Around the holidays, gratitude tends to be more top of mind and it’s the perfect time to reflect and take stock of your life and express your gratitude to those around you, including those in the workplace. This time of year it’s important to show your employees how much you value and appreciate them. In an article on Forbes they write, “It’s also timely for another reason: rates of burnout, stress, and overwhelm can be particularly high in the run-up to the holiday season, which also, of course, coincides with the end of the calendar year. People are experiencing high levels of year-end stress, deadline pressure, and budget crunch, alongside the personal stress associated with balancing holidays and taking significant amounts of PTO.” Here are some small and simple ways to help employees feel more appreciated.
Get in the Habit
Get in the habit of letting your employees know that you value and appreciate them. In an article in Harvard Business Review, they write, “Simply taking a few minutes to tell your employee specifically what you value about their contributions can have a tremendous impact. Try to build it into your regular routines, perhaps by spending the first 15 minutes of your week writing a personal thank-you note or starting your team meetings with shout-outs briefly acknowledging accomplishments of individual team members. The range of options are almost limitless. Some managers we spoke to gave food and gift cards as tangible expressions of their appreciation; others made it a point to visit with each of their reports daily. The idea isn’t to create an automatic system for thanking employees, however; it’s more about giving yourself permission to express your appreciation in a way that feels natural to you.”
Little Acts of Appreciation
It’s easy to overlook small acts of appreciation but the little things add up and can create a happier and more gratifying work culture. This could look like bringing your employees coffee and breakfast to the office, having a holiday work party, taking your team out to lunch, or giving employees a small gift around the holidays.
Offer Incentives
Around the holidays is the perfect time to have holiday-themed contests. For example, have a Ugly Sweater contest give a gift card to the winner with the ugliest sweater. In an article on Indeed, they write, “To reward employees’ accomplishments, consider providing an extra day off. You may let them finish their week early after completing a large-scale project or let them know they can use the day off whenever they choose.”