Perhaps not altogether surprising, feeling valued at a company can have a huge impact on how much an employee enjoys his or her job. What’s more surprising is that happiness can impact one’s productivity at that job. With that said, let me ask you a question: How happy are your employees? Do they like their work? Do they feel recognized and appreciated?
Smart managers know that expressing gratitude to their employees is a powerful way to keep them engaged. For example, in one study, fundraisers who were thanked for their efforts made 50% more fundraising calls than those who received no such messages of gratitude. Other research shows that employees who felt grateful were more likely to help co-workers and participate in “prosocial” behaviors. In your workplace, this could mean an increase in collaboration and output.
In another study, college students were divided into three groups. One group listed five things they were grateful for that week; another wrote about five hassles; and the third listed five events (positive or negative) that had happened. After ten weeks, researchers found that the students who had listed things for which they were grateful felt healthier, more optimistic and more positive about their lives. They even exercised more and slept better than the other participants.
In a similar vein, expressing appreciation at work could improve employee engagement. Studies show that seven in 10 workers whose bosses recognized their efforts described themselves as happy with their jobs. Other research agrees that providing team members with specific, positive feedback could improve motivation, productivity and participation. For more information about the importance of employee appreciation, check out the accompanying resource. It describes how companies and managers might incorporate more displays of recognition and gratitude into the workplace, which could benefit both employees and the organization.
