Christopher Pappas is the CEO and Founder of eLearning Industry, a leading publishing platform that delivers inspiring content.
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The first Friday in March marks Employee Appreciation Day, an observance that allows employers to show staff that their hard work has not gone unnoticed. For some employers, this could mean sponsoring a catered lunch, sending out gift cards or even providing extra time off.
In theory, it’s nice that business leaders have this milestone each calendar year to consider new ways to thank employees; but to me, this is something that should be a key business initiative all year round. Employee appreciation should be less about small surprises or gifts, and more about creating an employee experience that continuously makes staff feel fulfilled, acknowledged and supported.
Pre-pandemic, this mainly consisted of in-person activities that allowed companies to drive team-building and bonding. From company outings to in-office events, business leaders previously focused on touchpoints for staff to connect outside of work projects. However, the post-pandemic workforce requires different methods of engaging employees and making them feel appreciated. In fact, our Future of Work Report found that two-thirds of workers in the United States believe company culture is no longer about team building, it’s about creating a supportive company culture that provides the right benefits and flexible work options.
Here are three initiatives business leaders should consider to make employee appreciation a year-round business priority:
1. Encourage the use of paid time off and prioritize flexibility.
One of the best rewards for hard work is getting the space to step away from your desk and have time to refresh and relax. But this must go beyond giving the day off on Employee Appreciation Day.
In 2022, researchers found that Americans were reporting higher levels of burnout than what we saw during the height of the pandemic with 59% of workers saying they felt at least moderately burned out. With economic factors—from inflation to a potential recession—putting new pressure on Americans and businesses, it makes sense that these stressors would impact our professional lives, too. Keeping the workforce happy and productive will require investment in providing and encouraging the use of time off. Business leaders can lead by example, taking time off themselves and completely disconnecting from work. Then, when employees take vacation time, put strict “no contact” policies in place so they can actually enjoy their time away.
In addition to encouraging employees to use PTO, employers should also enable flexible schedules that allow staff to put their personal lives and families first. To create a flexible work environment, employers must go beyond offering completely remote or hybrid work structures, and allow staff to take time as needed throughout the work week, whether that’s for appointments, managing child care or simply a mental health break. Providing this level of flexibility can help ensure staff feel supported as human beings, not just workers.
2. Help employees grow their skills and pursue new passions.
Another way employers can prove their commitment to staff is by investing in their skills. By providing training programs for upskilling and reskilling, employers not only allow staff to be successful in their current roles, but they’re also helping them build new skills to progress in their careers at the company and beyond.
This could include a range of training topics, from teaching an employee a new system to help them improve in their current position to coaching them on leadership skills or DEI practices to create a stronger workplace experience for junior-level staff and new hires. Training is one of the most important corporate culture trends in 2023, and business leaders can approach training in different ways:
• Creating learning and development content themselves and having managers lead sessions.
• Partnering with local education institutions or third-party edtech platforms to deliver training.
• Offering stipends or reimbursement for staff to pursue educational courses on their own accord.
With development being a main driver for retention, it’s time employers take on the responsibility of delivering L&D opportunities to drive employee appreciation and satisfaction.
3. Launch corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Today’s workforce is increasingly values-driven, and they’re looking for employers who are marching toward a larger social mission. Employers can align by setting concrete corporate social responsibility initiatives and goals.
Research has found that employees who feel aligned with their company’s mission and values are more likely to feel a sense of personal accomplishment in their work. Providing opportunities for staff to drive their mission forward is an incredible way for employers to give back to their workforce, the community and society at large.
So, how can business leaders begin developing a CSR strategy that aligns with their workforce and their business? Here are some steps and questions to get you started:
• Identify organizational values. Who is your company at its core? What do you stand for and how do you live these values every day?
• Align values with vision. What bigger societal issues can your company help improve? How can your brand, its product and services and its people take steps to chip away at this problem?
• Track progress and set benchmarks. What specific actions can your company take in the next six months, one year and five years to make progress toward tackling this societal issue?
• Measure and report on success. What KPIs will be used to track and analyze successes and setbacks? What’s the best way to report on results and communicate internally and externally?
While employee appreciation certainly deserves its own day, the truth is that it shouldn’t need one. By creating a flexible work environment, providing opportunities to upskill and launching a bigger organizational mission, business leaders can ensure employees feel appreciated and valued throughout the year.
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