Welcome to the week after Employee Appreciation Day (Friday, March 4th). Now that the cake is gone, the donuts are stale and the balloons are deflated, will your moment of “employee appreciation” matter? Is a celebration what your employees need, or are they looking for something else? Last year, HR professionals heard that all employees wanted was more money—a tough order at bootstrapped businesses or those suffering in a down oil market. Fortunately, the 2016 employee is craving something else—recognition. This is to be expected with the rise of the Millennial worker, but it also makes sense considering the overwhelming 24/7 pace of the workforce, the complexity of white collar jobs, and the increasing pressure to continue improving—while financial rewards are nice (and necessary), people crave recognition for their efforts that have gone beyond what is expected in exchange for a paycheck.
In sum, your employees aren’t looking for cake, or even a Starbucks’ gift card. What your employees want is recognition—more than one day a year on Employee Appreciation Day. We’ve got some tips on how to make that happen, as well as Tim Sackett’s riff on Google’s recent findings.
Fox Business: What employees want besides money
Thank you. That’s it—truly. The key to a better workplace with happier, more productive employees is to say thank you every once in a while. However, the thank you and the mindset of recognition has to be a part of your regular workplace culture to have a true effect.
Just in case you need a visual, Forbes came to the same conclusion on the employee productivity and excellence—it’s motivated by gratitude.
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Image: forbes.com
Tim Sackett: Google announced they discovered the secret to a great workplace
Just this once, we’re going to withhold the substance of the piece for the readers here—it’s worth it. However, we can tell you that the key is not cash, slides in the office, gourmet snacks, or even 24/7 tech support. The secret to a great workplace is something you can have at your company, but it’s up to each employee to contribute.
As a side note, Tim Sackett, we agree with you completely on your analysis. Also, William Tincup’s comment at the end makes a great addendum to the piece—worth reading.
Inc.: How to be extraordinary: 9 qualities only the best employees possess
Since the theme this week is appreciation, we’re giving a shout out to Inc. for recognizing that giving praise publically is one of the traits of extraordinary employees. Also among the 9 traits is quirkiness, balanced with the ability to fit in, and the ability to ignore job descriptions and do what is required for a successful outcome. While we can’t all add more quirkiness to our personality, we can give a bit more praise for a job well done. Here’s to being excellent!