Last year when working with a company I had an interesting conversation with a manager about staff appreciation. We had recently completed an employee survey to get an idea of how the employees were feeling about the company culture and what they were looking for in a wellness plan.
When presenting the survey results back to the manager I shared with her that a significant group of employees did not feel appreciated for their work. The company had recently given all the staff company-branded jackets, so to her, this came as a surprise. She thought that the jackets would be seen as a form of appreciation.
And I am sure for some it was seen that way. They would be proud to wear their new jackets and show off where they work.
However, if employees were not feeling connected to their work or the organization, or if they are unhappy with an aspect of their job, then branded swag can feel a little off-putting.
Get to know what your employees value and how they prefer to be recognized.
Offering a variety of forms of appreciation can ensure that you're connecting to more of your staff. Mix it up with small gestures or tokens, special food days or treats, private or public words of appreciation, and extra time away off. Get to know what your employees value and how they prefer to be recognized for their hard work.