According to self-determination theory (SDT), all of us have three universal needs: a need for autonomy, competence and relatedness. Whether we know it or not, all of us desire to have close relationships with others. However, we often get caught up with our “to-do lists” in the workplace and neglect these relationships. We tend to overlook the small details and fail to show our employees that they matter as an individual. Appreciation is a fundamental human need. When this happens, employees feel less connected with the organization or motivated to perform on the job.
Appreciating your employees can have a great influence on their motivation, morale and job satisfaction. Knowing this, employers and managers need to spend time and effort in appreciation towards their employees. In the long-run, employees will feel valued and recognized for their work and in turn, contributes to overall productivity in the company.
So, what does it mean to appreciate your employees?
There are many ways to appreciate and recognize your employees – they would only cost time and effort to carry out. Different ways to show appreciation to employees at work:
- Praise their work – on top of saying “you did a good job”, you should reinforce their actions and the benefits of it
- Thanking employees – show them that you appreciate their hard work and effort
- Offer flexible work schedules – presenting the option of flexible work schedules to employees
- Offer financial incentives – i.e. quarterly bonuses, end of year bonuses
- Providing opportunities for personal/career advancement – participating in external training programs/internal cross-training programs
At the end of the day, your company is dependent on your employees’ performance to drive results and profits. Appreciating your employees can go a long way and can ultimately a unique company culture where employer-employee relationships are constantly strengthened.
By incorporating this culture as part of your organization’s practices, employees will become more willing to spread their positive feelings with peers. In this manner, your employees will become more happy at work.
Remember, appreciating your employees matters A LOT.
