Employee Appreciation – It’s More Than a Day in March

Wednesday, March 10th, 2021

The first Friday in March (that’s the 5th in 2021) is Employee Appreciation Day. It’s a day set aside for companies to let their employees know how much they appreciate them. And no, this doesn’t mean you can skip out the rest of the year. The reality of it all is that recognizing, acknowledging, and expressing appreciation to your employees has a very positive effect on your company – beginning with retention.

As Chiradeep BasuMallick points out in a post for hrtechnologist, the following statistics say it all.

• 63% of employees who are recognized are very unlikely to look for a new job.
• 40% of employed Americans would put energy into their work if they were recognized more often.
• Employees promoted after three years have a 70% possibility of staying with your company.
• The lack of recognition and engagement is driving 44% of employees to switch jobs.

If that doesn’t convince you, Psychology Today tells us that when you implement appreciation and gratitude into your company culture, it creates a pay it forward and “we’re in this together” mentality in the workplace, which in turn, makes your organization more successful. It encourages a continuous cycle of recognition and builds unity.

When it comes right down to it, pay rates and salaries are important, but they are not necessarily the most important – nor are they the strongest motivators and sources of inspiration. People long for happiness and contentment on the job. Appreciation helps build it. It’s the way we’re made. We all have a need to be recognized, acknowledged, appreciated.

Consider another survey – this one is from Glassdoor. They found that more than 80% of employees are motivated to be more productive when their supervisor shows appreciation for their work.
Appreciation also proved to increase retention and customer ratings while decreasing on-the-job accidents.

Ok, we can hear you saying, “I get it, but how do I do it?”

Don’t get too hung up on finding the ‘best’ way. Begin with the basics. Take time to sincerely – and specifically – express your appreciation. It can be in person, via email, or a handwritten note. In addition to saying you appreciate their hard work or contribution to the latest project, acknowledge why you appreciate them. For example,

“I noticed you stayed over more than once to ensure we made the deadline on that project. I really appreciate your diligence.”

“Your attention to detail makes a difference on the floor. It’s employees like you who take time to do it right that make this company successful.”

“I’ve noticed that you always wear the proper PPE and keep it in tip-top shape. Thanks for caring about safety. May I use you as an example at our next training meeting?”

Of course, you can host a ‘pizza on the company day’ or stock the break room with healthy snacks and drinks to show appreciation to everyone. It’s always a winner. When employees feel appreciated and valued, it affirms the commitment they’ve made to a relationship or group and incentivizes them to continue contributing and excelling.

Remember, like most everything, doing it right begins at the top. Get your management team onboard. Brainstorm ideas and create a plan of action to develop a culture of recognition and spark employee appreciation all year long.

Waypoint wants to take this moment to say we appreciate you – our clients, our employees, and our candidates. It’s a pleasure to play a role in bringing you together to build companies where there is a lot to recognize and appreciate.