As managers and business owners, it’s important that you never forget the incredible efforts that your teams put in day after day. While many of your workers are likely happy with their work and they’re glad to get a paycheck, sometimes, they may need a little more appreciation to realize that they’re truly valued.

Building bonds is essential in every industry because it helps to create a more cohesive team and can eliminate the chance of burnout, and we’ll explore a bit more about that today.

Why Appreciation Is So Important In Every Industry

Starting a new job can be fun at first, but over time, it’s easy to feel like a thankless cog in a machine that may or may not be making a difference for the company. Working on repetitive and unrewarded work can eventually lead to burnout. Employees who are burned out will typically continue to work. However, their quality could dip, and many may start calling out of work more often, which could put your company in a jam.

Work burnout is one of the main contributors to a lack of energy and motivation. The symptoms of burnout include exhaustion, fatigue, depression, and pessimism about work. If employees don’t feel the way they’re treated is commensurate with the expectations they face, it can cause burnout. If they’re working from home and are isolated, this can further exacerbate the issue.  

Burnout and exhaustion on the job can really be an issue for high-pressure professions like finance and accounting. In finance, where the employees are responsible for ensuring that the company is in good standing, they often have a huge workload. Many need to work long hours to keep on top of the to-do pile. Many tasks can be repetitive, especially over an extended workday. This goes for plenty of other positions as well, like nurses and legal aids, so management needs to be part of the solution.

Companies can do a lot to mitigate the chances of employee burnout. In addition to ensuring that your team takes their breaks and lunches, works a set schedule, and has a suitable work-life balance, management can also show appreciation, and that can be done in many ways.

Unique Ways To Express Gratitude

You could start showing an application for your team by awarding an employee of the month and have a public ceremony where that worker can feel truly appreciated. It’s good to publicly praise employees during meetings and over company-wide emails because the recipients will love the praise of their teams, and the other employees will see that recognition and want to work hard to get it themselves.

However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg, as you could try many other creative employee appreciation ideas at the office. For instance, you could tell the world about the great job of an employee by posting their work on your company’s social media feed. Tag them, add a picture, and explain how special they are. You could also create a “Wall of Fame” at the office with photos of employees who have gone above and beyond for customers and clients.

Another fun idea is to send out thank you cards to employees who have done a great job or send out cards company-wide to thank everyone for what they do every day. Personalize the cards by writing them out to each employee and thanking them for a specific task so they know you value their individual contribution. You can show further support and appreciation for your team by sending out birthday and holiday cards so they feel like they’re part of a working family.

It’s Not Always About Cards And Shout Outs

While showing appreciation with cards, plaques, and public announcements will undoubtedly build stronger bonds in your workplace, there are other ways that you can show your team that you care about their contributions and well-being. 

For instance, your company could offer mental health days for employees going through a tough time on the job or in their personal life. They can request them in advance or call in that day if they don’t think they can work to the best of their ability. Offering these days will show your employees that you care about them as people, and they’ll appreciate that you do.

When asked about this subject, many experts will say that sometimes, all that managers need to do to show appreciation is to communicate with the team and keep them in the loop. This is especially important when you have a remote team that isn’t physically in the office. Provide many avenues of communication, from phone calls to chat to video calls, so employees know that they’re not alone. You can also show appreciation by ensuring that remote employees have all the equipment they need and strong internet to work without interruption. 

A company that sets its staff up for success and shows appreciation for their work will have happy and satisfied employees who may stick with you for years and bring their best to work every day. 

This blog was contributed directly to Workplace Fairness. Published with permission.

About the Author: Katie Brenneman is a passionate writer specializing in lifestyle, mental health, and education When she isn’t writing, you can find her with her nose buried in a book or hiking with her dog, Charlie. To connect with Katie, you can follow her on Twitter.