4 Ways of Showing your Workforce Love this Valentines and Beyond
This week the world celebrates one of the most ‘controversial’ days in the relationship calendar – Valentines Day. It’s a topic of debate as many believe love and appreciation should be shown regularly, rather than on one day of the year. What we know for certain, and according to the American Psychological Association (APA) consistent acknowledgement and appreciation in the workplace breeds positivity, motivation and enhanced performance.
Knowing this, it’s essential organisations find ways to show support, acknowledgement and appreciation for their workforce – not just one day of the year but every day.
Look for ways to encourage growth such as investing in skills development
One way of encouraging growth and ensuring your workforce is constantly refining their skills enough to improve performance, is through skills development. The opportunity to grow in self, skill and career is more valuable to employees than organisations realise, and investing in individuals with potential creates a win-win situation for both parties. The workforce feels valued, supported and more engaged, while you reap the rewards of refined skills, improved performance and increased profit. As they say, knowledge is power – for an individual and an organisation, which makes skills development one of the greatest investments you can make.
Organise office gatherings or deliver tokens of appreciation every once in a while
Office gatherings such as pizza evenings or after work socials are a great way to acknowledge and thank your workforce for their efforts. Small gestures such as these go a long way, and here again, it provides a multitude of benefits – it not only earns ‘points’ with the staff, but is a great way for the workforce to get to know one another on a personal level. Relationships that would’ve otherwise been impossible to establish in-office, is made possible during gatherings like these. As we know, healthy relationships between the workforce and especially team members is essential for fostering a positive workplace experience, and of course, success. When it comes to thoughtful gestures, some organisations even go so far as to deliver small gifts on days such as Valentines Day or Workers Day, for example, as it shows employees that they’re thought of and cared for. These gestures are always highly appreciated by staff and is a small investment that reaps great rewards.
Validate their hard work by saying thank you and well-done more often
Sometimes all it takes is a simple thank you or well-done when teams have outperformed, reached or exceeded their targets, or are merely working hard (which they usually always are). These words can never be over-used in the workplace, yet unfortunately, management often forgets to give credit where it’s due. Acknowledgement doesn’t cost a thing, yet it assists in the retention of staff, the acquisition of talent, improvement of employee engagement, and the establishment of a positive office culture.
Engage: communicate, provide feedback and show support
Employee engagement is what it really comes down to. Employee engagement covers every one of the above points and more, and it directly impacts all that organisations are concerned about: performance, culture, profit, retention and acquisition of talent; while meeting the needs and expectations of the workforce. Engagement creates an equilibrium between workforce and management, and every organisational function is established and performed with the needs and expectations of both the employee and management in mind. If you’re looking to improve or establish employee engagement within your organisation, people analytics is by far the best tool to use. Numbers don’t lie – they create clear guidelines meaning you needn’t waste time working out a strategy. But, if you’re yet to invest in an analytical tool, start off by improving communication between workforce and management, and provide consistent feedback for employees and teams to learn from. Then, go on to support their endeavours and growth strategies.
