5 Employee Appreciation Ideas For Your Remote Team

by Srikant Chellappa Mar 5,2021
Engagedly
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Who does not love appreciation for their work? Positive feedback like this will keep your employees motivated and encouraged. It helps them to take pride in what they do and take ownership of their work. Additionally, it improves the productivity of employees and keeps them engaged. William James, an American psychologist and philosopher, rightly concluded that the deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.

In 1995, Dr. Bob Nelson introduced the first Friday of March as ‘Employee Appreciation Day’. He emphasized the importance of boosting employee morale and satisfaction for organizational success. It serves as a great initiative to appreciate employees for their hard work and strengthen the employer-employee relationship. With all the unprecedented changes since last year, employee appreciation has gained importance now more than ever. As per research in HR Resource Executive, 64% of employees feel that employee appreciation is more important while working remotely.

Also Read: Performance Management Gone Virtual And More Progressive

But with organizations working remotely or in a hybrid model along with the norms of social distancing, a pat on the back would not be possible anymore. Organizations need to adapt to newer processes for appreciating their employees. Here are five simple ways to appreciate your employees virtually and have the same impact on them.

Instant Appreciation

Employee appreciation is effective when done on the spot and on time. Currently, when employees are still working remotely, it is important to keep track of their wins. At times, it is the instant show of gratitude that makes all the difference. When you spot someone going beyond their call of duty, appreciate them immediately.

Using real-time performance management software such as Engagedly or business communication platforms such as Slack, you can appreciate your employees from anywhere and at any time.

Set Up Remote Workspace

Working from home can be exhaustive and overwhelming at times. In a physical office setup, workstations have an ergonomic design. It helps employees to work comfortably without any physical or psychological stress. However, we cannot say the same for a work from home setup. Invest in your employee’s workspace set up so that they work in an ergonomically friendly environment. It will make your employees feel that they are important to the company. Additionally, it will let them know that the organization cares about them beyond their work.

Also Read: Remote Onboarding : Essentials To Know

Peer-to-Peer Recognition

According to a survey by SHRM/Globoforce, 41% of organizations have seen an increase in customer satisfaction, which uses peer-to-peer recognition.

Getting recognition from managers is one thing, but employees love it when colleagues appreciate them. Implement and promote peer-to-peer employee appreciation programs. Encourage your remote employees to appreciate and praise each other’s hard work. Invest in a performance management software that will support peer-to-peer recognition in the form of praises or 360 degree feedback. But in the absence of a software in your organization, peers can praise each other through emails or chats.

It creates a great bond among your employees and reduces the cut-throat competition.

Invest In Virtual Wellness Program

As per a recent research in Harvard Business Review, employers who invested in the well being of their employees saw three times the return of their money spent.

Employee health is known to have a direct impact on productivity. The fear of COVID and its newer strains has affected the mental and physical health of the employees. According to recent reports, employees working remotely have reported increased levels of stress and anxiety. So no other way of employee appreciation would be as useful as organizations investing in employee wellness. Here are some ways to take care of your remote employees:

  • Offer virtual yoga or gym classes
  • Awareness sessions on mental wellbeing
  • Access to online doctor consultation platforms
  • Sponsor medical insurance for all your employees.

Also Read: Understanding Employee Well Being In 2021

Continuous Employee Development

One of the major reasons why most employees leave is that they don’t find any room for professional growth. Encourage your employees to cross-skill and up-skill themselves. Give them access to online training academies such as Coursera, Udemy, edX, etc. Have frequent one-on-ones to understand their personal development and growth plans and align them with organizational goals. Track their progress from time to time so that they don’t fall off the track.

When employees are allowed to cross-skill and up-skill themselves, they get a reason to stay in the same organization and explore themselves.

Have you appreciated your remote employees yet? 


Want to know how Engagedly can help you with implementing employee appreciation program? Then request for a live demo

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Author
Srikant Chellappa
CEO & Co-Founder of Engagedly

Srikant Chellappa is the Co-Founder and CEO at Engagedly and is a passionate entrepreneur and people leader. He is an author, producer/director of 6 feature films, a music album with his band Manchester Underground, and is the host of The People Strategy Leaders Podcast. He is currently working on his next book, Ikigai at the Workplace, which is slated for release in the fall of 2024.

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