How To Really Thank Your Employees

One job that an employer has with regards to his or her employees is to thank them. You may not realize it, but it is hugely important to acknowledge what someone is doing in terms of their work and how it is benefitting the company. Without your praise and thanks, they may not feel appreciated and that could lead to them becoming less productive, or even looking for work elsewhere. Here are some useful tips on how to really thank you employees and make them feel valued.

Say Thank You

The simplest way to say thank you to your employees is to actually say it. It can be easy to assume that someone knows that you are pleased with their work or grateful for them getting projects and tasks done on time and in budget. However, just getting a paycheck at the end of every month isn’t enough for many people – they want to hear the words ‘thank you.’ So say it as much as you can to everyone, and you’ll find that you have a much more productive and responsive workforce.

Give Them More Autonomy

Another way to say thanks is to acknowledge what a great job someone is doing and give them more autonomy within the company. Many studies have shown that this kind of freedom is what gives a lot of people ultimate job satisfaction. Not only do they feel valued, but they also feel happy because they can make their own choices and show how good they can be. People will care more when they perceive something as ‘theirs’ (a project, perhaps, or a specific sector within the company), so there are many benefits to this approach.

Buy A Gift

If you want to say a truly personalized thank you, you can buy a special gift for your employee. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but it should be something that they are interested in. This shows that not only are you pleased with their work but that you listen when they talk because you know what their likes and dislikes are. You could buy anything from a rare CD of their favorite singer, to a toy they once loved as a child, or a special ink pen because they once mentioned that they love to use them. Think carefully and come up with something wonderful.

Take Them Out

For those who have done an extra special job, why not take them out to show just how pleased with them you are? Take them to a great restaurant and then to a show, for example. Buy tickets at Ticket Sales and present them in an envelope and they will know exactly how happy you are with their work. You can do this either publicly or privately, and the choice will come down to your employee and their personality.

Give Them A Raise

For consistently good work you could even consider giving your employee a raise. There are a lot of factors to take into account before doing this, such as – most importantly – whether the business can afford to do this. If the business is still growing or there is a forecast of some leaner times coming, then rather than a raise you can offer a one-off bonus. When the business is more secure and assuming the employee is still working well, you can discuss a raise at a later date.