15 Feb How to Express Gratitude to Your Employees
Showing appreciation and recognizing team members’ hard work is something that benefits both the company and the staff. When you take the time to celebrate their hard work and contributions to the association, you set your team up for success and camaraderie in the long run. Aside from this, you keep them happy! Boosting their morale is an essential part of maintaining a solid foundation – necessary for operations and ultimately down the line, keeping your residents happy.
Additional benefits include increased confidence and enthusiasm for their job (you want your team members to be excited to come to work!), decreased turnover when employees know they are valued, improved engagement, and better performance when meaningful incentives for high-level performance become a constant factor, more effective productivity, and lastly, a stronger bond between team members.
It’s also essential that your staff gets along – these friendships are typically some of the strongest and for a good reason. Team members spend eight hours per day or more with each other; when they have strong relationships with one another, everyone (including the residents and the association as a whole) benefits.
You might be asking, “What are some ways I can show appreciation to my team members? They work hard, but I’m not sure where to start.” Take a look at some of these tips to get set up, then allow yourself to get creative. As a part of the association, you know your team members best and can personalize some of these tips to fit each individual if the need arises.
Acknowledge accomplishments right away. When an employee does something amazing or goes above and beyond their simple job description, make a note of it. Go out of your way to commend them on their great work, and make sure they know you appreciate the extra efforts. Your appreciation will make them feel good and encourage them to repeat their efforts (and maybe set an example for other team members to do the same).
Write a Thank You note. If you cannot show your appreciation right away for one reason or another or their efforts deserve more than a quick pat on the back and a “Great job!”; put your gratitude in writing. Take the time to write out a personal note or email to convey your genuine feelings of gratitude. Bonus points if it comes in a card!
Don’t sweat the small stuff. Mistakes happen; it’s natural for humans to mess up every once in a while. If a team member makes a small mistake that isn’t detrimental to the association, don’t make a big deal out of it. Especially if they are exceptional employees who regularly go above and beyond or do great work, forgiving the small stuff is a smart choice for the long run. Giving leeway when needed, such as missing a project deadline by a few hours or forgetting a minor task, shows you appreciate their hard work and trust them to do their best, even if they aren’t on their A-game one hundred percent of the time.
Buy lunch for your team! When you want to improve the spirits and morale of all team members simultaneously, buy everyone something small that they value, such as breakfast, lunch, or coffee. Order for the association one day and allow everyone to take some time to enjoy the spoils of their hard work.
Create a rewards system. You might have to talk to your HOA management company for the specifics on this one, but it may be the most high-incentive option out of all these tips. If your employees have different preferences for receiving recognition, develop a rewards program that allows each person to choose their incentives. For example, assign a certain number of points to major tasks and accomplishments, and track the number of points each team member receives. Allow them to trade their points for rewards of their choice, such as free lunch, extra time off (if allowed), or something else of high value to them.
Express your gratitude publicly! If your association has a social platform or newsletter, it can be a huge morale boost to highlight a particular team member in an “Employee of the Month” way – emphasize their accomplishments or add a personal touch by noting some fun facts about them (with their permission, of course)! Put a face to the name by including a photo with their recognition so any new employees or residents can be sure to know who they are.
Welcome their feedback. Perhaps the most effective tip, welcoming comments, questions, and suggestions for your association, opens the door for team members to feel valued and important. Something that Worth Ross Management Company does is offering up a Diversity and Inclusion survey to all team members (across the associations they partner with and their home office), asking the main question, “What can we do to be more inclusive?” Offering this to your employees, either locally at your association or asking your HOA management company to begin doing this small act, leaves a lasting impression on staff and shows them you care and take them seriously.
Whether you choose to enact all of these or just a few, the main takeaway is to allow your team members to feel heard and let them know they are appreciated. You’ll create a whole new world of opportunities with simple acts of kindness that will translate into a happier association all around.
Talk to your HOA management company if you think some of these more significant or financial options might not be feasible. They will have the knowledge and resources to help your association succeed and ensure the happiness of your team members and residents!