Why valuing employees is important

Ask follow-up questions that probe for understanding. When you are truly interested in what your workers think, you accord them a place of respect in the company; you appreciate them. Say thank you, and say it a lot. Thank your workers for bringing up a concern and thank them for specific tasks under way as well as tasks accomplished.

Their desire and ability to work well increase. Appreciative comments in the workplace can readily be misinterpreted as attempts to manipulate or as just plain phony. In order to be effective, express your appreciation in immediate and focused terms. They do not address what was appreciated or of value in the work, and thus are often embarrassing or off-putting to the employee.

They are not appropriate in the workplace. Nurture and support the desire for workers to do their best by setting up their success in every way you can. Your steadfast willingness to value and appreciate will pay dividends by creating an upbeat workplace, better two-way communication, higher productivity and, ultimately, a flourishing business. Noelle C. Nelson, Ph. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server.

Please enable scripts and reload this page. HR Magazine Valuing Employees Employees are eager to work hard, but managers need to listen to their needs. By Noelle C. Nelson February 1, Reuse Permissions. Page Content. What do I do next? When is this due? Her work appears in "The Multi-Generational Workforce in the Health Care Industry," and she has been cited in numerous publications, including journals and textbooks that focus on human resources management practices.

Ruth resides in the nation's capital, Washington, D. Small Business Managing Employees Employees. By Ruth Mayhew. Flexibility Balancing work and family is more important than salary for many workers. Recognition Employee recognition is the purest form of motivation, according to psychologist and management consultant, Frederick Herzberg. Benefits A healthy employee is a happy employee, and nothing improves health and wellness better than a comprehensive benefits package.

Become the person who eliminates hurdles, opens doors, and helps people rise to become their best. Celebrate careers. Careers are different than job titles. Celebrate the whole person—the value they bring to the organization, the value their personality brings to the team, and the value their expertise brings to the world.

Care about wellbeing. This may be both the most powerful and most overlooked way to show appreciation and motivate employees in the workplace.

Think about it. Connect to purpose. This might seem like an odd choice for showing employees they are valued. Often times, leaders believe the organizational purpose is something the employees should connect with, rather than the opposite. When they understand how their efforts play a part in something much bigger than themselves, they feel more valued by their leaders and by their organization.

Give them a break. One of the best ways to show appreciation for a job well done is to allow people time to pause—first pausing to celebrate their work, and second pausing to rejuvenate their energy, motivation, and passion. One of the best ways to win the hearts and minds of your employees is to give them as many opportunities as you can. Let them take on big challenges like a highly visible project or a new leadership role, or pick up the tab for a workshop or conference. Be specific about your expressions of appreciation and recognition.

Don't just say "good job"; give a bit of detail about what impressed you. For example, "Thanks for having the courage to speak up in the meeting. It made a big difference in breaking the ice when everyone else was too fearful to talk about the problem. When you can show your employees you trust them, it sends a very important message. In essence, you're telling them their work is good enough that they don't need you looking over their shoulder.

Make sure your team has the tools they need to do their job--up-to-date technology, good lighting and HVAC, and comfortable, ergonomic fixtures.