Powerful ways to appreciate your employees’ contribution

Sometimes 'Thank you' just doesn’t cut it, given that your employee or team has put in long hours into the task at hand. These are moments when only something magnanimous can really echo your acceptance. Thank you makes people feel appreciated and valued, but if you want to show your employees that you really care, you need to go one step ahead than simply uttering these two syllables of gratitude. As beautifully put by William Arthur Ward, "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."

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Here are five powerful ways in which you can give thanks to your people.

Express gratitude when they least expect it

Randomly send an email note to your team member saying how much you value their contribution to a particular project. When people receive thanks out of the blue, they value it more than the greatest treasure. You can also ask your employees if there is anything you can do to help them. An action like this will go a long way to show them that you care.

Send personal notes

Taking a few minutes out of your busy schedule to scribble a hand-written ‘thank you’ note to your employee. This will help you secure brownie points as an employer. Conducting fun activities every once in a while, and showing your appreciation to your staff as a whole also works wonders.

Help your employees maintain a good work-life balance

The best way to thank your employees is by encouraging them to maintain a healthy work-life balance. If your employees spend enough time with their family and friends, they will avoid experiencing a burnout and they'll return to work with a renewed vigor. As an employer, be generous in granting half-days and flexible work schedules. When you give your employees the liberty to work from home, you encourage them to put their best foot forward.

Start rewarding

Start rewarding your employees for a job well done. Don't just express your gratitude in words, do so via actions. Everybody likes tangible rewards. Company retreats, bonuses, or an occasional gift are a few ways in which you can show your team that you appreciate their efforts and hard work. Rewarding also goes a long way in solidifying loyalty and reducing employee turnover.

Create a wall of fame

One of the easiest ways of acknowledging the hard work of your employees is by informing the rest of the employees about it. You can create a wall of fame and put up pictures of those employees on the wall who have exceeded expectations for that month. This is also a great way to motivate other employees to do their best.

It is the little things that mean the world to most people. Use the above mentioned five techniques to express your heartfelt gratitude to all your employees on a daily basis.