How is it almost the end of 2021 already? What is time anymore, anyway.
The bottom line is: it’s been a whole lot of a year and your employees have stood by you through another difficult 12 months. If you’re feeling like it’s time to say thank you, it is!
Saying “thank you” to your team is important: Employees who feel appreciated and recognized for their efforts, who feel like their managers are aware of how hard they work and how much they do, are less likely to want to go elsewhere for a job. Little signs of gratitude make everyone feel better and, from the managerial side, it can be fun!
Here are a few ideas on how to thank your employees as the year ends.
Just say it.
Whether it’s an in-person statement spoken aloud or a company-wide email written from your email address, saying the words “thanks for your hard work” can go a long way. It doesn’t have to be long, it doesn’t have to be overly sugary, it just has to come from the heart and make it plain and clear: Without your employees, your company wouldn’t have the success it enjoys. Your company can’t do what it does without a great team. If you want to earn bonus points with younger employees, start a regular practice of sharing messages of thanks and appreciation on social media and celebrate your victories there as a way to tell the world you’re proud of your team.
Call out specific hard-working people or teams.
Your instinct might be to treat everyone the same and not draw attention to anyone, lest you miss someone or people feel left out. That’s understandable and respectable, but consider this: It can be aspirational and inspiring to know that people will be recognized as individuals, or as a group, if their efforts are exceptional, if they go above and beyond.
Share a meal or snacks together.
Everyone has to eat, right? Why not do it together? During the holiday season, food often takes center stage. Whether it’s a coffee and pastry spread for breakfast or sandwiches or pizza for lunch, set aside time for everyone to take a break and have some extra time to eat and socialize together. Make it festive, make it fun, make it tasty! If you have remote employees, be sure to include them by sending along some goodies to be enjoyed at the same time.
Give the gift of time.
At the end of the year, employees can get distracted and feel the pressure of trying to juggle work responsibilities with the demands of shopping lists, party organizing and family obligations. Offer them some flexibility: if they come in early, they can leave late. Or, if you can make it work, give them the option of working four 10-hour days in exchange for a Friday off. Some companies will close early on Fridays in the summer; could you close early on Fridays in the few weeks leading up to the holidays? It’s a little gesture that can mean so much to your hard-working team.
Let them thank each other.
Your employees are a team. They work together, they rely on each other. Their success, and that of your company, is inherently bound to their coworkers. Why not give them a chance to shine a light on people who make their work lives better, maybe even a little easier? Gratitude shared is happiness spread. It’s a fun and cost-free way to show a little appreciation and respect to thank people and it’s something your employees might really like to do, if given the chance.
There are plenty of ways to say thank you to your team; you know them best and you’ll know what will be the warmest received. Also, consider saying thanks throughout the year, not just at the holidays, and see how much happier your team becomes over time.
Looking for additional staff support? Sterling Personnel has your back!
If, thanks to the success of your current team, you’re looking to expand and bring on new employees, call Sterling Personnel. We have some stellar candidates looking to join a team like yours! Get in touch with Sterling Personnel today and let’s make 2022 an even better year for everyone!
