Blog post

Elevating & extending recognition beyond Employee Appreciation Day

4
min read

Employee Appreciation Day will be observed on Friday, March 6, 2020

Have you thought about what your company will do to observe National Employee Recognition Day?

And how about every day after?

At Augeo, we view employee appreciation as a way of life.

To the approximately 157 million Americans who are part of the U.S. workforce, this day of acknowledgment, and everyday employee contributions are recognized, is profoundly meaningful. When employees and their work are valued, satisfaction rises, productivity increases, and team members are motivated to expand their good work.

Are you embracing the power of a simple thank you or celebrating with a team shout out? Have you considered the impact you might have by fostering a culture of recognition, where you demonstrate your appreciation on a daily basis?

The effects of ongoing recognition and appreciation of employees are well documented. Companies with a strategic approach to employee recognition and regular celebrations of accomplishment see tangible benefits including:

  • Elevated employee productivity
  • Increased profitability
  • Improved retention of top talent
  • A workplace culture of positivity
  • More collaborative work environment
  • Increased employee motivation

As a way of thinking about the importance of recognition, building it into every day of an employee's experience, I thought listening to what other people have said might provide both inspiration and direction.

"The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated."

—William James, one of the most influential philosophers of the United States, and the "Father of American psychology"

One of the most important things a company can do to enhance employee recognition and demonstrate appreciation is view employees as people. The more you focus on basic human emotions, the greater impact you will have on your workforce. Focus on the human elements and watch their motivation rise significant

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."

—Robert Brault, Author of Short Thoughts for the Long Haul and contributing journalist to newspapers and magazines

Often times we wait for the "noteworthy" contribution or the "extraordinary" effort before we recognize or celebrate our employees. When the acknowledgment highlights a small act the effect can be pronounced. Employees benefit from moments of surprise and delight as much as customers. Small, unexpected kudos or a digital pat on the back can go a long way to generate enthusiasm and motivate on-going engagement.

"Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: It must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all."

—William Faulkner, American writer and Nobel Prize Laureate

Sometimes recognition or gratitude is trapped with, seemingly, no way to get out. A manager or company leader might truly appreciate a worker's contribution but cannot find the best way to communicate the feeling.

According to a recent study by Timesjob, 59% of employees say their bosses don't show enough appreciation and it makes them feel seriously undervalued. In our experience it's not due to a lack of appreciation, but more often, a result of lack of tools, process, and protocol for deploying recognition.

"Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well."

—Voltaire, French writer and public activist who played a singular role in defining the eighteenth-century movement called the Enlightenment.

One of the remarkable aspects of gratitude is that it has been proven to have a reciprocal effect. It creates a sense of joy or happiness not only for the recipient but for the one recognizing the accomplishment. Robert A. Emmons, Ph. D., a leading gratitude researcher, has conducted multiple studies on the link between gratitude and well-being. His research confirms that gratitude effectively increases happiness.

We write about the holiday to remind employers to recognize employee effort and to offer tips for building a stronger corporate culture through appreciation. It is a proven, cost-efficient way to increase performance. After all, a simple thank you costs so little and means so much.

Let’s all celebrate National Employee Appreciation Day with vigor on March 6, 2020 and use every other day of the year to recognize employee contributions as well!

If you are interested in learning more about enriching your workplace with a culture of recognition, click here.

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