This article was last updated Nov. 23, 2022.
The holidays shouldn’t be the only time you show your employees that you’re thankful for them and their work.
When employees are spending 40 hours per week at work, it's crucial they feel a sense of belonging, purpose and feel appreciated for their contributions. Currently, this isn't the case. According to a survey by OnePoll, almost half of American workers have quit their jobs because they felt they weren’t receiving enough appreciation or recognition External Site, with 59 percent saying they've never experienced an employer appreciate their work.
Employee turnover is expensive, being thankful is free
With generational differences, shifts in leadership and shake-ups to company culture, showing your employees you’re thankful for them through the good and the bad can be a difficult task to navigate.
Lack of appreciation and recognition comes at a price tag for employers. Searching for and hiring talent can be a costly aspect of running a business, and studies estimate that it can cost anywhere from $4,000 to $17,000 to hire someone new External Site. This cost could be prevented if employers showed recognition and appreciation for the work employees do. Bonus: It's completely free of charge.
Three simple ways you can start showing your employees appreciation and recognition today
While it can seem difficult — even daunting — to know the perfect formula to show your employees you’re thankful, it doesn’t have to be that way. Consider these three ways to show your employees thankfulness, and we promise your employees will appreciate you extending gratitude for their work.
Show your appreciation through hand-written notes.
We live in an age where most people would rather send a text than pick up the phone, or write an email instead of face-to-face chat. One way a company can set themselves apart External Site? Crafting a simple, thoughtful thank you note. Length doesn't matter, just be generous, specific, prompt, succinct and personal like the example below.
Ashley, fantastic job presenting your project plan recommendations to the sales staff yesterday. I admire your ability to persuade and inform people by showcasing your passions for all that you do. Keep knocking it out of the park. Here's to a successful project!
Acknowledge accomplishments and build rapport.
Celebrating accomplishments and wins not only show your gratitude for your employees' hard work, but coming together also allows coworkers to socialize and build meaningful relationships that can create a sense of belonging. For example, after each quarter, you can treat your team to lunch, happy hour or a few hours away from the office for team-bonding activities. Meaningful rewards based on your employee population and organization size can go a long way in boosting morale and re-energizing your employees to stay engaged in the work they do.
Set firm work boundaries (and empower employees to do the same).
Long gone are the days where workers had a solid start and stop time at work. Now, employees are glorifying their 40-plus-hour work weeks. Your employees should never feel like they can’t take a sick day, use vacation time, or take a lunch break. Lead by example by sticking to your work boundaries and your employees will follow suit.
Invest in workplace well-being
The proof is in the numbers. Making the investment in a holistic wellness program for your workplace can contribute to 41 percent lower health-related costs and 22 percent more agility and resilience among your employees.
Start your journey to better work culture and greater well-being in the workplace.
"Well-being support will continue to be important to organizations as it is mission critical to their ongoing success,” says Julie Enga, employer health and well-being consultant at Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield. “In fact, 74 percent of employees say well-being support makes them feel more appreciated.”
Demonstrate your appreciation: Invest in your employees' well-being
At Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, we know your business, and we have the insights and data on your employees that you may not have in-house. We can serve as an extension of your workforce and provide expertise in creating engaging solutions to meet the unique needs of your organization.
Questions? Contact your authorized Wellmark account representative, or email us at blueatwork@wellmark.com Send Email.
