What Your Employees Really Want This Holiday Season
Companies often use the holiday season to show their gratitude for their employee’s hard work and dedication through different incentives, such as gift cards and small trinkets. While these gestures are a great way to temporarily lift morale in the workplace, there are many intangible gifts that managers can give this season that will be much more valuable in the long run.
The Gift of Trust
Being micromanaged can be frustrating for employees. By giving your employees trust this year, they will be empowered to perform their best. Taking a step back and enabling employees with a sense of autonomy in the workplace can do wonders for morale and engagement. It may surprise you how much productivity can increase by giving employees the freedom and responsibility to learn and grow on their own.
The Gift of Encouragement
For the upcoming year, leaders can focus on being less critical and more encouraging towards their employees. Let your employees know that you are behind them every step of the way and want to see them succeed. If they make mistakes, use constructive feedback to create a culture of consistent improvement. Provide support, supply confidence, and reinforce hope. Employees will be more likely to innovate and bring new ideas to the table if they know that their efforts will be appreciated and encouraged.
The Gift of Flexibility
A healthy work-life balance is crucial in every industry. Ideally, employees would give 110% everyday and not miss a single day of work. However, encouraging your employees to use their vacation days and being understanding when an employee requests a day off makes them feel both wanted and respected. Being flexible when an employee’s personal life gets a little hectic is a great way to showcase trust in your employees.
The Gift of Personality
As 2017 approaches, make sure your employees feel comfortable in the workplace. One of the best ways to accomplish this is by being more approachable and relatable to your employees. Company culture is rapidly becoming one the most important factors to increase productivity as companies attempt to make their office a place where employees actually want to spend their time. Making a personal connection with employees is something that can lead to a much healthier professional relationship and a much more enjoyable workplace culture moving forward.
As 2016 comes to a close, it is important to ask yourself what your employees really want this holiday season. This year, try focusing on things that will add more value to the workplace in the long run. Instead of showing your employees appreciation through gifts and cards, show them through your actions.
This DATIS Blog was written by James Clark, DATIS, on December 15th, 2016 and may not be re-posted without permission.
The post What Your Employees Really Want This Holiday Season appeared first on DATIS HR Cloud.
