Everyone is facing the same challenges in trying to make sure the health and well-being of their employees are made sure of during this transition. And not only results are a big part of the new normal, but the new routines and which role this plays on your employees’ health.

They’re your most important part of the company, let’s say: the most important asset. So the thing you should focus on first as a company would be, we advise, the health of these important people. One option in making sure they preserve their health could be offering them OneFit for Business: a flexible sports membership that gives employees the chance to work out in their own time and to choose themselves how they want to stay healthy.

Your company now has an opportunity to make a positive impression on your staff that will have long-lasting implications. Employees will be grateful for good care and attention to their needs won’t be forgotten soon.

No is the question: how? In a recent Deloitte survey of 16,000 professionals, over half of them said they would be happy receiving a verbal “thank you” for their contributions, while 31% would appreciate a written “thank you”. It may seem easy, but these are proven effective ways to show your gratitude to employees.

The following are 10 ways you can actively show your employees your appreciation and gratitude.

1. Create a space for gratitude

Set aside a designated space in the office for written appreciation. Supply markers, paper or post-it notes and encourage everyone to leave notes of gratitude for each other. At Piktochart, each employee decorates their own paper cup and attaches it to a thin rope on the wall. People fill the cups with messages of thanks and small gifts.

If you have some employees still working at home, create a Slack channel dedicated to the appreciation. If you post there often with prompts like “Name someone who has helped you with something at work this week” , people are encouraged to show each other gratitude. Tools like Kazoo and Bonusly promote peer recognition and enable employees to accumulate points that can be exchanged for gift cards, by doing nice things for their colleagues.

2. Allow flexible schedules

More than 10% of employees quit their jobs because of a poor work-life balance. Flexible scheduling makes a big difference, especially for parents who need to stay home with sick kids or want to be present for their children’s special milestones, employees with ongoing health issues, caretakers, etc.

How to implement this? Easy. For example, offer your employees to prolong their lunch break to go to the gym. This boosts their motivation to work afterward, gives them energy, and encourages trust. You could also choose to let them decide themselves when and where to work – your call.

3. Invest in the development and education of your employees

By investing in the professional development of your employees, you show them that you appreciate how they contribute to the company and that you actually care what they do. You can do this by offering them paid courses they want to do, offering them seminars and a budget for education. A good idea would also be to let them spend a day per month or week to study or do a course they’d want to do.

4. Let your employees shine

By exploring new ways to appreciate good work, for example by giving employees a shout out in big meetings or by naming them in presentations, you can really show your gratitude. This will also lift motivation and trust.

Reinvent the “Employee of the month” program by allowing employees to nominate co-workers for different categories like the Value Victor (based on your company values), the Fresh New Skills Award for an employee who underwent professional development, or shake things up with the Best New Mistake – acknowledging someone who took a risk, made a mistake, and the company learned from it. Remember you can go beyond verbal recognition.

5. Surprise with gift cards to a local business

Randomly hand out gift cards to local businesses to show appreciation. And not only their appreciation is gained, but local businesses that might be struggling due to the current situation will be helped!

6. Bring self-care to the office

Organize on-site chair massages, meditation sessions, or a live exercise class at the office. This makes it both convenient for everyone to focus on their well-being at work and helps them bond with teammates.

7. Assign special projects for extra engagement

No budget at the moment? Not a problem. A McKinsey Quarterly survey found that non-financial incentives like attention from managers and opportunities to lead projects were stronger motivators at work than performance-based cash bonuses.

So, for example, plan a Hackathon that lets teams create something over a short period of time that will be launched as a beta project or focus on individuals. If the employees are given opportunities to work on extra projects and lead teams, their motivation will be boosted.

8. Give impromptu time off

Send an email telling your employees to take the afternoon off or to come in late and see what happens. The gratitude will be huge! By doing these spontaneous things, loyalty will rise within your team.

9. Introduce employee benefits, focused on health

Show your team that their well-being is a company priority by adding new perks specifically focusing on health. For example, offer OneFit for Business and let them choose themselves what sports they want to do. By offering a big range of choices, everyone will find something to their liking. Doing sports is good for the body and mind – which means your employees’ health will be off the roof.

10. Start a work suggestion program

Ask employees how they would improve the current way of working. This will get them involved in shaping company culture while reinforcing your core values. Whether you have a portion of the team working from home or you’ve got everyone coming back to the office at the same time, listening to your team’s ideas and creating a solid plan together is a smart way to navigate uncharted territory.

Curious about OneFit for Business? Check out our website or plan a call with us.

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