The month of March is filled with exciting days designed to make your employees feel amazing. For instance, on March the 2 we observe Employee Appreciation Day as well as Salesperson day, and on March the 3 Caregiver Day is celebrated. With these three holidays designed to make many employees feel appreciated, you may want to think of a few ways to celebrate with your own employees. These ten ideas will allow you to do this frugally, so you can still stay on top of your budget. Best of all, these ten tips will even help boost morale, so your employees will feel better about working for you. These tips might even bring a harmony to your work place that will improve production and comradery.
1. Host a Casual Day
One of the easiest ways to help employees feel great is to offer them a day where they can just be themselves. The best way to do this is to offer a casual day, so that employees can show off who they are when they aren’t in stiff work clothes. A casual day shows you value your employees as individuals and not just as employees, which will help make your employees feel better about their position in the workplace. Apart from that, it also shows that you care about their comfort. You can implement this event as a weekly, monthly or simply an annual occasion. Either way, it will help build morale in the workplace that will make everyone feel like a greater part of a team.
2. Throw a Dinner Party
Another great way to show your employees that you care is by throwing a dinner party. It doesn’t matter if you treat at a restaurant or you take a more frugal route by cooking at home, this occasion can help make your employees feel united. A dinner party allows everyone to get together and talk about things that aren’t work involved. This will help everyone get to know each other on a deeper level, which will allow them to grow closer as they work together. Apart from that, it gives you time to get to know the people that are working for you. You might get together questions to ask your employees. For instance, knowing about their family can be a great way to show you care about their life. You might also invest time in learning about their goals and dreams. This might allow you to help them work towards some of the goals within the workplace. As everyone gets to know each other, the office will be a bit more comfortable. If you don’t want to host a meal at dinner time, then opt for a lunch instead. This will allow employees to attend during work hours, opposed to taking time out of their free time.
3. Thank You Cards
One of the simplest and cheapest things to do for your employees is to give them a thank you card. This doesn’t mean to send out a mass-produced card to everyone. Instead, take your time to fill out the cards. Tell each employee why they are valued. This will ensure that your employees will see that you do recognize what they bring to the table at work. Plus, it will show that you do pay attention to individual efforts instead of just the big picture at work. When polled, many employees actually got more out of a personalized note or gift than they did a grandeur gesture. So, you might keep this in mind when you’re trying to keep things cheap while showing some appreciation.
4. Bring Treats to Work
It’s the simple things in life that make work bearable and maybe even fun. One way to give your employees something simple to enjoy is to bring in little treats to work. For instance, you might bring donuts one morning when you know your employees are going to have a rough day. In order to say thank you for the hard work, you may treat them to a lunch of pizzas delivered to the office. When there is a birthday or celebration in order then bring some cupcakes to help make the occasion great. You may even want to make it a monthly treat to bring in some catered foods for employees, so they don’t have to spend money on lunch that day. Whatever you choose to bring, employees will see that you care.
5. Give an Early Day
Getting burned out is unfortunately a major part of today’s society. It weighs heavily on employees when they have to spend all of their time and energy at the office. So, you might give them an early day every now and then. Of course, this doesn’t have to be on days when production is off the charts. Nor do you have to give everyone the same day. You can easily stagger days so that one or two employees can enjoy an early day every once in a while. Your employees will get to enjoy more of the things they love this way, which will help prevent them from getting burned out. If you don’t want to give early days for no reason, then consider being flexible with employees. For instance, you might release parents early to allow them to attend one of their child’s events. You can do the same for non-parents that may have conventions, sales or concerts they want to attend.
6. Consider Benefit Programs
Another way to take on the challenge of showing your employees appreciation is to give them more benefits at work. One of the best new programs is to set up workout programs at the workplace. You might hire an instructor for yoga one month and a personal trainer for weight lifting the next. Employees can feel free to take a break from work and workout to blow off some steam. Another great aspect is to set up an area where employees can choose their own workouts. For instance, if you have an employee that knows a lot about a dance program then have that employee host a short class. It will save you money and will allow employees to take a break. You may even want to create a sports team for your workplace. These teams have been known to bring comradery to the workplace and help employees blow off steam. Another great option is to allow employees to create clubs. For instance, let them get together to knit or draw for a short period. These breaks have been proven to help with productivity.
7. Employee of the Month
One timeless way to show that you are paying attention to your employees is to offer an employee of the month award. This can be as simple as a certificate, but you can also throw in a gift card or other reward if you want to make it even more rewarding. Employees will work hard to achieve this award and will see that they are being recognized for everything that they do. Without a doubt, these awards help boost morale too, which is always great for productivity. Awards like this also look great on resumes, so when you present this award to your employees, you might also offer a letter of recommendation to show you see your employees strong points.
8. One-on-One Time
One of the main problems in the work place is that employees don’t have a connection with their employers. Sometimes, employees never even speak to their employer after the initial interview period. So, in order to show you care, you might offer some one-on-one time with your employees. Stop to chat with someone when you head to the water fountain or call your employee into the office to have a chat. You might ask them to voice their concerns about the work place or simply have them talk about their life. Offering this form of socialization can help build relationships and make life easier at the office. Plus, it will show you the areas that you’re thriving in and those that you need to put a little more effort into.
9. Set up Refreshments
Another simple way to show that you care about your employees’ needs is to set up a refreshment area. Rather than just providing everyone with water, you might set out coffee, tea and other simple drinks for employees to enjoy. Snacks are also an added bonus that can help your employees feel like they can power through their afternoon down periods. Light snacks, like fruit and energy bars, won’t cost you a bundle. Some modern businesses are even setting up smoothie and salad bars for their employees, so they always have healthy food to choose from.
10. Holiday Gifts
Many employers enjoy giving out holiday gifts to their employees. However, some stay away from this trend because it can cost a fortune. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to make a great statement though. For instance, you can easily purchase your employees something small that still has personal value. One example would be a soap gift set that features a scent you know the employee enjoys. A gift basket full of snacks is another great option and is simple to do if you know your employees. People will notice the personal touches, which will make them feel like a valuable part of your team.
It is important to let your employees know they’re not just someone that shares a workplace with you. Showing your appreciation can really change the dynamic of the office. These ten ideas will show your employees that you care about them and the hard work they do for you. So, you might want to utilize a couple to help your employees feel great, especially during the upcoming employee appreciation holidays.
