It’s Monday here to say hello again...and we are fast approaching the end of November... another year on the brink of being over. I’d really appreciate someone to tell me exactly where this year has gone? I mean quite literally the year has gone by like the speed of light and although memories have been made, it's just been a whirlwind, spectrum of colours and images flying past.
I try to focus on what 2020 has brought…
And… there it is again that word ‘Appreciation’, that word that follows you around like a dog with a bone and creeps into possibly every corner of your life, from the moment you're a child to when you an adult teaching your ‘mini you’ that appreciation has authority in your life to reflect, assess and guide.
Let's take a look at appreciation in the working environment…
Why Is Appreciation In The Working Environment So Critical To Employees?
Employees from all corners of work life require appreciation in our makeup, it's bread into us and it’s what makes us ‘tick’, yes it’s a big deal...a very big deal. Appreciation is received well by ALL employees, there’s no limit or boundaries, regardless of profession, level, age, gender or ethnicity. All employees that are in that 'cog' of any working matrix of any company.. after all that’s the reason why they are allocated there in the 1st place, aren’t they?
6 Top Effects Of Appreciation On Employees In The Workplace:
Performance
Retention
Engagement
Productivity
Loyalty
Motivation
What About Recognition? Is It the Same As Appreciation?
We can look at another aspect of appreciation, that is ‘recognition’ and these two words simply bounce back and forth from each other in harmonious unity, however are not quite as equal. Why? Why shouldn’t recognition be equal? Appreciation is key to an employee carrying out tasks and expectations, however recognition should be saved for the excellers. The employees that are slightly more productive, the ones who ‘go that extra mile’, the employee that goes beyond their duty to perform what is expected.
Appreciation is the easy going non-fuss making, laid back ‘yes buddy, great job!’, informal one-to-one, a confirmation that he/she is performing the role well within expectations.
The assessment of recognition surpasses appreciation requirements and is offered to those who go further in their role to achieve better results, ‘think outside of the box’ or hit a milestone. Recognition is a big fat, hard pat on the back to say ‘wow fella.. that was amazing’.
What About Rewards?
Finally to top off appreciation and recognition, the cherry on the cake...the bit everyone loves which is….Reward. Now this is a tentative subject...
Who deserves reward and at what point - Appreciation or Recognition?
Who sets the boundaries of when to offer rewards?
Rewards come in all shapes and forms whether a bonus, an extra holiday, a company Christmas Party or a paid work team night out. I would say rewards surpass appreciation and recognition, but some may say every employee deserves reward.. So whilst employers are still in a ‘human’ form and not robots, I would say rewards are given through human compassion, consideration and a round up of company values, integrity and nobility. I’ll leave you to make your own decision on that one.
This year in terms of rewards, this festive season looks very much different to the past ones.
We won’t be seeing big Christmas corporate parties or hear the sounds of banter amongst groups of work buddies out for that 1 famous evening of the year. We won’t be shopping for that glittery Christmas frock that will stay in our wardrobes year after year... and every year after that, we won’t need to buy that gory jumper for ‘Ugly Christmas Jumper Day’ that everyone secretly dreads and for some... let’s say some for honesty's sake won’t be making… ‘memories’ that they may not want to remember so well.
This year People Learning will be offering rewards for employers to reward employees in the form of Gift Vouchers. A great way of giving a gift that keeps giving… This way employers can gift employees and employers can gain too...winner winner, turkey dinner.
So why not check out our Learning Vouchers? We offer many ONLINE courses suitable for many sectors and industries. This year reward and gift your staff with professional development and save the Christmas pudding for next year.
Contact us about Purchasing Vouchers
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