How to Make Your Employees Feel Valued

Business Insights
01/09/2021

There is huge value in showing your employees that they are valued. Happier employees have a direct impact on the success of any enterprise. Businesses that boast a better employee experience tend to use strategies like activities, initiatives, and incentives to increase employee engagement. These management styles cultivate a workplace culture that sees higher employee retention. Whereas companies who do not prioritise this often have higher turnover rates and an insufficient company culture. Simply put, enthusiasm is catching, and so enthusiastic leaders often make enthusiastic employees you have to take a proactive approach.


Showing your employees that they are valued does not necessarily have to be a chore. Read on for a few simple things that you can do to make your employees feel more valued.


Transparency & Communication

Emphasising transparency and honesty within the workplace is the key to creating a positive environment and increasing employee engagement and loyalty. It helps build trust and lets employees know that they are working for a company where their input is valued. On the other side, when employees don’t believe that their managers are not being totally honest with them, then both morale and productivity can suffer.


Leading on from transparency, the next logical tactic to help employees feel more valued is open communication. When two-way communication is encouraged within the workplace, there is a better sense of community and a commitment to working towards common goals. However, for this to be effective, the communication should be clear and done often; it should be a two-sided conversation, with emphasis on listening, open-mindedness, and respect. Without clear communication, assumptions are often made, which can hinder progress as employees spend more time second-guessing themselves.


Team Building

Some employees benefit greatly from accolades and encouragement, but for others, that doesn’t necessarily make them feel any more a part of the team. This is why organising simple get-togethers outside of the normal work routine is so important. They do not have to be especially frequent or too regimented or expensive. Casual events give employees the chance to be themselves and bond as a team without the constraints of a professional environment. They also get to see their leaders in another light.


In creating a strong sense of belonging within the organisation, you will also encourage the employees to interact more, building better peer relationships. They will, in turn, become more creative, flexible, and more willing to contribute to collaborative works. You could consider implementing a system whereby employees can provide praise and recognition for each other. This can help you to see things or efforts that you may have otherwise overlooked. Peer-on-peer recognition also enriches company culture and fosters healthy competition, encouraging them to work harder to keep up.


Show them that You Care

Take an interest in your employees to show that you care about them as more than simply a cog in the machine. Employee happiness should be one of your priorities as a manager. Letting your employees know that you care about them as individuals as well as being the right thing to do is also good for business. When employees feel cared for, they are more motivated and driven to succeed therefore helping the business to succeed.


Showing them that you care doesn’t have to mean grand gestures. Talk to them about their lives, take an interest. If they are going through some turmoil, then offer to help, whether that be with some time off or a more flexible working style while they sort out their issues. Put together a calendar of employee birthdays and do something to commemorate it. Personalised cards are a great way to cater to each individual person and show them that you know them. Photobox, as an example, has a huge range of cards and gifts for every occasion that you can customise to make them unique for each person.


Encourage and Reward Efforts

Achieving goals takes a lot of time and effort, and you should encourage all the steps that your employees take to achieve their goals. Rewards are earnt and rightfully so, but acknowledging the efforts made along the way shows them that you notice the work they have put in and value it. Recognition is a huge component of employee engagement, as many people who leave their jobs cite a lack of recognition as one of their reasons.


Recognition can take many forms; however, as your employees begin to reach the goals that you have set for them, it is a good idea to implement some tangible rewards. Of course, raises and bonuses are effective, but there are a few other methods that you could consider, such as extra paid days off or other benefits packages such as discounts or vouchers.


Challenge Them

Try to find a way to balance their daily tasks with other more challenging assignments. This has several benefits; it offers them a change of pace from their usual work. In addition, it gives them an opportunity to learn something new and could lead to other developmental opportunities for their role. Finally, it can also help to show them that you value them as an employee and that you have faith in their ability to carry out the task and make meaningful contributions.


You may also wish to challenge your employees in other ways. For example, offering them more autonomy in the workplace allows them to shape their own working environment and schedule. Allowing them this freedom challenges them to make the best decisions for their working day. That being said, it shouldn’t replace the guidance that you as a leader offer them. It simply says that you are confident in them and their ability to set their own goals and develop their own processes to achieve them.


In Conclusion

Building a positive and uplifting company culture is integral to the success of any business as it permeates almost every facet of the company. Showing your employees that you notice their good work and that you’re appreciative of it doesn’t have to be time-consuming or cost a lot of money. As seen above, there are a lot of small things that you can do to demonstrate your gratitude and make your employees feel more valued.