7 Things You Should Be Doing for Your Employees

According to projections from Upwork’s 2019 “Future Workforce Report,” 73% of all U.S. teams will have remote workers by 2028. That projection was made before the pandemic and the normalization of Zoom meetings. Now more than ever, it’s going to take intentionality from management to create a united and connected staff that feels valued and excited about their contribution to the company. 

But whether your employees are working from home or in the office, there are benefits to caring for your employees:

• Build trust
• Improve performance
• Decrease turnover
• Improve brand reputation

While it may seem daunting and like it is one more thing to add to your plate, it doesn’t take much to let someone know they are valued, and it yields massive returns for your company. From small businesses to large corporations, here are some simple gestures you can add to your routine to make your employees feel valued:

1.) Ask and Listen

The workplace looks vastly different than it did last year and everyone is adjusting to the changes and challenges that have come along with it. Simply asking how someone is doing will help them feel appreciated. But don't just ask, listen! Maybe that Monday morning meeting is difficult for parents to make as they get their kids ready for distance learning. This might give you ideas for how you can make work better for your teams.

2.) Be Intentional with Everyday Conversations

This is a simple way to encourage employees in the midst of your regular interactions. For example, rather than shooting a short email that says, “Here is your new assignment. Let me know if you have questions”, you can try, “You did a great job managing the latest client. This new client has a lot of requests and because you’re so organized, I know you’d be perfect for the task.” The more you recognize your employees’ specific contributions to the team, the more irreplaceable they’ll feel.

3.) Limit Email to Office Hours 

This one is tough. Especially for the workaholics or small business owners who feel a need to be “on” all the time. But boundaries relieve employees from feeling compelled to respond to senders’ emails after hours. It allows staff to separate their work and their personal lives especially since the pandemic blurred that line. You may even be surprised to see increased productivity when employees are limited to their 8-hour workday.

4.) Offer Flexibility

Employees that feel trusted are more likely to work harder and not take advantage of the freedoms given to them. If you notice an employee worked late on a project, encouraging them to take the next morning off is a signal of trust and appreciation. Offering a flexible schedule to work around school, appointments, and life’s other responsibilities tells employees you trust them to get the work done.

5.) Feed Them

We’ve all seen the Snickers commercial where the out-of-sorts character becomes nearly angelic once they are fed. And while we can’t guarantee angelic employees, we can all agree that getting treated to a meal feels really great. Send digital gift cards to employees who are remote or order meals to share together every once and while in the office!

6.) Praise on Social Media

It’s one thing to say, “thank you” in an email, it’s another thing to post it on social media for the entire company and its clients to see! Share something great about your employee that you noticed and even better, share the praise coming from clients and customers.

7.) Increase Transparency

Even without the uncertainty of a global pandemic, employees want to know what the future holds for their careers. Constantly wondering if their job is on the chopping block adds unnecessary stress and feeling trapped with no opportunity can be discouraging. Be honest with your teams about where your company is at, where it’s going, and what role they can play.

What have you done recently to make your employees feel valued? We would love to hear about it! Give us a shout over on Twitter at @AirTankNH and we’ll retweet our favorite suggestions!