15 May
3 Ways To Express Genuine Gratitude To Your Staff
Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 15.05.15 by John Meloche
Promotional products can go a long way in thanking those who mean the most to your business. And, if you’ve been paying attention to the Synergy Marketing Blog this week, then you know that “those who mean the most to your business” include both your customers and your employees. In yesterday’s blog, we explored the various ways that food can be used as an exceptional way to thank the members of your staff.
As we intimated, you can’t go wrong with free food! Next to free gifts, food is arguably the best way to put smiles on faces. Of course, your employees can’t expect to be fed by you every single day. They do, however, deserve to be shown your appreciation for all of their hard work on a regular basis. So while offering treats is a great way to say “thank you”, there are a number of other practical ways you can express your gratitude.
Here are three ways to express genuine gratitude to your staff:
1. Get personal. No, we’re not suggesting that you become nosey and attempt to dig into everyone’s personal business. But showing a sense of genuine appreciation should be preceded by your display of genuine concern for those who work for you. How much do you know about your employees’ personal lives? Perhaps it’s time that you get to better know the people who make up your family away from your family.
“Ask your coworkers about their family, their hobby, their weekend or a special event they attended,” recommends Susan M. Heathfield on About.com, “Your genuine interest – as opposed to being nosey – causes people to feel valued and cared about.” Consider the fact that your staff members are people that you spend a great deal of time around. It only serves you and your company better to make them feel comfortable and welcomed in its working environment
2. Donate to a charity of their choice. Arguably, there’s no more satisfying a way to show your appreciation than to give back to those who need it the most. Donating to charity will always be seen as an extremely noble gesture. And there are many charities out there that are likely to be held dear by the members of your staff. A donation in the name of someone on your team or a member of his or her family is an excellent show of humanity, let alone an expression of thanks.
“Let employees know you’d like to make a donation in their name to a charity of their choice, either making a small donation available to each one or letting them vote on a charity to receive a more sizable gift,” insists Minda Zetlin on Inc.com, “Message: We care about what you care about.” This is a message that is bound to be heard loud and clear by your staff. Even if you select one charity on behalf of one person, the sentiment will be recognized throughout your team.
3. Give them a lift. In yesterday’s blog, we pointed out that one of the reasons that food is seen as such a great show of gratitude is because it saves people money. We all need to feed our bellies, so spending money on food is a necessity. Free meals help to both fill bellies and save cash. The same can be said about transportation. We all need to get to work somehow. And getting a ride to work instead of driving or taking transit is a great way to save money.
“If you’re in an urban area where employees take public transportation to work, look into subsidizing those expenses,” suggests Zetlin, “Many cities have special plans that save on your taxes while helping employees pay for their rides. Message: We appreciate you coming here every day.” Over and above the money saved, your gesture of picking someone up to bring him or her to work with you is simply a super nice thing to do!
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