Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley and Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator Megan Lockhart discuss the benefits of employers showing employee appreciation. In this episode Megan gives examples of how employers can boost employee appreciation. 

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Director/Host: Alyssa Burley

Guest: Megan Lockhart

Producer/Editor: Lauren Stumpf

Music: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “News Room News” by Spence

© Copyright 2022. Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. All rights reserved.

[Introduction Music]

Alyssa Burley: Hi! This is Alyssa Burley with Rancho Mesa’s Media Communications and Client Services Department. Thank you for listening to today’s top Rancho Mesa news brought to you by our safety and risk management network, StudioOne™. Welcome back, everyone. My guest is Megan Lockhart, Media Communications and Client Services Coordinator with Rancho Mesa. Today, we’re going to discuss employee appreciation. Megan, welcome to the show.

Megan Lockhart: Happy to be here.

AB: As we near the end of the year, many businesses are considering how to show their employees appreciation for their hard work over the last twelve months. With labor shortages in many industries, it’s important to remember there are different ways employers can show their appreciation and keep their employees happy throughout the year. It’s not just something you do once in a while. So Megan, can you give us a little background on employee appreciation. 

ML: So, according to our RM365 HRAdvantage portal, employees who work in an environment where there is a lot of praise will be happier than employees who get absolutely no praise. And, this makes sense. Humans are wired to get pleasure from rewards. So, when an employee receives a kind word about their performance, they get a little dose of dopamine. Once that dopamine leaves their body, they want more. Employees know that if they continue to do a good job, they’ll get the praise. And, the cycle continues – a job well done, then more praise.

AB: We know that giving praise to employees for their hard work makes them feel good. Are there benefits to the company?

ML: Yes, if employees are motivated to do a good job, ultimately, their hard work will improve the company’s bottom line. Plus, if an employee gets the dose of dopamine often through praise, they are more likely to enjoy working for the organization and will be less likely to leave. Of course, no amount of praise can make up for a terrible manager or for grossly underpaying compared to your competitors, but it can go a long way.

AB: What are some of the things employers can do to show their appreciation?

ML: So let’s start with some totally free ideas. You can say nice things to your employees. Tell them when they’ve done a good job. It can go a long way. Let them know when a customer has praised them.  Encourage your managers to say nice things as well. You could implement a peer-to-peer praise system. Maybe employees can send each other notes to recognize when another employee goes above and beyond. And, publish accomplishments in your company newsletter, social media or via email to everyone in the company.

AB: All of those things are certainly free and will make employees see that management is paying attention. What are some other options?

ML: So for a few dollars, you can provide a small gift card for coffee along with a thank you note or a verbal recognition of a job well done. But, be specific as to why the gift and praise are being given, so the employee knows what behavior to replicate in the future. If you decide to include a gift, it doesn’t have to substantial to be meaningful. It’s a small token of appreciation to share with your employee that you appreciate their hard work and efforts.

AB: Megan, I think you’ve reminded us all that we should recognize each other whether it’s your employee or a co-worker. People like to feel like they are appreciated. Compliments are free but they mean a lot. Listeners, if you really enjoyed today’s topic and you want to find other topics similar to this, make sure that you go into our RM365 HRAdvantage portal where you can find videos and other articles about similar topics. So Megan, thanks for joining me in StudioOne™.

[Outro Music]

ML: Thanks for having me.

AB: This is Alyssa Burley with Rancho Mesa. Thanks for tuning in to our latest episode produced by StudioOne™. For more information, visit us at ranchomesa.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.