Every responsible company cares about its staff, period. Good workers are not easy to find and caring about them should be one of the top priorities in any line of business. Although this should be basically a morality-based attitude, there are various research studies whose findings show drastic productivity and efficiency improvements when employees felt their work was openly and tangibly valued and praised by their employers. And, what better time to do it than Thanksgiving, with all the symbolism it carries. Here are 5 simple ways to express your gratitude and reward your employees.
Thanksgiving brunch
One of the main features of Thanksgiving is surely a family dinner. Naturally, it should remain reserved for families themselves, but it does not leave you without options if you wish to gather all of your employees for a meal. Organizing a company brunch will be a symbolic gesture saying that you treat your workers as valued members of your business family. After all, you do spend more time together than with your actual families and this is the best time to make the best of it.
A simple thank you
If the times are tough for the company and things are not looking great at the moment never forget that your employees go through the same troubles as you do. Even though this might not be the time or place for expensive gifts do not let the Thanksgiving pass without appropriate attention on your behalf. A simple ‘thank you’ motivates the workers and words of encouragement during a period of crisis also show appreciation you have for your employees.
Gift cards
Various gift cards widely available are another great way of saying thank you to your valued workers. However, it may be somewhat tricky to choose the proper card for every employee unless you know their habits and needs in detail. For example, giving a gift card for a tools store to a person who never does any home repairs would be a waste regardless of the value of the goods he or she may obtain by using it. Visa gift cards, on the other hand, will be a safe shot since they can practically be used anywhere, domestically, abroad or online. You can even customize them with suitable messages to further acknowledge individual workers’ contributions.
Good old cash
Employee appreciation survey conducted by Glassdoor showed that 75 percent of employees favor financial rewards for their good performances. Furthermore, Thanksgiving is an occasion when most people need a financial injection to properly celebrate it with their families. Bearing all this in mind, giving cash rewards to your best workers would be appropriate at this time of year. Naturally, make sure you reward the best workers with the highest amount and openly elaborate why you did this. Doing this in such a manner will motivate other workers and create a positive competitive atmosphere.
A gift of time
We all know that time is money and this is a perfect occasion to prove this. Give your hard working employees a gift of time by granting them a paid day off, or more if you can afford their absence. They will know their contribution did not go unnoticed and will surely benefit from extra time off, getting back to work rejuvenated and additionally motivated.
As a final reminder, bear in mind that any company in any line of work will surely be more productive and successful when its employees are pleased with their working conditions and the relationship the company has towards them that clearly shows their contribution and eagerness is appreciated and valued.
