The talk of “the great resignation” is old news. We’re now in the era of “the great adjustment,” and that means employers must adjust their employee experience in ways that put employees first. A key piece in the winning EX? Showing your people
In fact, 73% of employees stated they would stay at their company longer if they received more reward and recognition. On Employee Appreciation Day, now is the perfect time to reassess and make sure you’re making appreciation part of your company’s fabric. After all, a simple “thank you” goes a long way.
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For us at Reward Gateway, our goal is to make the world a better place to work, and that starts with our own people. While we believe appreciation should happen every single day, we also decided to make Employee Appreciation Day a unique and special event to show everyone how much we care.
The plan: Global ‘Thank You Festival’
Beginning in 2021, we created an all-day, virtual Thank You Festival to provide a safe, shared experience for our 450+ global employees. Our goal was to use
The event included:
- Recognition moments from the leadership team
- Musical acts from Reward Gateway talent and external talent, including Miss Baby Sol, Terra Viva, and Handsome and the Breadcrumbs
- Slack focus directed to #wfhtipsandtales
- New eCards launched
- Well-being-focused content and best practices
- Social media competition for best-dressed
- Celebrity cameo videos to drive recognition platform engagement
A successful festival
The result? Nearly every employee received recognition. On Employee Appreciation Day, our team shared 1,676 moments of recognition.This staggering number meant that 86% of employees were engaged in sending and receiving eCards, and over 86% of employees received recognition.
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The success of our first-ever Employee Appreciation Day activation has spurred another all-day affair planned for 2022. This year will focus on all the ways we can show appreciation, including benefits, well-being, connection and community. To allow for participation and fun, we’ll have a benefits-themed Bingo to help educate our team about available benefits, which coincides with an educational benefits campaign via our blog to bolster our Employee Value Proposition (EVP); there will be a Self Appreciation Workshop to boost well-being; and we’ll also have gatherings in each of our key regions to foster community.
Looking beyond Employee Appreciation Day
Employee Appreciation Day is a great reminder to show employees they are valued. Whether or not your team has an activity planned for March 4, appreciation isn’t a one-and-done activity, and the following are some easy ways to say “thank you” — from extra time off work to a voucher for groceries and entertainment.
Your business is only as strong as your people. When employees feel engaged with their organization, they make better decisions for their companies and clients, are more productive because they like what they are doing, and innovate more because they deeply want their organization to succeed. A “thank you” goes a long way for your people and your business.
