Six ways for employers to show they are grateful

At Gratitude Cafe, a hip vegan restaurant in Los Angeles, diners are not only being served delicious, ethical, sustainable food, they are also being asked to reflect on what they are grateful for. Mouthwatering and mood-boosting dishes listed on its menu are represented by self-affirmations – ‘I am blessed’ (butternut squash pasta), ‘I am terrific’ (smoked tofu pad thai) and ‘I am dynamic’ (wholewheat samosa chaat). When ordering, you are encouraged to say your affirmation aloud to your waiter who will repeat this back to you (“You are original”, “You are magical”, etc), while also leaving diners with a philosophical ‘question of the day’ to mull over.So far, so LA. But look beyond the crisp table linen and cool white decor of the restaurant, and it’s clear the company cares deeply about its ethos and invests heavily in the wellbeing of its staff, stating: “We are not just in the restaurant business, we are in the business of developing people. Of all the successes we’ve found, we are most proud of the lives that have been changed through our communities and culture.’ Here in the UK – and especially since the global pandemic struck – we’re also learning the importance of showing gratitude, not just to our families and friends, but also to our employees who have stepped up in remarkable ways to meet unprecedented challenges. Showing appreciation can help staff feel more positive, build better relationships and tackle work problems head-on. In turn, nurturing a happier workforce will ensure businesses reduce turnover, boost productivity, improve engagement and win the war for talent.The pandemic has also shone a spotlight on inequalities in our society and how staff have experienced lockdown differently. It’s meant that organisations have a renewed understanding of the challenges their employees’ face and greater enthusiasm for ensuring their wellbeing.Workhuman believes that employee recognition should be the foundation of a human workplace, especially when workers in every industry have stepped up in a myriad of ways to keep businesses running in the last 18 months. Every employee deserves to be recognised, developed and celebrated. Workhuman research shows that social recognition delivers a 32% increase in employee performance, unites teams and fosters a healthy culture.While repeating self-affirmations to each other in the staff canteen may be a step too far, being more open, vocal, transparent – and just a bit more ‘LA’ – when it comes to expressing gratitude will go a long way to inspire staff in the years ahead.Many organisations don’t have a dedicated employee recognition programme, but here are six easy steps that employers can take to strengthen relationship building and inject that feel-good factor:Say “thank you” loudly and often. Instill a culture among managers where good work is regularly commented on – just saying “thank you for doing that” or “good work” can make someone’s day and can have a profound impact on their motivation. Enthusing about a successful project in team meetings or positive words from senior leaders at Town Halls can also help deepen feelings of belonging. Host an event. Remember work jollies? It’s been a long time since co-workers have been able to connect socially outside the workplace. Organising a team meal or experiential day out can be a great way to show your gratitude. Non-monetary rewards can also mean the most to employees, for example, giving staff an extra day off in recognition of their hard work.Take the pulse of your staff. It’s important not to make assumptions about staff wellbeing. Consider adopting a continuous staff pulse-checker and feedback system to find out about your employees’ mindset, open up conversations around diversity and inclusion and find out how work health can be improved. Consider an online continuous development tool. As people work more remotely, managing staff performance will be more difficult for line managers. A digital system, with a spectrum of feedback, check-ins and priorities, could help create an open culture and nurture top talent.Encourage colleagues to show gratitude toward each other. Adopting a peer-to-peer social-recognition platform where staff can celebrate their colleagues achievements or share interests is a great way to foster a more human culture. Or run an internal awards with colleagues nominating each other for an accolade. Publish the results to show how employees have come through for their fellow workers.Celebrate service and personal milestones. Recognising career highlights and life events of employees, such as onboarding, promotions, transfers, years of service, retirement, buying a new home, weddings, birthdays or becoming a new parent, will also help create an environment where people can bring their whole selves to work. Whatever steps you want to take to show gratitude towards your staff, Workhuman can help organisations to create a culture of social recognition, track employee opinion, monitor performance and wellbeing and encourage collaboration, so that everyone feels seen, heard and appreciated for who they are. For more information on potential solutions, visit workhuman.com

Six ways for employers to show they are grateful

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