4 Secret Benefits Of Thanking Employees

4 Secret Benefits Of Thanking Employees

Employee Happiness

Everyone likes to have their accomplishments recognised. It makes us feel good to know that others appreciate our hard work, skill and diligence. In turn, happy people are more likely to recognise the work of others. It’s a feedback loop with happiness giving rise to happiness in others. According to a study conducted at the University of Warwick in 2015, happiness spreads whilst depression doesn’t. Being surrounded by happy people can significantly lower instances or severity of depression.

Happiness is a very important metric when it comes to staff. A happy employee is more productive and more loyal than an unhappy employee. Simple recognition of the hard work of an employee can have a huge impact on staff turnover rates. A 17.7% reduction in turnover is seen in businesses whose employees receive recognition for their work.

Employee Health

Stress is bad for your health. That’s something of a no-brainer given that heart disease, stroke, tension headaches and migraines, back and neck problems, asthma severity, diabetes, depression and anxiety, reflux and ulcers can all be caused or worsened by stress. Outside of major illnesses and conditions, however, stress can still have a marked impact on health. A 1991 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed a direct link between levels of stress and susceptibility to the common cold, with participants who self-identified as being extremely stressed having a 90% infection rate when given nasal drops with one of five respiratory viruses, as opposed to only 74% or non-stressed participants.

Recognition of employees and rewarding them for their efforts can go a long way to alleviating stress in the workplace. Naturally there will always be deadline pressure, performance pressure and the other stressors that come part and parcel with working life, but minimising the impact can greatly affect the wellbeing of staff. When surveyed by the American Psychology Association, employees who felt appreciated reported higher levels of physical and mental health compared to employees who didn’t feel valued. It’s another feedback loop. Happy people feel healthier and healthy people feel happier.

Employee Loyalty

Happiness and recognition are key factors in boosting performance, both on a personal and corporate level. It seems rather obvious to say, but someone who enjoys their job and feels appreciated is more likely to be a diligent, willing worker rather than a wage slave. A recent employee engagement study by BI Worldwide showed that when a manager recognises an employee they are 9 times more likely to perform at a higher level and are 91% happier in their current job.

The same study showed that the earlier the employee is recognised – within the first 30 days of employment, the faster they embrace the company culture and will stay with the company longer. According to Equifax Workforce Solutions, around 50% of all employee turnover happens before the first work anniversary. Recognising the efforts of employees and thanking them for their work can drastically reduce this turnover rate. Rewarding and recognising achievement shows a 31.6% increase in employee retention.

Employee Recognition

You don’t have to eat turkey, stuffing and sweet potato casserole with marshmallows to embrace the spirit of Thanksgiving. Recognition of employees and thanking them for what they have done can have an effect that can ripple personal and professional lives. Knowing that they are appreciated makes employees happy, happiness spreads, and happy employees are more likely to embrace their position and company. Given that such a simple act can have such a profound effect, isn’t it time you gave thanks for what you have?