Employee Appreciation Day comes once a year, but that doesn’t mean that employee appreciation should only happen once a year. It should be a regular part of all the other months and weeks throughout the year. This creates a company culture of appreciation, and when this type of culture is in place the benefits last all year long. Let’s dive into the top 5 reasons employee appreciation matters all year long.

 1. Retention

 Employees who are appreciated at work will be happy to keep working at that company. Employee turnover is a great cost to employers, so hanging on to good employees should be a top priority. Consistent communication and consistent appreciation are key to maintaining content and happy employees. In a survey of 1,000 full-time employees, 75% of employees who were recognized by their manager once a month – which is a good cadence to check in on progress to long-term goals – reported being satisfied with their job. While 85% of those that were recognized weekly reported being satisfied. Communicate regularly with your employees and recognize their hard work and progress by thanking them for the individual contributions they are making to the organization. You just may notice your employee retention numbers go up.

 2. Motivation

 Happy employees are not only retained employees—they are motivated employees. Showing your employees appreciation can be done from manager to employee, but peer-to-peer encouragement is also extremely valuable. Encourage your employees to share positive feedback with each other.

 Make Their Day and Badgeville surveyed 1,200 U.S. employees, representing multiple different professional industries, in 2013. The study results showcased several telling statistics:

• 83% of respondents said recognition for contributions was more fulfilling than any rewards or gifts;
• 76% found peer praise very or extremely motivating;
• 88% found praise from managers very or extremely motivating;
• 90% said a “fun work environment” was very or extremely motivating.

Having a fun work environment and a common practice of praise from both managers and peers will create a culture of appreciation and work wonders for employee morale.

 3. Openness to Change

 If your employees feel well appreciated at work, they are likely to have a higher overall opinion of the company and will be more open to changes in the workplace. The key to gain this open receptivity to change is showing appreciation to your employees on a regular basis. Engage Employee reports that:

 of those recognized in the last month, 55 percent feel confident about company change, while 14 percent report feeling excited. On the other hand, almost half (47 percent) of workers who have never been recognized say they feel nervous or fearful about change. Inevitably, some workers will remain neutral to organizational changes, but for about half of them, regular employee appreciation could be the difference between them feeling confident—or even excited—about company changes, rather than feeling nervous about them.

 
4. Improved Peer Relationships

 Encourage your employees to recognize and respond to the positive things they observe about their peers. The more your employees choose to notice and vocalize what their peers are doing well, the easier it will become for their peers to respond. Encourage them to do this by saying something in person, sending them an email, or giving them a handwritten note.

 No one likes to give one-sided appreciation at all times. We’re all more vulnerable and needy than we like to imagine. Authentically appreciating others will make you feel better about yourself, and it will also increase the likelihood they’ll invest more in their work, and in you. The more natural it is for peers to praise each other, the easier it is for them to reciprocate, and the better their relationships will be.

 5. Trust in Company and Management

 If you want you employees to be convinced that you have their best interests in mind, appreciate them year-round. Employees recognized within the last six months were more than twice as likely to believe leaders care about them, compared to those who were never recognized in the workplace. When recognition is predictable and scarcely done it becomes rote. This does nothing positive for employer or employee. Having a more consistent system for employee recognition in place is a great idea. Of employees who were recognized in the last month, 82% indicated they have trust in their leaders. Furthermore, 89 percent of people who trust their senior leaders categorize their company as a best place to work. But don’t forget to add a touch of spontaneity to your employee appreciation as well! A surprise compliment is something that can brighten an employee’s whole week.

 These five points showcase the great importance of appreciating your employees not just on one designated day but year-round. Creating a culture of appreciation and trust is something that takes time. Start today and commit to the process. Build up your employees on a regular basis.

References

4 REASONS EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION MATTERS YEAR-ROUND: http://engageemployee.com/4-reasons-employee-appreciation-matters-year-round/

New Employee Study Shows Recognition Matters More Than Money: How you feel is often more important than what you earn: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mind-the-manager/201306/new-employee-study-shows-recognition-matters-more-money

THE PERFECT EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION DAY IN 4 SIMPLE STEPS: https://www.tinypulse.com/blog/15-fun-crazy-ideas-for-employee-appreciation-day

Why Appreciation Matters So Much: https://hbr.org/2012/01/why-appreciation-matters-so-mu.html