Next week is Thanksgiving — when gratitude is top of mind — but employers should give thanks to their employees throughout the year, as expressing gratitude improves workplace morale and employee productivity. After COVID-19, rising rates of employee burnout, the Great Resignation and employees quiet quitting, this is a scenario to be grateful for!
Nearly half of all employees (47 percent) would like to receive more recognition for their work, while 21 percent said they’re never recognized, according to a recent Eagle Hill Consulting survey. That’s nearly three-quarters of employees! In fact, employees believe employers should thank them more frequently (38 percent) and more proactively (36 percent) and have that recognition more broadly shared across the organization (30 percent). When their work is appreciated, employees are more likely to go above and beyond with their responsibilities (53 percent), stay with their current employer (48 percent), be more motivated to support their team (43 percent) and provide better service to customers (38 percent).
“Employees also indicate that recognition programs drive them to go above and beyond their responsibilities,” says Eagle Hill Consulting President and Chief Executive Officer Melissa Jezior in a press release. “The key to success is creating a culture in which thanking workers is woven into the fabric of day-to-day operations from the top to the bottom, not just a one-off effort that checks the box on recognition.”
Expressing gratitude takes practice — listen to your colleagues and staff as they discuss their successes, obstacles and motivations. Thankfully (no pun intended), you can practice all year long because, as Betterup advises, “when gratitude becomes a habit, so do its benefits.”
The easiest and simplest way to express gratitude is to say “thanks,” but that may not be as effective as being more specific — say what you’re grateful for, including what it means to you and what exactly you appreciated.
Everyone wants to feel valued and appreciated, so when companies focus on consistently showing appreciation and gratitude toward their workers, everyone wins. As a recent Forbes article puts it, “thoughtful, sincere and consistent employee recognition leads to higher levels of individual employee engagement, satisfaction and productivity, which drives greater organizational innovation and performance.”
Katie Culliton, Editor, CalChamber
CalChamber members can read HRCalifornia Extra’s Practice Gratitude in November – and All Year Long, which includes tips on how to give thanks to employees. Not a member? See what a CalChamber membership can do for you.
