Top 4 ways to tell your employees you are proud of them!
One of the core reasons that many businesses have been able to continue trading throughout the pandemic is due to the dedication and determination of their staff, and the changes they have faced haven’t been easy. Effective communications with your team have never been more critical, not only to keep employees updated on business news and changes that might affect them but also, arguably, more importantly, to engage with them on a personal level to help lift morale and keep a positive culture alive.
Showing that you understand how difficult the situation is and that you really value the work your staff are doing should be a definite priority, and it doesn’t have to be extravagant, simply genuine and heartfelt.
1. A personal thank you
Prior to the Covid outbreak written letters and cards were slowly becoming a thing of the past however the restrictions around physical connections have meant that as well as a huge rise in digital comms, there has also been an increase in more traditional communication methods.
As well as frequent updates from our Managing Director Paul Banton, and our immediate managers, over various digital communication platforms, our Chairman Henry Ruddock sent out a personal hand-signed letter earlier in the year which not only gave an honest overview of the situation we faced but he also penned his thanks for everyone’s support. It was definitely something all the team valued receiving and stood out against the increasing amount of digital communications we were all dealing with.
It’s also worth thinking about how you might welcome back employees, where they are returning to the premises after months of working from home or those who are returning from a period of furlough – a thank you card to say you appreciate their support and you’re very glad to be welcoming them back is a great way to help foster positivity as people adjust to yet another shift in the workplace environment.
2. Care Packages & gifts
From the NHS to Apple, right through to small local businesses, a care package is an easy and accessible way (both time-wise and financially) to show your appreciation to your staff, particularly to those employees working remotely. Ruddocks sent out a ‘remote working’ care package which included chocolate treats, fruit and an individual gin drink earlier in the year, together with a handwritten thank you note from our Managing Director.
It can be something as simple or as elaborate as resources allow but in the current climate with many people dealing with pay cuts and reduced working hours, it might be more appropriate to send something on the less extravagant side. A few sweet treats can go a long way to saying thank you and helping people to feel appreciated and connected.
Sending small gestures on regular occasions to help keep morale levels up is also a far more achievable option as we deal with a longer period of uncertainty than any of us had originally anticipated. There are a number of specialist hamper, gift and merchandise companies who provide such services if time pressures prevent this being organised in-house, with some being local companies so by enlisting their services you are also helping to support small local businesses, something we all understand the value of now more than ever.
3. Share feedback from customers
It’s often easy to overlook sharing feedback from clients and even more so at the moment with constantly shifting priorities, but positive feedback is a powerful force for influencing attitudes and actions. If people know they are helping to make a difference it helps to boost individual morale, engagement and feeling of valued at a time when it’s very easy for people to feel disconnected and possibly uncertain about how well they are performing. People will feel motivated to keep on doing what they are doing if they know they are doing it well.
Sharing feedback is a really easy way of telling your staff how proud you are of them and that they are an important part of a fantastic team; it can be done very simply, for example via your staff intranet or email, or a more personal approach is to include feedback in a thank you card to individuals.
Customers appreciate what you are doing to help them now more than ever and whilst pressure on resources is at an all-time high for all of us, it’s worth asking clients for some feedback, even if you haven’t done so before. It provides an opportunity to see what you have done well (and not so well) as well as giving you insight into the work your clients really value.
4. A social media campaign
Shout publicly about how brilliant your staff are! Share your thoughts about your team, the work they have been doing and feedback from clients about projects and individuals who have stepped up and gone the extra mile to solve a problem or find a solution for a client, or just all round been worth their weight in gold.
Why not launch a social media campaign similar to ours: #proudofyourpeople, and make it a regular feature on your communications channels? Not only is this a great way to show your team how amazing you think they are but it is also a great marketing tool which allows you to talk positively about your business, get your message back out there and re-engage with your audience. People love to read about people, and it gives you an opportunity to offer some behind-the-scenes insight into your organisation which is often the hardest of all things to communicate.
If you would like to chat with us about how we might be able to help you show your team that you are proud of them, or for any other internal communications projects, please get in touch.