How to Recognize Your Employees
Chat with your staff., Write a thank-you note., Buy small tokens of appreciation., Take your employee to lunch., Tell your employees when you hear them complimented., Use small rewards to build momentum.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Chat with your staff.
Something as simple as stopping by to talk to employees will make them feel recognized.
Stop by on a Friday afternoon so that employees can feel validated before heading off to the weekend.You don’t have to say much.
Ask them how their week went and what their plans are during the weekend.
Be prepared to share your own plans.
Some employees are uncomfortable talking to the boss, so note if they don’t have much to say.
You can recognize them in other ways. -
Step 2: Write a thank-you note.
Almost 75% of people save handwritten thank-you notes.You don’t have to say much.
Remember not to give a generic thank-you, but identify the accomplishment and explain its significance.For example, you can write something like, “Jaxon, thanks for working late all last week.
We’ve closed the quarter with the most sales ever, thanks to you.” You have to be sincere.Accordingly, you shouldn’t write a thank-you note unless you really have a reason to thank them.
Write out thank-you notes ahead of time.
For example, write “Kevin, I want to thank you for” and then leave the rest blank.
When you think of something, you can fill in the rest of the sentence.
By writing notes like this ahead of time, you’ll be on the lookout for excellent performance to reward. , The gift doesn’t need to be large.
In fact, it should be proportional to the accomplishment you are rewarding.
If someone stayed late on Friday afternoon, you can give them a small gift costing no more than $10.
However, someone who increased your department’s sales by 50% should be given a much larger reward, in addition to a bonus.
Try to find out what your employee likes ahead of time.
Generic gifts are okay, but it’s better to give them something you know they’ll appreciate.For example, where do they get coffee in the morning? You can get them a $20 gift card to the coffee shop. , If you don’t know what to give someone for a gift, then take them out to lunch and pick up the tab.This is a great gift because you can get to know your employee by asking them questions about their life.
Be honest with yourself.
If you aren’t that interested in talking to your employees, then don’t take them to lunch, which could be awkward.
Your employee will pick up on the vibe that you aren’t really interested in talking to them.
However, to facilitate conversation, you can have them choose a coworker to come along. , You might be at a meeting with other department heads when one of them praises a member of your team.
Be sure to relay this compliment to your employee.All you need to do is drop by someone’s desk and say, “I just spoke to Carl in Accounting.
He said you helped him reconcile some numbers last Thursday.
He couldn’t stop praising how helpful you were.” You can also create a recognition bulletin board.
Print out emails from people complimenting your team members and post the email to the board. , You can be strategic with the rewards you give.
For example, a mediocre employee might need a lot of reinforcement right out of the gate.
Remember to celebrate small accomplishments, such as someone’s first sale or their first week on the job.Of course, an employee eventually needs to do excellent work without the positive reinforcements.
But it can’t hurt to reward people early, so that you can reinforce positive work habits. -
Step 3: Buy small tokens of appreciation.
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Step 4: Take your employee to lunch.
-
Step 5: Tell your employees when you hear them complimented.
-
Step 6: Use small rewards to build momentum.
Detailed Guide
Something as simple as stopping by to talk to employees will make them feel recognized.
Stop by on a Friday afternoon so that employees can feel validated before heading off to the weekend.You don’t have to say much.
Ask them how their week went and what their plans are during the weekend.
Be prepared to share your own plans.
Some employees are uncomfortable talking to the boss, so note if they don’t have much to say.
You can recognize them in other ways.
Almost 75% of people save handwritten thank-you notes.You don’t have to say much.
Remember not to give a generic thank-you, but identify the accomplishment and explain its significance.For example, you can write something like, “Jaxon, thanks for working late all last week.
We’ve closed the quarter with the most sales ever, thanks to you.” You have to be sincere.Accordingly, you shouldn’t write a thank-you note unless you really have a reason to thank them.
Write out thank-you notes ahead of time.
For example, write “Kevin, I want to thank you for” and then leave the rest blank.
When you think of something, you can fill in the rest of the sentence.
By writing notes like this ahead of time, you’ll be on the lookout for excellent performance to reward. , The gift doesn’t need to be large.
In fact, it should be proportional to the accomplishment you are rewarding.
If someone stayed late on Friday afternoon, you can give them a small gift costing no more than $10.
However, someone who increased your department’s sales by 50% should be given a much larger reward, in addition to a bonus.
Try to find out what your employee likes ahead of time.
Generic gifts are okay, but it’s better to give them something you know they’ll appreciate.For example, where do they get coffee in the morning? You can get them a $20 gift card to the coffee shop. , If you don’t know what to give someone for a gift, then take them out to lunch and pick up the tab.This is a great gift because you can get to know your employee by asking them questions about their life.
Be honest with yourself.
If you aren’t that interested in talking to your employees, then don’t take them to lunch, which could be awkward.
Your employee will pick up on the vibe that you aren’t really interested in talking to them.
However, to facilitate conversation, you can have them choose a coworker to come along. , You might be at a meeting with other department heads when one of them praises a member of your team.
Be sure to relay this compliment to your employee.All you need to do is drop by someone’s desk and say, “I just spoke to Carl in Accounting.
He said you helped him reconcile some numbers last Thursday.
He couldn’t stop praising how helpful you were.” You can also create a recognition bulletin board.
Print out emails from people complimenting your team members and post the email to the board. , You can be strategic with the rewards you give.
For example, a mediocre employee might need a lot of reinforcement right out of the gate.
Remember to celebrate small accomplishments, such as someone’s first sale or their first week on the job.Of course, an employee eventually needs to do excellent work without the positive reinforcements.
But it can’t hurt to reward people early, so that you can reinforce positive work habits.
About the Author
Joan Thompson
Brings years of experience writing about pet care and related subjects.
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