How to make your staff happy everyday

Never underestimate the power of a simple ‘thank you’ in your quest to keeping your employees engaged in the office.

While providing employees with more development opportunities, higher pay and better job security are good ways to boost your engagement levels, a new study by Kronos reveals appreciating them regularly can sometimes help more in keeping them happy on a day-to-day basis.

Polling more than 850 employees across the United States, the survey found 40% of employees said a pay raise improved their motivation or general feelings of appreciation for  six months or less, while 30% said it made them happier for a mere month or less.

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On the other hand, 55% of employees stated receiving a “thank you” from their direct manager gave them high satisfaction at work.

Interestingly, this was nearly twice (28%) of those who said public recognition of a job well done would keep them happy, even if this recognition was tied to rewards such as a gift card or company award.

The highest sense of satisfaction, however, was achieved upon receiving positive feedback from fellow employees at all levels, with 70% of employees saying it helps their morale, indicating that co-workers have as much power as managers to make fellow employees feel appreciated.

While half of employed adults said positive feedback on their performance from their direct manager makes them happy,  a similar 49% also reported feeling satisfied upon receiving positive feedback from their co-workers.

“In an increasingly competitive job market, many organisations turn to unique perks, pay raises, and benefits to keep employees happy, but creating a culture of gratitude could be just as impactful,” the report stated.

"Acknowledging employees’ efforts motivates and inspires much more than many people realise," Joyce Maroney, director, The Workforce Institute at Kronos, said.

"It’s also easy to do and doesn’t cost a thing. Fostering a culture of appreciation could be the simple, secret ingredient to higher employee engagement."

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