Morale Boosting Employee Appreciation: How To Show Gratitude

Does your business need a morale boost? Showing employee appreciation and gratitude to your employees can get left to the bottom of your to-do list when times get hard – but that is exactly when you need to put effort into it!

Staff shortages and retention are the biggest concerns for businesses across the UK in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, as demand for workers continues to hit new records.
According to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), the UK is experiencing the worst staff shortages since 1997, with a 200% increase in advertised vacancies. Now is the time to keep hold of your valued team members, and as employees that don’t feel rewarded and valued can grow to feel underappreciated and may look elsewhere for work, now is the time to show appreciation.

The rewards for doing so are huge. Happy employees are productive employees and a study from 2021 shows that when we are happy, we are at least 12% more productive. When industry giant Google tracked their employee happiness against productivity, they saw an increase of 37%. Not only that, but job perks are increasingly a top priority for top young talent choosing where to work with 9 in 10 young graduates saying they play a key role in attracting them to a company.

In short, making workers happier really pays off. That’s why days like Employee Appreciation Day matter. It’s a little reminder to say thanks, cheers, and ‘we couldn’t do this without you.’

We probably all agree that a morale boost is a good thing, and at Motivates, we can make rewarding easy whether you’re interested in arranging some holiday rewards for your superstars or want to give business gift cards that will make them feel all warm and fuzzy.
With that in mind – what can you do to boost morale in your company right now? Here are our prime ideas that we’ve seen work for all sorts of businesses.

How to boost team morale

1. Give employee perks and rewards

So let’s get obvious out of the way – gifts, swag, loot, treats, perks – we all love a freebie and you are going to have a very good day in the office when everyone realises they’ve got a treat from you, and even more so if you are a ‘seasonal giver’ – the element of surprise will be an extra boost. We could have written a whole post about the merits of reward and recognition on motivation, retention and engagement – and the effect on your sales and reputation, but for now – just believe us that this is a Very Good Idea. The better news? We make rewarding easy. Click here to learn more!

2. Praise your team publicly

You might have heard this before and thought ‘yes, we often shout out people at the corporate event or in a weekly meeting’ – but can this go further? It could be as simple as tagging them in a post on social media or mentioning their work during a meeting with the wider business, a newsletter, slack channel, the options are endless. For employee appreciation day, share a personal update on how the team help you and some of their assets.

3. Encourage 2 way listening at work

An announcement that says that you are opening up a forum or channel to listen and act on suggestions is a real mood booster because it gives employees a real sense of movement and progress – with senior staff taking the time to consider what they need and what they have to say. This is a great way of boosting employee morale and as a bonus, you also gain insight into what your employees are thinking. In turn, that works to enhance staff retention and you could even gain insights into attracting new team members.

4. Give thank-you notes

A handwritten thank-you note is a simple, yet impactful way to show your gratitude. Take the time to write out why you appreciate your employee, and send it their way! With many of us out of the office headquarters, an alternative is to go digital. Team a thank you note with Gift Cards/Vouchers. Gift cards (or our very own Lifestyle Vouchers) are a way to get the power of a written note with the added bonus of the balance.

5. Boost morale with planning periods

The psychological benefits of having something to look forward to are well-documented. Just like 2 way listening, having a plan for a company party, get together, charitable endeavours or a common cause can reinvigorate the team. Even if right now is a busy time, you can encourage them and let them know they can soon get out of the office and have some fun! Whether you’re hitting up the bowling alley, going for a hike or taking in a game, planning an online quiz night, themed cooking lessons or even virtual wine tasting, company outings are always a good boost for the mood.

6. Offer lunch on the company

Treating your employees to lunch will be appreciated by everyone involved. It’s a chance for everyone in the office to get out and have some time away. If that’s too much of an ask given your workload, look at some snacks for the team: It’s very easy just to pop out at lunchtime and grab food from local shops; or you could go the extra mile with deliveries of take aways, sweet treats or something special from a local seller.

7. CEO joins the shop floor for the day

Everyone loves to see the face of the business, so seeing a CEO or manager doing the ‘dirty work’ is a great morale boost. We can guarantee they will talk about it for days after!

8. Job shadow opportunities

If your employee has expressed interest in another area of the business, allow them some time within that team. While this sits inside the wider realm of employee engagement, having this on offer is a morale booster.

9. Office update and refresh

From plants to scented diffusers or the ability to personalise their space, there are many small things you can do to brighten up the head office or to provide for their home office that can give it a more homely feel. This will make your employees feel appreciated and wanted – both of which are excellent morale boosters! You could also provide comfortable and stylish furniture, offer healthy snacks and drinks or a subscription to a service that facilitates this at home – or ask employees what they would like!

10. Competitions and games

Incentives work well, but often they are tied to work outcomes. Another way to boost morale that is often overlooked is to offer competitions or sweepstakes where employees can win things. What you choose is up to you – but experiences often really get people talking. It’s something different from the norm and really gets people excited for the period of the competition, helps people integrate across teams and facilitates team bonding.

Our final piece of advice is to take time to do the little things. While showstopping corporate events and travel rewards deliver ‘wow’ moments, it’s often the small tokens of appreciation, such as a bunch of flowers or a gift voucher that have the most impact when delivered regularly.

Thank you for reading! We hope that our advice will help to show your appreciation and gratitude to the amazing employees who make your business thrive.

Do you have any additional tips on employee appreciation? Let us know! To pick up your Lifestyle Vouchers for instant employee appreciation, click here.