March 4 is the 27th annual Employee Appreciation Day. It’s a holiday that reminds us how important it is to support and thank those who work hard all year-round. However you choose to celebrate, we hope you have fun and show sincere appreciation to make it a regular occurrence. The investment of this time and effort pays dividends in the short and long term for your employees, yourself, and the company.

A Glassdoor study showed that 53% of employees would stay longer at their current employer if management expressed more appreciation. A healthy bond between workers and management is also good for organizational culture, contributing to a stronger company brand, increased productivity, and higher profits. With everything workers have experienced in the past two years, a little thanks can go a long way.

Read more about you can support your workforce: How to retain employees looking to change careers

Here are three ways you can show your workforce how much you value them.

  • Just say thank you: According to the Harvard Business Review, the best way to show appreciation is to write a congratulatory card, offer public recognition, or give a gift certificate. Their research shows that such gestures increase motivation, performance, and retention. If you’re looking beyond writing cards, SHRM, The US Chamber of Commerce, and Indeed present additional options including assigning meaningful work, giving extra paid time off, providing volunteering opportunities, and catering a special lunch.
     
  • Invest in your workers’ career paths: What’s a better way to show appreciation than helping guide your employees through their careers? There are many ways to do this, including offering skills training, providing internal career mobility, and helping build clarity through a career journey. With our 2021 AI@Work study showing that 85% of respondents are dissatisfied with their employer’s career support, the time is now to make that investment.
     
  • Expand your benefits offerings to meet changing needs: The past few years have also shown what matters to the workforce, and it’s not a ping pong table or catered lunch. Instead, it’s supporting emotional well-being and adding new resources, including expert presentations on how to live healthy, mental health resources, wellness benefits, and caregiving assistance. If expanding benefits offerings is one of your goals, be sure to survey your workforce first and listen to their needs to best accommodate.  

Looking for technology to help support your employee appreciation efforts? Oracle Cloud HCM can help. Learn more today at www.oracle.com/hcm.

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