A little bit of appreciation goes a long way in the office. When employees feel recognized and valued, good things start to happen. More productivity, more engagement, and more frowns turned upside down.
Without delay, here’s the Millennium Omaha leader’s guide to making employees feel more valuable. 4 different strategies are below, all actionable and ready to be applied.
Start Seeing the Good
Many employers fall into the habit of scrutinizing only the bad and the wrong. But, what about the good and the right?
Your employees are achieving a lot every day to keep your business thriving. It’s the simple act of noticing the good that makes employees feel valued. Start noticing what your employees achieve in the day-to-day, and call these feats out. Leader acknowledgment is a powerful tool.
Offer Strong Compensation Packages
Making an employee feel valued isn’t just about acting a certain way as a leader. You have to consider the policies of your business. Are you offering a compensation package? If so, is the package following industry best practices? Areas to consider include:
- Fair base pay
- Performance pay
- Holiday and vacation pay
- Raises, bonuses, and incentives
- Career growth opportunities
- Health and wellness benefits
- Flexible schedules
- Miscellaneous reimbursements
Make Appreciation a Habit
Ingenuine appreciation is on similar grounds to no appreciation at all. Don’t come in one day and suddenly start praising everyone if you didn’t do that before. Employees will see your efforts as insincere, and that you have an ulterior motive in mind. Instead, it’s a good idea to let your employees know that you’re trying to develop your gratitude skills as a leader.
Find Balance When Providing Feedback
Employees that receive consistent feedback feel seen. But, there’s also an art to giving feedback. Don’t just glop on compliments that come off as hollow, but also don’t be that terrifying boss. In our experience, strike balance when giving feedback. Give both good and developmental feedback to your employees.
Pro tip: Stuffing development feedback between two layers of good (or vice versa) can make the message confusing. Employees who need to hear development feedback may only focus on the good, and strong employees may only focus on the bad. When giving feedback, make sure to separate the good and the bad.