Showing your employees a little bit of extra love can go a long way towards increasing productivity, reducing staff turnover, and spurring innovation. In addition, employees will be happier and more likely to stay with your company long-term. Our whole mission is to make people happy, so take it from us and check out some methods to best show your employees how much you appreciate them.

Go Above and Beyond Yourself

According to a recent study by Office Vibe, 42% of employees feel their leadership does not contribute to a positive company culture. If you want staff who will go above and beyond, make sure you lead by example. If an employee is having trouble or is swamped with work—offer to help them out. Did someone’s tire blow on the way to work? Offer to come lend a hand or call a tow service. Whatever the problem is— take the time to develop a solution.

Make Time and Lift Burdens

Hard working employees are busy. Even when an employee clocks out for the day, they may have a lot of chores and errands to run. Cleaning the house, cooking dinner—these activities can eat up a lot of free time.

Many cutting-edge companies now offer maid services, dry cleaning, and assistance with other personal tasks. For example, Errand Solutions provides a concierge service solution to help with all of that. Taking care of your employees’ personal to-do list will help them free up time and get some much needed R&R.

Throw a (Surprise?) Party

According to recent studies, 60% of employees eat alone at their desk, working. Kind of depressing, right?

There’s no such thing as a free lunch, but spread the word about “free” food in the office and watch your team come running. Throw a pizza party or an ice cream social. Even something small will make a big impact.

Depending on the situation, social events can be a great way to break the ice. Organize a potluck, an afternoon at the park or a happy hour. (Just make sure you don’t go too far by staying out all night drinking!) By creating fun events, your staff will realize how much you care about them as people, not just employees.

Need help organizing a celebration? Get in touch with our team! We’ve helped plan countless awesome parties.

Get to Know Your Team on a Personal Level

Ask your employees a bit about their personal life. You don’t have to get into details; often, it’s best to keep things simple. What’s the best movie or book they’ve enjoyed recently? How’s the family? Any pets?

Also, make sure you respect any personal space and don’t badger someone to more share anything they don’t want to.

Don’t know what experience to offer? Again, get in touch. We’ll find the best venues and opportunities.

Do the Little Things

Did an employee perform above and beyond last week? Send them a thank you email, or stop by the desk to let them know how much you appreciate their hard work. Consider rewards too, even if it’s just a $10 gift card (we sell them on-site!). You don’t have to hand out compliments like candy on Halloween, but some occasional nice words or a small gift can go a long way.

Write Personalized Thank You Notes

Skip the form letters. Write a thank you note by hand, or type a personalized message and put your John Hancock on it. Personalized birthday cards and other notes are also a nice touch.

Set Proper Expectations

Don’t demand the impossible out of your employees. They’ll get discouraged, and might think that you regard them as a cog in the machine. This mindset breeds low engagement.

Let your employees provide feedback when setting expectations. By being reasonable and asking for input, you will signal to your employees that you trust and respect them.

Care For Your Employees and They Will Care For Your Company

If you want your employees to care about your company, then you need to care about your employees. It’s really that simple! Once your employees know you care, they’ll start to care more about the company and its performance. Then they’ll strive harder to pursue its vision. They’ll be more creative, innovative, and engaged—and you’ll see the results.