Entrepreneurs who want to make their employees feel valued at their workplace should focus on giving people a meaningful sense of appreciation. A casual pat on the back once every few years is simply not enough to keep employees happy and more productive, or what’s more, less likely to look for other employment opportunities.

Fortunately, there are many proven ways that leaders can improve their efforts. The employees might feel more valued if the company their work for really prioritizes work-life balance, makes an effort to celebrate individual and team achievements, or simply offers plenty of personal development and learning opportunities. Don’t be afraid to challenge the people who work for you, but at the same time, don’t turn a blind eye to their efforts.

To learn more about ways of showing your appreciation towards other people’s work, read the article below and discover how implementing certain practices will assure your employees that you value them.

Encourage Feedback 

Encouraging employees to give you feedback can help improve their work experience. It also shows that you value their contributions because you’re willing to listen to what they have to say. Find out what motivates your employees and how they like to be recognized (e.g., public recognition versus private praise), and then offer them opportunities to provide feedback on ways to improve their work experience.

You should also pay close attention to what’s going on within your organization. Some companies stay unaware of issues such as sexual abuse happening at work. It might be in good sense to get in touch with a sexual abuse lawyer to not only prevent such situations from happening but also help their victims. Never assume that just because you haven’t seen something happen, it never took place. Employees who feel encouraged to provide feedback and raise concerns are much more likely to let you know about such situations.

Alternatively, your employees may provide information about unsafe work conditions, which could be the case in a warehouse, but just as well – at the office. If one of them gets injured due to negligence while working, they may sue your company, and if they cannot pay for their medical expenses, get a LOP (here you can check what does LOP mean). All of this can often be avoided if you listen carefully to what your employees are saying.

Use Personalized Communication 

People want to feel special, and one way you can do that is through personalized communication. It doesn’t mean you have to hand-write every email instead of using ready templates or gift every employee a lush bouquet of flowers on their birthday, but you can still use personal touches to show employees they matter. 

For example, sending a birthday card or a thank-you note for a task that requires your employees to put in extra effort can go a long way. Even if the note is simple, you’re letting employees know you were thinking of them and value their contributions. Remember that appreciation needs to be specific and genuine. If you want to go beyond just saying “thank you,” you can make an effort to sit down with your employees individually and describe the things you value about their work in detail while highlighting their positive influence on the team or the company.

Focus on Personal Development

Perhaps more than anything else, people want to feel they’re growing and improving. If an employee feels like they’re in a rut, help them find ways to develop their skills or give them new responsibilities, but be careful not to overwhelm them. Letting employees know they have room to grow is one of the best ways to show how much you value them. 

Consider offering them an option of taking online courses that the company will pay for or approaching them by proposing that they take professional development classes. Some people may also appreciate the possibility of taking part in cross-training between departments to learn and discover new skills. When employees are able to add new capabilities to their skill set, they feel better about themselves and more satisfied in their jobs.

Celebrate Wins and Achievements

A great way to show people that you value their work is to celebrate when they achieve success or finish a project. If employees work hard and go above and beyond their job description, don’t wait until the end of the year – let them know you appreciate their efforts with a reward or celebration. Not only does this show that you value what they do, but it’ll also motivate them to keep working hard and bring more success to the organization.

To bring everyone closer together, you can consider holding such celebrations during events in or outside of work. Try hosting a small luncheon or happy hours. If you want to be more creative, you can also try other options, such as asking the employees to attend an art exhibition or any other outing dedicated to celebrating their achievements.

Don’t Forget About Work-Life Balance

There is plenty of correlation between work-life balance and employee performance as well as job satisfaction. That’s why it’s crucial to focus on this element of the workplace in order to create meaningful results. Working in a balanced environment can reduce stress, prevent burnout, and promote a good company culture that’s considerate of the worker’s needs. 

You can try doing so by offering wellness days, establishing flexible working hours, or, if possible, giving employees an opportunity to work from home. Be respectful regarding off-hours communication (e.g., no urgent calls or e-mails outside the working hours) and try to show the employees that you trust them by encouraging more autonomy.

In Conclusion

To sum up, there are many ways to make employees feel valued at work. The above list should help you with that. Try to keep things more personal when speaking to your employees, make sure to celebrate their wins and achievements, and don’t disregard the importance of maintaining a work-life balance. You also need to make sure you are consistent with the things you do – nothing is going to change for the better if you abandon your efforts after one try. Keep these tips in mind, and you will be able to boost the morale of your employees and keep them both happy and motivated.