A thriving small business experiences milestones every once in a while. These are causes for celebration, as the results could not have been achieved without the collective efforts of every member of the team.
Because employees’ accomplishments have a greater impact on overall success in a small business, it is important to recognize how your employees have contributed to your projects. However, adopting a remote work setup has presented unique challenges in doing this proactively.
Still, it is important that employees understand their significance in the team. Satisfied employees with a sense of purpose are more productive and easier to work with.
These are only a few of the many helpful and thoughtful ways you, as a leader, can celebrate the people that make up your team.
Five Ways to Appreciate Your Team
Fair wages and benefits are already a given in making sure your employees experience proper treatment in the workplace. As you continue leading your team through the challenges of the pandemic, take opportunities to remotely let them know that their work matters.
1. Provide shuttle services for them
With restrictions easing and vaccinations taking place, more employees will be able to go back to work physically. However, this does not mean that they automatically feel safer with the daily commute.
While you can still manage it in the current size of your business, arrange shuttle services to allow people to safely go to and from the office on work days. Make note of the locations of employees who need it and devise an efficient route that can accommodate everyone.
Since your workplace has limited resources now, you could be using your personal car to accomplish this service. A regular visit to your auto repair shop keeps your vehicle in good shape with the added miles to your usual route.
2. Give them early days off when you can
It is true that many employees have come to prefer the flexible work setup, now that teams have found the rhythm of working together from home. Remote work offers many conveniences, such as reduced transportation expenses and more time with family. However, juggling work tasks and home responsibilities is taxing for everyone.
Keeping these realities in mind, allow employees to log off early on days when you do not have a lot of work to do. Instruct them to finish their deliverables for the day and log off by a certain time. This helps both you and your staff take a break to avoid over-saturation of screen time.
3. Send care packages to your staff
Previously, regular work days gave the team the ability to celebrate birthdays and other special events together in person. Now that large gatherings are not yet recommended, you can instead bring the party to your team.
For instance, if a team member is celebrating their birthday, you can send over a care package containing gifts from the team as a small present for the celebrant. You can also remotely celebrate events such as Christmas and Halloween by sending themed packages for everyone.
4. Publicly show appreciation to individual team members
You surely have messaging channels that you use to communicate with your team. Ideally, you have separate channels for announcements, daily logins, non-work conversations, and the like. Have another channel, too, for recording work milestones that everyone can look back at to see your progress as an organization.
Whenever you finish a campaign or conclude a project, take the time to acknowledge the efforts of your team through the relevant channels. This shows that as a boss, you pay attention to the contributions of your employees. Make special mentions, too, for specific employees whose performances have been exemplary for specific projects.
5. Host virtual parties with the team
Too many conference calls are exhausting for everybody, but once in a while, hosting a virtual party for good reason boosts team morale. This is why you should wisely choose the occasions for which you will hold virtual parties with the office.
It should be an event that your staff can look forward to, such as a celebration for the success of an event or a game night with prizes. Remind them, too, that attendance is appreciated but not mandatory, so they do not come in just with a feeling of obligation.
Remember that these little acts for your team are not a requirement on your end. However, as your small business continues to function in these difficult times, your employees are sure to appreciate these small toasts to the work they have been putting in to help the team succeed.
