A common mistake made by management, especially as workers return to work, is not showing appreciation for their employees or using the wrong methods to show gratitude. Despite how easy can be, pizza parties are not always the right employee appreciation gesture. A better was to show gratitude is to make your employees feel appreciated, and here are our top ways to do that.

1. Provide positive, verbal feedback
The spoken word is often undervalued in a work setting but praising your employees when they’ve done particularly well is always appreciated by employees. It demonstrates that you are paying attention to them and recognizing their hard work.

2. Be accommodating
Employees are individuals – they have their own families and values and may each need something different to feel valued. Whenever possible, try to be accommodating to requests for time off – especially for celebrations and holidays – and be willing to listen if they want to shift their schedules to attend family events or if they have sick kiddos at home. Providing the option to work from home is also highly valued by many employees.

3. Invite feedback
Inviting your employees to weigh in on decisions for the business shows you trust them and value their input. Making decisions unilaterally, especially when those decisions can affect their work, can make some employees resentful so instead demonstrate your appreciation for them by hearing their opinions on important topics.

4. Support their advancement
If an employee is interested in advancing in the company or gaining more knowledge of education, support that desire. Growth for an employee can mean growth for a business so encourage and support your employees in seeking additional education at workshops, conferences, and in school.

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When trying to implement an employee appreciation program, it can be easy to want to order a lunch and call it good, but employees not only need but deserve better. Your employees are key to making your business better so don’t neglect opportunities to show them how much you value them.