It’s no secret that everyone wants some form of recognition from their employer when they do a great job. In fact, employers with little recognition risk high company turnover and low morale. The inability to properly recognize employees can mean the difference between keeping top talent and constantly having to fill a variety of roles.
If you’re looking for new ways to recognize your team (i.e. Google How to make a custom award), you may find that there are several ways to express appreciation for a job well done. The important thing is that when you show appreciation, do it honestly in a way that employees appreciate. Expressions of appreciation and recognition should give the employee a sense of satisfaction rather than asking for more.
3 things to think about when expressing gratitude at work
Nothing beats a heartfelt thank you note or gift that recognizes a job well done. However, if your company appreciates employee hard work solely through email or Microsoft Teams, you may want to rethink your appreciation strategy.
The next time you want to tell one of your team members that they are doing a great job, consider these three things:
1. Money isn’t everything
If you’ve been following the trend of big resignations, you know that some parts of the American workforce are leaving their pre-pandemic jobs to pursue positions that come with more money or seniority. is not the only way to reward good performance. Especially if your company is small or you are not in a position to bear the costs at the moment. Instead of offering big financial incentives, consider giving your star employees a gift card for their favorite restaurant or taking them off work.
If you know team members like trophies and shields, consider offering them physical awards to “thank you” for their work.
2. Ignore small mistakes
When a team works on a large project, there are probably some moving parts. Additionally, one person may wear multiple hats, which can be tiring and time consuming. Depending on the project, team members may have spent months collaborating on something outside their comfort zone.
One of the worst things you can do as a leader is to sabotage your team’s work by tripping over the little things that aren’t perfect. If the project is overall successful, instead of focusing on the imperfect aspects of a big project, you can show your appreciation by praising the positive aspects of your team’s work.
3. A sincere thank you goes a long way
If you’ve ever received a heartfelt thank you note after giving a gift, you know how much it means to someone else. In case money or physical gifts are not an option, a personalized thank you note speaks for itself.
When writing a thank you note, use nice stationery or an envelope, make sure it’s handwritten, and be specific about what the person did that inspired the note.
When it comes to showing appreciation, it can be difficult to know what feels rewarding for different team members.The key to meaningful gestures is sincerity. Gratitude can go a long way when you know what’s most important to a particular team and her members.
