A business is only as strong as its people, the backbone of your company, interacting with customers, innovating new products and services, and carrying out day-to-day operations. So, given how valuable each employee is, it’s important to show how valued they are.
As a business, investing in employees as individuals will boost their confidence, increase your staff retention and, in turn, positively impact your bottom line results. Here are some tips to show your employees just how much they are appreciated and respected.
Getting to know your team
It is very important that you get to know just how your employees tick. By taking the time to understand their unique interests, you may discover that you have more in common than first thought, and can relate to them on a more personal level.
Consider what motivates your employees and align rewards, development opportunities and praise with these. For example, you may notice someone who excels at customer service also volunteers extensively for an animal welfare charity in their personal time. A suitable reward for their success might be to offer them a paid day off to continue their volunteering, showing a wider appreciation of their personal ventures.
Celebrating milestones and interests
Look for opportunities to recognise events important to employees’ personal lives – birthdays, weddings, family additions, etc. Send congratulatory cards or gifts, award birthdays as annual paid leave or celebrate team milestones with office-based events, such as regular breakfasts and lunches. Ensure these gatherings are always open to everyone, regardless of dietary choices or restrictions, and support and encourage colleagues to share and discuss their differing tastes.
Tapping into their personal interests and passions, even briefly, can be a fun morale booster and spark new, meaningful connections between colleagues. If an employee runs marathons for charity, be sure to sponsor their upcoming race. Alternatively, inviting employees to demonstrate their personal hobbies in the office is another great way to get colleagues together. This could be a colleague showcasing their talent for upskilling furniture, an amateur baker sharing vegan cake decorating skills and a fitness enthusiast wanting to get colleagues doing a workout. Simply celebrating what makes people unique shows appreciation for who they are beyond their job descriptions.
Promoting diversity and inclusion
Today’s workforce is incredibly diverse and it’s important that policies are in place to make all employees feel welcomed, represented and valued for their unique identities. This should begin from the hiring process, eliminating conscious or unconscious biases that can otherwise affect the recruitment and selection process.
Once employees are recruited, be sensitive to individual needs. Offer flexibility in dress codes, religions, LGBTQ inclusiveness and accessibility requirements. Seek input from existing employee groups to ensure that everyone is represented fairly and diverse perspectives are continually considered.
Inclusion should be far more than just a surface level commitment, with employees of all backgrounds able to see themselves represented and thriving in business leadership roles. The more comfortable employees feel bringing their authentic selves to work, the more loyal and engaged they will be.
Investing in professional development
A huge 80% of employees want opportunities to continuously develop new skills, take on greater challenges and progress in their careers. Be generous with professional development funds and time off to pursue their chosen training and education. Prioritising development demonstrates you’re willing to invest in employees for the long haul.
Offer frequent growth opportunities through lateral moves, special projects, mentorships and role expansions. Developing your employees not only keeps them engaged, but also strengthens your business. You’ll reap returns by retaining talented individuals who are ready and able to step into critical roles as and when required.
Offering comprehensive benefits
Employee benefits are a key component of the total rewards package that convey how much you value their wellbeing. Strive to provide the most competitive and comprehensive benefits possible, encompassing such offerings as health insurance, pension contributions and paid leave provisions.
Consider going above and beyond with family-friendly benefits like flexible schedules and generous parental leave. Work with employees to identify and cater to their specific needs, being mindful of the wide variety and often sensitive considerations this may involve. However, the more you can individualise benefits, the more valued your employees will feel.
Listening to feedback and continuously improve
Checking in with employees on a regular basis via elements such as engagement surveys and one-on-one conversations is very important. Ask for suggestions on further ways you can develop a more supportive, inclusive culture where every team member feels appreciated, and be responsive to their feedback. Primarily, keep communication channels open and ongoing; employees want to know their voices are heard by managers and leaders.
Valuing the unique needs and perspectives of every employee not only boosts inclusion, it builds an inspired culture where people actively bring their best selves to work. When employees feel recognised as more than just workers (with their own identities, talents and skills outside of the workplace valued), they form a deeper sense of loyalty and commitment to the organisation.
Going the extra mile for your employees demonstrates you are investing in the whole person, and this investment in them will be paid back many times over to the business as a whole.