From new safety measures to mandatory work from home policies, every business is navigating unprecedented challenges during Covid-19. During these uncertain times of the coronavirus pandemic, leaders of companies are under abnormal amounts of stress and pressure. While many leaders now face limited resources, employee appreciation and recognition has never been more important.
According to a 2018 State of Workplace Empathy Study by Businessolver, 96% of employees believe showing empathy is an important way to advance employee retention. With that in mind, in order to cultivate and retain talent, it’s crucial for companies to find creative solutions to recognize employees’ above-and-beyond efforts and ongoing commitment to the company.
The following suggestions provide some innovative ideas to appreciate and inspire the people on your team who will pull us through these tough times.
Give Your Empathy a Boost
How do you build empathy in the workplace if you’re all working from home, or your team is spread out across several sites? Video conferencing can help by giving you the ability to look at and listen to your fellow employees. Sara Konrath, at the University of Michigan, recommends spending some time each day in face-to-face, other-focused listening situations. It can be helpful for company leaders to, “commit to spending 30 minutes a day watching people in meetings or social settings where you don't have to talk much.”
Be Timely With Your Recognition
Adjusting to new work measures made necessary by a global pandemic can be hard, which is why it’s essential to reward specific behaviors you would like to see more of. When the expression of appreciation is timely, specific and personal, it will always be meaningful, whether it’s delivered through email, on a phone call, via video conference, chat, or any other means in our modern-day work environment.
Pair a Tangible Award With a Personal Thank You Note
As a recognition company, we’ve noticed that many of our clients are pulling together gift bags and creative care packages to show appreciation to employees. As a solution that provides a tactile method for saying “thank you”, we’ve created the Hero’s Heart For Teams program. Companies can purchase recognition pins for their entire team to wear or display on their desk as a daily reminder of the gratitude the world has for their sacrifice and contributions. All profits from Hero’s Heart are donated to charities supporting relief efforts. Along with a visible gift, we recommend including a hand-written, personalized thank you note.
Send Awards Directly to Recipient Homes
If your recognition or commemorative event is postponed or cancelled, there is still an opportunity to honor your employees. For a small packing fee, we can organize and ship awards directly to each recipient at their residence. While you can’t be together in person, you can celebrate virtually. Having a beautiful award to display at their home office will boost an individual’s morale and fuel inspiration.
How is your company handling this situation and making sure employees feel appreciated? For questions, guidance or support with your efforts, please contact us.