When addressing May 5th to a Mexican employee in the US. Employees who are shown they are valued as part of the company are much more likely to show increased loyalty and can even lead to increased sales or inquiries as they boast about how well their company treats them to family, friends and even more importantly, on social media.
Businesses wouldn’t go far without their employees. Sometimes, it’s easy to miss the small pieces of a big picture when they simply work consistently and without cause for concern. Rather than just incentivize active bursts of hard work, consistently provide your staff with ways to show that you appreciate them. Think of how you regularly oil mechanical gears to ensure they continue working, before any issue can arise. Think of your employees in the same way. This will ensure that you maintain a happy staff. More so, it guarantees a productive workforce. To promote a strong work ethic, follow the above ways to show non-monetary appreciation to employees.
