Employee Appreciation, It’s Crucial for Healthcare Business

Employee appreciation should be your priority if you run a business. Employees are your most precious asset in any business. Business owners who have the most motivated and talented teams tend to have the most success. That means that investing in your employees and showing them appreciation for all their hard work is actually good for business.

Finding the best talent is one thing, retaining great talent is another. With Employee Appreciation Day less than 2 months away, falling on March 6th this year, we’ve put together ideas for how you can show more appreciation for your employees starting right now. 

Say thank you

You’ve probably found yourself in a situation where you felt that all of your hard work was going unnoticed. These feelings can contribute to demotivated and uninspired employees.

A little saying can go a long way. The simple act of saying thank you shows your employees that you are aware and appreciative of the work that they do. And do it often. You can begin to foster a culture of appreciation by leading by example and encouraging other employees to often say thank you to one another.

Avoid being generic with bland thank you’s and be more specific in your gesture, especially if it’s an employee that made a real difference in the life of a patient or business operations. In healthcare, we spend so much of our time helping others so it’s nice to be reminded that your employer sees and appreciates your contributions. 

Offer opportunities for advancement 

One way to invest in your employee’s professional development is by giving them opportunities to advance in their role. If you have an excelled front desk staff employee, consider giving them a management opportunity or even a clinical one in the back office.

By providing these opportunities inhouse you will not only communicate your appreciation for them, but you will also retain more employees who would have otherwise looked for opportunities elsewhere. 

Feed them

People like to be fed. Food serves as a motivator to bring people together which is why meetings are often catered. This is a great way to show appreciation to your employees and foster more relationship building by bringing people together. Some offices even keep a snack corner filled with health bars, water, and other goodies. It’s one less thing employees have to worry about for the day which means they have more time to focus on their work.  

Give extra time off

When a salary bump isn’t possible, another way to boost your employee’s quality of life is by giving them time off. Healthcare is a 24/7 job so extra time off here or there really makes a difference. This doesn’t have to be a routine thing, some argue that it’s more valuable when it’s unexpected. Additional time off to do something besides work will have your employees motivated when they are at work to put their best foot forward. 

Encourage feedback 

Sometimes as an employer who oversees operations it can be easy to miss the nuances that affect your staff’s day to day life. Having a culture that encourages and promotes feedback will allow you to see what affects your employees on the ground and allow you to address any necessary issues.

Too often employees wait until an exit interview to ask for feedback where sometimes the reason an employee has decided to leave could have been something you as an employer could have easily resolved. Feedback makes employees feel heard and shows that you’re invested in their wellbeing and success. 

Work side by side

There is a difference between a boss and a leader. A leader acts like they are part of the team and see their employees as colleagues and not just subordinates. Don’t be afraid to do work that seems below you. It will strengthen team dynamics, foster better relationships, and increase their respect for you. 

Reward them for meeting goals

Setting and meeting goals are crucial to the success of any business and your team has everything to do with that. It’s not only important to track and ensure that goals are being met, it’s important to celebrate and appreciate your team when they’re successful. You can acknowledge this progress at team meetings, through monetary bonuses like gift cards, or even a team-wide appreciation party dedicated to celebrating a successful team.

By showing employees that you trust and respect them, you give them ownership in the business which makes people more motivated and driven to make it successful. Not only will your employees excel, you’ll also retain more of them long term. Every business is different so ensure that what you implement works for your employees. Go the extra mile and make employee appreciation an integral part of your leadership style no matter where you are. 

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