As the cold, snowy days of winter start to finally give way to spring in the northern hemisphere, there’s plenty to be appreciative of this March: warmer weather, longer days – and in the workplace, your employees.
March 4th marks the annual Employee Appreciation Day, where employers, managers and executives throughout the USA – like myself – take a moment to really make clear to our workers that, without their tireless hours and contributions, we wouldn’t have a business to manage in the first place.
A company’s success is built on the work and dedication of its staffers, so it’s only fitting we take a day to recognize that. Here are a few ways that you can mark the occasion and make clear to your employees just how much you appreciate their efforts all year-round:
Take Them Out for Lunch
One new survey from the O.C. Tanner Institute dove headfirst into the matter, asking: “If your company was trying to make you feel appreciated on Employee Appreciation Day, what would you like to receive from your company?
The overwhelming answer, picked by 
over 40 percent of respondents, was a team celebration – either a company lunch outing or a party, anything that brought everyone together for a fun bonding event that also happened to include some free food. You’ll find few better, or simpler, opportunities to foster improved, friendly relationships between co-workers and management than with team-bonding activities like a lunch out together. Going out for the celebration also gives everyone a chance to take a deserved break from their laptop screens for an hour or two, and enjoy a change in scenery for a bit.
Make the Office More Comfortable
While the team lunch is a nice gesture, it’s also not something that can be done on a daily basis. For an act of appreciation that runs all year long, consider investing in new office occupancy sensors that help you to better understand your employees’ behavior – and subsequently, their wants and needs.
Condeco Sense monitors heat and motion in key points of the office, from employees’ desks to meeting and collaboration spaces and even the kitchen. It allows you to understand the spaces that your employees really value throughout the day and reshape the workspace accordingly. By clearly communicating the workforce-driven goal of a sensor study (building a workspace that’s customized to your unique group of employees), you demonstrate your investment in creating the best workplace environment possible for your team in the long term.
Leave them a Thank You Note
It may not be the grandest of gestures, but a little kindness goes a long way. While team celebrations topped the list in the O.C. Tanner survey, wanting a hand-written and personalized letter from their manager was the runner-up, sought after by more than 20 percent of employees who responded. Additionally, 60 percent said it was important that the appreciation come from their most immediate managers for the best source of validation.
For managers, every day at work should be Employee Appreciation Day, but March 4th provides an occasion to go the extra mile and do something special for our workers. Mark Employee Appreciation Day in your own way to remind your workers that their efforts are noticed and respected.