In any industry or business, proper employee and company morale can make all the difference in the world for how productive people are. While some companies thrive on building a competitive edge amongst employees within a company, it is usually a wise investment to make sure that employees that work hard feel appreciated at all levels.
Studies have proven that companies that treat their employees well are the ones that tend to rise above their competition time and again. There are many ways that companies can ensure their employees are well taken care of. There are two primary ways this is accomplished.
Great Ways to Show Company Appreciation
The first and most important way to create a healthy work environment where all people feel appreciated is to instill company and employee mutual respect as a company policy and follow through on creating and maintaining this environment. While some competitiveness is good, if the entire workplace environment is competitive, employees will have a difficult time feeling genuinely happy for another employee if they are always in competition with them.
That is why every employee that performs well should be appreciated when they do. Additionally, in a healthy inspiring environment, employees that are struggling receive help from their co-employees. The theme of this workplace mindset is an atmosphere that ensures that when each employee thrives, the company thrives. If everyone within the company understands that when everyone is appreciated the company can thrive and their jobs are more secure. This environment proves much less toxic than unhealthy competitiveness.
The second way that companies can thrive and show definitive respect for employees is to create an annual award system for employees that do well. It is widely known in business that recognition boosts morale. Traditional ways that employees are appreciated is through job recognition, bonuses, prizes, awards, and promotions.
While it is difficult to offer a continuous flow of promotions and prizes, annual awards for job performance is an easy way to recognize employees and inspire others to rise to the occasion. This allows for a continuous flow of new faces and achievers to be able to rise to the occasion of being their personal best.
Regular reviews can be helpful; however, in many cases, this type of environment can prove stressful. Some companies have been known to have reviews for their employees every six months. This does allow for great feedback and a chance to be recognized, it can also become a worrisome time for employees in the few months leading up to the review.
Self-accountability is always important to promote in life. However doing so in a respectful supportive way is what makes a great workplace.
Making sure there the environment for job growth and appreciation is intact on all levels of the company will help inspire employees to do their best without the need for personal six-month reviews. If a company doesn’t create competition against others, but instead a goal to improve themselves to achieve their personal best, the environment becomes much more respected and less competitively toxic.
Annual Awards and Recognition
Annual awards allow for people to be recognized by their superiors for jobs well done without the stresses and potential flow of criticism every six months. Since everyone has their highs and lows throughout the years, bi-annual reviews can show disproportionate review ratings for employees who have personal struggles at times throughout the year. By contrast, annual awards work as a wonderful tool to look at the year as a whole for an employee instead of a window of time within the year.
In addition, there are many different types of awards that can be given to employees. Some of the best go beyond just personal recognition. Awards that recognize success in certain departments is a wonderful morale booster in ways that encompass a larger group of people in an award.
Group achievements can be recognized with acrylic awards and plaques as well as offering the department a special restaurant luncheon. This promotes a team effort and excitement over each person’s contribution to the department as a whole. There are many levels of gifts that can be given, and it is usually wisest to honor multiple levels within the company.
These include awards for:
- Baseline Employee Awards
- Supervisor Awards
- Department Awards
- Management Awards
- Executive Awards
When each of these levels of an employee is recognized on an annual basis, it gives the company and each individual employee the opportunity to continue to strive to be their personal best, no matter what level they have attained within the company’s ranks.
