Wonolo

Wonolo

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With Thanksgiving and the holiday season approaching, now is the time to think about what we are thankful for. Friends, family, a roof over our heads – for many of us, the list seems to go on forever. This is also the time of year when gratitude can become apparent and important in the workplace, whether that is gratitude for your job, boss, colleagues – or, if you are a manager, your team.

Demonstrating worker gratitude and appreciation is always important, and crucial for having a motivated, happy team that will likely be more successful and hardworking. Expressing thankfulness for a worker’s effort helps create a stronger relationship and also creates incentives for workers to continue executing well in the future. A study by Gallup showed that “the number one reason most Americans leave their job is that they don’t feel appreciated.” It’s obvious that gratitude is an important driving force in the workplace, and this is the perfect time of year to take advantage of this fact! Wondering how to make it happen? Here are some of our favorite ways to emphasize employee gratitude.

1. Simple: be verbal about your gratitude.

  1. Though it seems obvious, this technique can often have the most impact on worker morale. Hearing gratitude from the person whose opinion you value most at work is very impactful and has tangible implications; 93% of Americans believe that grateful bosses are more likely to be successful.

2. Random Acts of Gratefulness

  1. Simple gestures in the workplace can mean a lot to employees, whether that means buying lunch for your team, bringing in coffee, or doing a surprise outing during the workday. These show your thoughtfulness and consideration for the well-being and overall attitude of your team and make the workday more fun for everyone.

3. Prizes and Rewards

  1. Monetary rewards are always popular in the workplace and are a great indicator of worker appreciation. These rewards can be anything from gift cards to coffee shops to concert tickets; get creative! The reward itself is not as important as the thought that goes into offering them to your team members.

4. Go all out!

  1. Having larger tangible rewards is a great way to engage employees and demonstrate your appreciation for their efforts. Ideas for these include an all expenses paid trip for the whole team or singular team members, free tuition for a year of courses related to the industry in which they work, or simply a larger monetary gift. For larger rewards like this, it is better and more sustainable if they are few and far between.

5. Provide opportunities for career growth.

    1. Good team members will always be searching for chances to better and further their career paths, and providing outlets for them to do so is a fantastic way to demonstrate gratitude for their effort and desire to see them grow. Offer passes to conferences about the industry, group outings to classes and talks, or even host a seminar yourself during the workday.

6. Demonstrate genuine interest in your workers’ lives.

    1. Asking your team members about their lives outside of work and remembering details lets them know that you truly care about them and value where they are coming from. This is one of the cheaper and easier options; it provides a fantastic opportunity to get to know your team members while boosting morale, so there is no excuse to not do so!