Employees that feel valued are going to be more conscientious, more productive, and more loyal. Not only does that make you a better employer, but it also can help to increase your profit margins and save you money in terms of high employee turnover and retraining. It is in everyone’s best interest to show an employee that you care and appreciate their hard work.

While nothing can compare to being treated with respect by their boss and being thanked and verbally recognized for the work that they put in, there are also some great practical things that you can do to show your employees that you appreciate them. Let us take a look at some of them here.

Give Them Time Off

One of the most valuable ways to recognize an employee today is through time off to do something outside of work. It is great for mental wellbeing and showing that you care about their lives outside of the workplace. Whether the time is to take a vacation, spend time with family, work on a hobby or do something for charity – unexpected time off with no expectations on what they have to do during that time is always welcomed.

Implement Employee Wellness Programs

These days, we are all so focused on our work and our families that we often forget about ourselves and taking care of ourselves. Implement a range of employee wellness programs, such as an employee financial wellness program or mindfulness and meditation so that employees can remember that they are people too and do things that personally benefit them that are not necessarily work-related.

Give Them Food

Bringing in donuts for the staff break room, ordering in pizza for lunch, or putting on a buffet for special occasions, pretty much all employees will love it if you feed them! It can create some great bonding and team-building opportunities while making your staff feel like you appreciate all of their efforts. Just do not forget to cater to dietary and cultural requirements – leaving someone out is one of the worst things that you could do!

Celebrate Milestones

Recognize your employees’ accomplishments to reward them for their dedication and loyalty to your organization. Make a company-wide announcement in honor of each employee’s work anniversary, thanking them for their ongoing contributions to your organization. If you have an in-house team, decorate the employee’s desk with a few of their favorite things to show them how much you care.

Have a Gamification Reward System

Each employee could claim tasks of their choice and receive the point values associated with the tasks upon completion. These points could be redeemed by employees at a corporate rewards portal for anything from additional vacation time to work-from-home days. While their obvious reward is the payment in the form of their salary or wages, this can encourage them to go above and beyond.

Showing your employees that you value and appreciate the hard work that they put in day after day to keep your business afloat is key to maintaining a happy, healthy, and loyal workforce.