The Employee Appreciation Day in the USA is marked every first Friday in March. This day was created so the employers show their appreciation for the work employees do and recognize their achievements and contributions to the workplace. It is a day for companies’ owners and leaders to be grateful to the employees for their hard work and efforts throughout the entire year. However, there is an inevitable question about this topic – shouldn’t the employees feel appreciated all year long?
There are many ways of how employers can motivate their employees to be more engaged on their workplace. Firstly, the employee should feel protected and comfortable at work throughout the year and the employer is responsible to create the conditions for that. They should feel satisfied with their work environment; and their remuneration is important but not always crucial for the employee to feel motivated.
Ideas for marking Employee Appreciation Day
The employer showing their appreciation and gratitude for the employees’ work is one of the main tools to keep the employees’ morale up. Employers can choose from the following ideas on what they can do that during the Employee Appreciation Day or any other day:
Organize a team building activity outside of the workplace (such as hiking or bowling),
Provide additional free training opportunities during the working time,
Buy symbolic gifts for all employees (such as gym/swimming pool membership, restaurant coupon for a family dinner, skydiving voucher, etc.),
When choosing the right manner to express appreciation on Employee Appreciation Day, the employer should take into consideration the employees’ personalities, needs, and preferences. They can gain more insight into this by conducting an employee engagement survey.
Not just the employees, but also the employers will benefit from marking the Employee Appreciation Day. The employees’ morale would be improved, which will result in their improved performance as well. The employees will be motivated to work better, faster and more cost-efficient if you treat them right, so make employee recognition and appreciation a part of your working style every day.