National Employee Appreciation Day is observed on the first Friday of March as a day set aside for companies to thank their employees for their hard work and contributions throughout the year. This year, Employee Appreciation Day is Friday, March 5th and it comes as we approach a full year since the world of work was upended by COVID-19. If there has ever been a year to celebrate and thank your employees, this is it.
Throughout this past year, employees have endured a range of challenges, including large-scale concern about job security and personal safety. For those who shifted to working from home, they experienced the perks of this newfound flexibility but also the profound loss of connection and interaction that was previously an important part of most peoples’ work experience. It has been a year of uncertainty and disconnection. While virtual connections over Zoom have helped, they do not replace the personal interactions with a boss and colleagues in the workplace.
Employee Appreciation Day offers an opportunity to acknowledge the challenges employees have experienced and thank them for their efforts and contributions during the tumultuous year. It matters.
Everyone likes to be recognized and appreciated. The link between employee recognition and employee engagement is well documented. Employees who feel valued and appreciated are shown to have dramatically higher levels of engagement than those who feel under appreciated. There is an equally strong relationship between employee engagement and business outcomes such as retention, quality, productivity, and customer satisfaction.
Taking the time to make sure your employees feel appreciated has a direct and positive impact on profitability and bottom line. There are two important components to an appreciation effort. The first key is to personalize it. Reach out and connect with each employee individually and make a specific effort to acknowledge and celebrate each person’s contribution. This can be as simple as a sincere thank you for something they have done, an acknowledgment of how they support the team, or the celebration of an achievement. People need know to their work matters and is important.
The second key is to sustain the effort. Just as Valentine’s Day rolls around once a year, so does Employee Appreciation Day. Relationship experts encourage people to show their valentine romantic affection throughout the year, not just on Valentines Day. Likewise, employee engagement experts encourage organizations and leaders to show their appreciation, respect, and thanks to their employees throughout the year rather than a perfunctory thank you on Employee Appreciation Day.
Regardless of what you have, or have not, done previously to acknowledge and thank your employees, use this year’s Employee Appreciation Day as an opportunity to pause in the midst of all the hecticness of your busy week and attend to your organization’s most valuable and fragile asset. Do something as simple as sending a note of thanks, a small token of appreciation, or giving them time off. After taking this first step, commit to making recognition and celebration of contribution throughout the year part of your ongoing leadership style. Catch people doing things well and thank them. Acknowledge their work each year and let them know you are glad they joined the organization and have chosen to stay and grow. Your employee’s will notice that you notice and will care that you care. It matters.
Brian Clapp
President
CCI Consulting
