Does anyone know what March 4th is this year? Yes, no, maybe so? Here’s hint – it has to do with your employees. This year, March 4th, is Employee Appreciate day. A day of observance created in 1995 to show employees that they are valued and appreciated for the work they do. As a company, it is incredibly important to re-enforce that ideal because valued employees makes valuable employees.
Humans like to be appreciated. Feeling needed and being complimented on a job well done increases happiness and connection in people. That’s why people like to be appreciated, and if they are negative consequences can occur. Employees that don’t feel appreciated are much more likely to perform poorly. Less than 40% of employees, in a Glassdoor study, feel motivated to work harder when their boss is demanding. In addition, the threat of a poor job leading to termination simply increases the likelihood of employees leaving the company, at a rate of almost 11x a happy employee, and doing a poor job in the meantime! This can cost the company billions of dollars.
But an appreciated employee on the other hand is a happy employee which leads to a higher office morale. This morale will lead to a positive increase in many important traits.
- Creativity- Having happy workers leads to better engagement with the job. By being engaged with the job and other people creativity and collaboration will increase.
- Loyalty – Companies that appreciate their workers have an increased in company loyalty. People are more likely to stay at a place where they feel valued and more like they are making difference. By creating appreciated employees companies can cut down on employee turnover. The loyal employees will in turn create a positive image for the brand.
- Productivity – Happy employees are more likely to be productive employees. Since they feel appreciated they do not want to disappoint or be a failure. The increase in value will lead to a higher work ethic. By being more engaged and working harder, employees will become more productive hence increasing your bottom line.
March 4th is the perfect time to start showing your employees some love. Go a step further and make it habit. By demonstrating they are valued they in turn will become more valuable to you. Creating a happy place to work in a win-win situation for everyone.