New Tips And Triks For You

The holiday season is fast approaching and it's the perfect time to stop, reflect and give thanks for what we have. But this shouldn't be limited to the Thanksgiving Day dinner table. Employers, too, should take the time to show appreciation for their workers in the office this season - not just because it's the nice thing to do, but becauseit'll make everyone happier and can also boost the company's bottom line.

The online jobs and career community Glassdoor just released its Employee Appreciation Survey, revealing how appreciated employees feel by employers, what really motivates them at work and what employer-provided perks they want most this Thanksgiving.

The survey, conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Glassdoor among 2,044 workers, found that 53% of employees would stay at their company longer if they felt more appreciation from their boss. In addition, 81% said they're motivated to work harder when their boss shows appreciation for their work.

"This Glassdoor survey is important because it reminds employers of any size that you don't need fancy perks or a big budget to retain talented workers," says Allyson Willoughby, Glassdoor's senior vice president of people and general counsel. "In fact, this survey shows that most employees just want to feel appreciated and valued. They want to be involved in decision making processes, do interesting work and have a purpose. If employers keep this in mind, they'll likely longer retain some of their most talented employees." And don't forget, she says, "the time a boss spends showing some appreciation, thus helping retention, is time spent not having to recruit and interview an employee's replacement."

While 68% of surveyed employees say their boss does show them enough appreciation, one in four (24%) say he or she shows greater appreciation to workers with more experience, and 23% say their supervisor shows more appreciation to newer employees.

"Everyone wants to feel appreciated and everyone values a simple 'thank you,'" Willoughby says. "This doesn't happen enough in the workplace, but showing simple forms of appreciation can really go a long way in motivating employees to work harder and be more productive."

The survey also found that when it comes to actions employers can take to show appreciation, money leads the way as three in four (75%) employees say a pay raise is a motivating and valuable form of appreciation. Other forms of appreciation employees want from employers include unexpected treats and rewards (46%); feeling involved in decision-making processes (40%); and career opportunities (37%), among other things.

"When it comes to ways employees want to feel appreciated by their employer, nearly half say unexpected treats and rewards are great ways. This is good news for employers of any size because thank you notes and lunches are fairly easy and inexpensive ways to show appreciation and employees love it," Willoughby says.

The survey also asked employees about the Thanksgiving-related perks they'd be most grateful for. Sixty-two percent of employees say they would appreciate not being required to work the day before, of and after the holiday.

"As a boss, showing your appreciation by giving workers a paid day off from work, where they can relax or catch up on personal stuff, is a great idea," says Teri Hockett, the chief executive of What's For Work?, a career site for women. "To sweeten the deal, throw in a lunch or dinner gift certificate to a place they might enjoy."

Almost half (49%) said they would appreciate a cash bonus, 41% said a grocery store gift card, 19% would like a pre-thanksgiving meal at work, and 13% would value the option to telecommute the days before Thanksgiving.

"Each boss needs to determine who their employees are within their specific department, what the culture is like, what their employees enjoy and so on," says Willoughby. "Figure out what works best in your specific situation."

Here are 10 additional ways employers can show appreciation for their workers this holiday season (and the rest of the year):

Say 'Thank You.' "Employee surveys continue to show that people value a simple 'thank you' from managers," says David Shindler, author of Learning to Leap and founder of social learning site, The Employability Hub. "Psychologists have long pointed to different personality types valuing appreciation in a way that has most impact on the person, ranging from a job well done to simply being appreciated for who they are."

Joyce K. Reynolds, an expert business coach, agrees. "While salary increases, bonuses, perks and other financial rewards are very important to employees, recognition and genuine appreciation can prove to be the primary keys to talent growth and retention." She suggests public thank yous accompanied by favored status (i.e. the boss's parking spot).

Hockett says if you want to write your thank yous, you should give out handwritten notes. "E-mails are often too easy to write and impersonal when it comes to showing appreciation," she says. "Take the time to buy some nice stationary and write a personal note to show your appreciation."