Thanksgiving is approaching! How do we give thanks to our employees?

The Thanksgiving season reminds us all that it is time to reflect on what we are thankful for in our lives. It is also an excellent opportunity to show our employees how thankful we are for their contributions to our business. Here are some easy ways we can recognize our employees:

Create a “Wall of Fame” in a conspicuous place to publicly recognize employees for specific contributions they have made to the business or how they contribute to the culture.
Write hand-written thank you notes to your employees. Be specific about why you are thankful for each employee.
Provide a paid time off voucher, even for a couple of hours; give employees a surprise to schedule time to leave work early or arrive late during the busy holiday season.
Allow employees to wear jeans during the week of Thanksgiving.
Organize a Thanksgiving-themed food day.
Host a lunch for all employees.

Employees also enjoy the opportunity to recognize their peers. Encourage employees use Post-It Notes to write down what they are thankful for regarding their co-workers. Employees can post these at their workstation so everyone can see each other’s positive contributions. Handwritten notes are always meaningful and make employees feel especially appreciated.

There are endless ways to show our appreciation for employees that don’t require a lot of time or expense. When in doubt, sending an email or stopping by an employee’s desk to just say “thank you” goes a long way. Tom Rath, a well-known consultant for employee engagement reminds us that, “employees who report receiving recognition and praise within the last seven days show increased productivity, get higher scores from customers, and have better safety records. They’re just more engaged at work.”

If your business goals include creating an engaged workforce to promote employee retention, then giving thanks to employees should be on every employer’s to-do list this holiday season.

Do you have workplace engagement and culture questions? We can help! Contact HR Works today.