Workhuman Editorial Team
5 min read
A recent study shows that 93% of employees try their best in the workplace if they feel recognized and appreciated. Showing gratitude in the workplace doesn't just improve personal performance; it can also help improve the team and organizational structure.
As a manager, you want to make sure that your employees are feeling rewarded and content because this will affect the performance of your team and the overall performance of the company.
So, how can you help your employees feel more appreciated? How can you emphasize the importance of gratitude in the workplace? And what are the benefits, overall, of showing gratitude and appreciation?
Keep reading to learn more about this topic, and about how to transform your team into a high-performing one by expressing sincere gratitude and appreciation.
Showing gratitude in the workplace on a consistent basis is important for a variety of reasons. One of the main things it does is it establishes a connection between employees and it reinforces positive behaviors that fuel the culture of your organization.
Evidence suggests that a consistent gratitude practice can strengthen relationships and have a long-term positive impact.
According to network theories of emotion, emotion schemas develop linearly through repeated pairings of stimuli and emotions.
Meaning, when leadership demonstrates consistent gratitude, and employees experience frequent and intense episodic gratitude within the workplace, employees become more attuned to gratitude-inducing stimuli.
For example, they're more likely to recall helpful advice during challenging times, or view assistance meeting a deadline as worthy of gratitude instead of as you trying to steal the spotlight.
A recent study showed that about 47% of GenZ and 42% of millennial employees feel that they’re not appreciated by their employer and that they’re disposable, compared to only 28% of GenX and 32% of baby boomers.
In this study, it's clear that younger employees are less likely to feel recognized. So, what does this mean?
Unfortunately, this means that younger employees are more likely to look for other jobs or at least not deliver their best performance at work. There are several reasons why this might happen.
All of this is to say, showing more gratitude to younger talent is key to employee retention and driving organizational success.
Gratitude in the workplace is about showing employees they’re valued, appreciated, and recognized. The employees feel that their contributions matter, so they’re not just doing their job for a paycheck at the end of the month. They actually feel like a member of a bigger family: the organization.
Creating a positive workplace culture is the responsibility of higher managerial levels. Your job as a manager is to try to find solutions to make your employees feel appreciated and heard. You should also find ways to show gratitude for work done and delivered so your employees know that their efforts aren’t in vain.
Expressing gratitude in the workplace encourages employees to do their best and helps in building strong teams. Employees feel like members of one family, so they’re ready to go above and beyond to do what is best for the company.
Workers need to feel that they’re recognized and appreciated for what they do. This is why showing gratitude for work done is one of the fastest and easiest ways to boost the performance of teams and individual employees.
Employees who receive work gratitude are likely to feel better physically and mentally. Studies show that people are less likely to feel and express gratitude at work than in any other place. This is why managers should focus on gratitude-promoting activities that can help make employees feel more engaged. Here are some of the benefits of showing gratitude at work:
The lack of gratitude at work will leave employees dissatisfied, unmotivated, unappreciated, and stressed. It can lead to workplace conflicts and affect relationships within teams. It also affects the relationship between managers and their teammates. Here are a few things that can happen.
Expressing gratitude at work is essential, but managers might feel confused about the right points to consider. Here are a few points that you shouldn’t miss.
In Crystalee Webb Beck's study, she points out that,
"Sincerity is highly important to employees, which was found to be indicated by specificity, personalization, timeliness, and equivalency."
Cultivating gratitude is beneficial for employees and the company as a whole, as it helps create stronger and more efficient teams. Since no one wants to work for an ungrateful boss, it's important to find ways to show gratitude at work (and to encourage other managers to follow suit). Here are five ways to show appreciation at work.
While this might seem like the easiest way to show recognition, it’s actually the most potent one. People need to hear that their work is appreciated and have their efforts acknowledged.
Saying "thank you” and praising employees on a daily basis improves workplace relationships and puts your employees in a good mood. As a result, those employees have positive emotions, which reflect on their workplace performance.
For example, if an employee or coworker sacrifices their free time to help you meet a deadline, a handwritten note is a great way to show your gratitude.
In addition to expressing gratitude and saying “thank you,” offer high-performing employees personal development opportunities. Employees would love to work for a company where there’s an opportunity for growth, and they will work harder knowing that their efforts will be appreciated.
Personal development opportunities include courses, networking events, conferences, offering employees special projects that can help them advance in their career, and allowing them to shadow other colleagues while doing certain duties.
Building strong relationships between team members can be done inside and outside the office. This is why taking your employees out to celebrate the success of a project and showing gratitude for their efforts is an excellent way to make them feel recognized.
Organizing fun and casual events depends on the nature of the company, teams, and employees involved. Some cultures support family-oriented gatherings, while others prefer formal dinners. You need to understand the culture of your company and what works for your employees to pick a suitable fun activity.
Some projects won’t end the way you wanted them to, but don't assume it's for lack of trying.
It’s important to acknowledge your team's efforts, focus on what they did right, and then ask them for their input. Then, your employees will help identify what went wrong, which can be avoided in the future.
Nothing shows your gratitude for work done than offering hardworking employees time off. Employees might be stressed to ask for time off when they’re working hard, but if a manager tells them that it’s time to take a break, they’ll feel highly appreciated.
As a manager, you can keep an eye on your team members and see if one of them seems drained. Genuinely offering time off will boost your employee’s confidence, and they will return to work feeling refreshed and eager to work.
Sacrificing your free time to help a coworker meet a deadline is a great way to show gratitude. This is a form of episodic gratitude, where the "perceived benevolence and sacrifice of the benefactor play critical roles." Meaning, their interpretation of the situation is where the positive impact comes into play because you helped when you didn't have to.
There are several ways to say “thank you” professionally.
Showing appreciation to coworkers and subordinates makes them feel appreciated, seen, and recognized. They feel like members of a family, and they will work harder to make things work. Appreciation also strengthens relationships within teams to improve productivity.
Practicing gratitude in the workplace is one of the easiest and most important ways to build strong teams within a company. Employees will feel recognized, appreciated, and seen, and they will feel more connected to the company.
Tell us in the comments about the most efficient way of making your employees feel valued and how this works for them.
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