Celebrate Your Employees Too!

2017 is a wonderful time to be a Canadian and with July 1^st approaching us around the corner, Canadians across the globe will be officially celebrating the country’s 150^th birthday!  Several events and programs have been planned Canada-wide and year-round, and Canadian flags and bumper stickers are decorating the streets more than ever!

But more importantly, Canada is using this opportunity to bring Canadians together with the collective goal of inspiring Canadians of all ages to take pride in their country and to take action towards building a more caring and compassionate nation.

And what better way to continue on the fiery spirit by implementing it into the office?     

Just as it is important for a nation to engage and support their people, it’s important for employers to engage and support their employees too.

The importance of company culture can’t be overstated – it’s been proven these efforts reduce staff turnover, improve productivity and efficiency which in the end contributes to your bottom line and increase profits.

Whether it be in the office, at home, your personal life or in a project, when you’re engaged, it infuses everything you do with purpose, energy, and enthusiasm – it helps you become more creative, innovative and become better communicators with your co-workers, leaders and clients. And also, when you feel appreciated, you generally feel more positive about yourself and your ability to contribute.

So What Are Some Ways to Implement Positive Work Culture?

1. Say Thanks

It’s the simplest form of employee recognition, but also one of the the most powerful forms of feedback that you can provide. While “you did a nice job today” is a positive comment, it lacks the power of being specific. By being as specific as you can in telling your employees why they are receiving the recognition, it shows that you notice and also it reinforces what you’d like to see the employee do more of.

2. Give a Shout Out

Feature your standout employees in the company newsletter or spend a few moments each week to shout out the good work your team members have done in front of their peers to publicize their achievements.

3. Show & Tell

Some people love sharing how they were able to pull off their recent accomplishments. Invite them to put a slideshow together so they can share it with the team. Not only does this boost employee engagement, but it can inspire your employees to be creative and innovative in the workplace.

4. Give the Gift of Time

While Canada Day calls for the wonderful long-weekend (woo-hoo!) everybody still loves a break. Offer time off or extra vacation days for a job well-done.

5. Give a Little with Desk Drops

Celebrate special holidays and company milestones with your employees by memorializing it on a gift. Whether it be pen, t-shirt, cap, notebook or mug – personalize it with your company’s slogan or your team’s favourite saying.

6. Develop Leaders

Create opportunities for your employees to grow by giving them more responsibilities and putting them in leadership positions – one example for instance is asking him or her to mentor others.

7. Meet & Eat!

Everybody loves food. I love food…and I love it when the staff break room is full of food. If your staff are coming in an extra day or working hard to fulfill a deadline, treat your employees to lunch or stop by a bagel or donut shop to get your employees an employee appreciation snack.

8. Support Continuing Education

Offer tuition assistance for courses that will help employees advance in their jobs or subsidize the cost of exams for your employs to attain professional certifications. By encouraging continual education, you can attract and retain great talent and keep employees engaged at work by enabling their jobs to be more challenging.