Build Your Own Program

Leaders play an important role in creating a culture of gratitude, recognition and appreciation. Showing appreciation is particularly important for managers. A Glassdoor employee appreciation survey showed that 53% of employees surveyed stated that feeling more appreciation from their boss would help them stay longer at the company.

Below are some suggestions for leaders to consider:

• Recognition can be formal (i.e. an award, promotion, or raise) or informal (a thank you note or a Teams praise badge). You may want to experiment with both.
• Incentives can motivate employees differently. Public recognition works for some, but not others.  Receiving gifts may be preferable to younger employees, but not some older ones.  Find out how people want to be recognized and tailor your approach.
• Be fair in recognition by clearly defining criteria that align with organizational objectives, goals and values.  This prevents recognition from being subjective.
• Recognize multiple types of employee efforts; for example, rewarding both high performers and employees that contribute in other ways. 
• Praising effort can have more impact than praising results.  Focusing praise on effort encourages persistence and effort.
• Regularly check-in. Ask people how they are doing and what they’re challenged by. 
• To encourage persistent gratitude, encourage people to take time to savour positive experiences and reflect on what they are thankful for.