Employee Appreciation

Employee appreciation often brings to mind those tangible things that employers and managers give out as tokens of gratitude. Beyond rewards and recognition bestowed on employees, organizations show their employees that they value them through intangible means.

March 5, this coming Friday, is Employee Appreciation Day, and we talked about it this week on Thank God for Monday. We discussed the intangible ways that employers show employees they are, indeed, valued. No surprise, it starts with a positive culture, and leaders live that culture through their actions.

Our latest book, They Did What? is filled with tales of mischief and misbehavior. One of the lessons in that book is turning a negative situation into a positive one. The HR executive and her leadership team are quick to act on employee misdeeds, and they are committed to resolving issues, no matter how disruptive the situation. The mere fact that they waste no time and are visible to the employees sends a huge message about how much they value their employees. They recognize that good people want to work with other good people in a positive environment. Their actions also help avert even bigger problems from occurring. 

How leaders approach and solve issues also sends powerful messages regarding employee appreciation. HR leaders often confront situations where people just use bad judgment without meaning any harm. Nevertheless, there are repercussions that affect coworkers. Taking the time to get all the facts and listening to the employee rather than jumping to conclusions lets the employee know they are respected. It can also allow the employee to be a part of the solution. 

Not all misbehavior is deliberate, but it can be disruptive. These are often situations where there are underlying causes for the behavior, such as illness or personal issues. Exercising diplomacy and preserving the employee’s dignity is critical in these situations. There is a fine line between helping the employee and getting involved in their personal lives. Having an outside resource, such as an Employee Assistance Program with trained therapists, can be a lifeline for the employee and the organization. 

Addressing employee behavioral issues as soon as possible, getting an employee on the right path, and offering the right resource for an underlying issues are all powerful ways to let employees know they are valued, appreciated and respected for the individuals they are. Other team members take notice as well. They see support being provided to coworkers who need it.

When the behavior may be deliberate, workplace harassment for example, immediate action sends the message to everyone that the behavior is taken seriously, and the leadership is committed to a positive workplace environment. 

They Did What? Unbelievable Tales from the Workplace is filled with many examples of how HR Executives and organization leaders address a multitude of issues involving misbehavior at work all while preserving the employees’ dignity and respect.

Cornelia Gamlem