Employee Appreciation Day, observed on the first Friday of March, serves as a vital reminder for employers to recognize and thank their employees. Created in 1995 by Dr. Bob Nelson, this day emphasizes the significance of acknowledging the hard work and dedication of employees.
Dr. Nelson’s initiative aimed to highlight the profound impact of employee recognition on retention, performance, and attraction of talent. In short: seeing (and honoring) people’s work goes a long way. This occasion has gradually gained momentum, encouraging managers, company leadership, and HR professionals to express gratitude towards their workforce.
This Employee Appreciation Day comes at a pivotal time for employers and HR teams.
The current relationship between employees and employers is strained. According to a study commissioned by HP, just 27% of knowledge workers feel they have a healthy relationship with their work. A lack of trust abounds.
In an era where the workforce demands flexibility and personalization, recognizing employees becomes even more crucial. The current landscape, shaped by factors such as early diagnosis of mental health and learning disabilities and the transformative impact of COVID-19, calls for a workplace that adapts to its employees’ evolving needs without disrupting operations.
At Inclusively, we champion the creation of optimal work environments tailored to individual needs, enhancing productivity and retention. Our Retain platform accomplishes this for employers at scale.
Empower your employees to be excellent: provide them success enablers at scale through Retain.
This approach addresses the workforce’s changing demands by providing a system that is both consistent and adaptable, ensuring operations remain uninterrupted.
Celebrating Employee Appreciation Day: Suggestions for employers.
Employee Appreciation Day presents an excellent opportunity for employers to demonstrate their appreciation. Companies celebrate this day in various ways, including early leave, gifts, meals, events, or special recognitions. Recognizing employees’ efforts has shown to significantly impact their happiness, engagement, and, consequently, the company’s retention rates and overall productivity.
Here are some big swings HR teams should take to better recognize their company’s employees.
- Flexibility — with guardrails: Allow employees to tailor their work experiences within reason. The key is finding the sweet spot where they’re happiest, most productive, and most likely to stay. Our Retain platform helps employers achieve this.
- Implement the accommodations people ask for most: Reflect on the accommodations your employees might need and see how these can be integrated seamlessly into your workplace, enhancing overall productivity and satisfaction.
- Create a culture where employees are recognized: Regularly capture employee feedback anonymously. Have a mechanism to collect this feedback and act on it.
Employee Appreciation Day reminds us of the importance of recognizing our employees’ hard work and dedication.
By creating a workplace that values and appreciates its workforce, employers can enhance satisfaction, retention, and overall productivity.
At Inclusively, we are committed to helping companies build such environments, recognizing the evolving needs of the workforce and the critical role of accommodations in achieving this goal.
As we celebrate Employee Appreciation Day, let us commit to fostering a culture of recognition and appreciation year-round, benefiting both our employees and our organizations as a whole.
Ready to take the next step and create a work environment that makes people happier, more productive, and more likely to stay? Learn more about Retain here.
