The importance of employee recognition during the holidays

Give one unique reason why employee recognition during the holiday season is important?

To help you recognize your employee for their year-long contributions, we asked business professionals and leaders this question for their insights. From building community and family bonds to improving team culture, there are several ways employee recognition during the holidays is important.

Here are eight reasons for employee recognition during the holidays:

Help Retain Top Talent
Acknowledge Contributions Through Reflection
Build Community and Family Bonds
Improve Team Culture
Show Sincerity
Encourage Positive Reflections
Highlight the Importance of Appreciation
Bring Joy During the Season

The Importance of Employee Recognition During the Holidays

Help Retain Top Talent

The holiday season is a great time to recognize your employees and reward them for their hard work. At the end of the year, people often reflect on the passing year and start thinking about changes they would like to incorporate into their lives. This might also relate to their career path and job situation.

That’s why it’s crucial to show appreciation toward your staff and remind them about the unique value they bring to your organization. Investing time and energy in employee recognition during the holiday season positively impact employee job satisfaction.

It strengthens your company culture and helps your organization retain top talent. You can also increase your employee retention rate by showing that your employees’ contribution is important and should not be taken for granted.

Dorota Lysienia, LiveCareer

Acknowledge Contributions Through Reflection

The holiday season is a time to be thankful, to celebrate the end of the year, it’s the time we have to enjoy with our family and loved ones. But it’s also a time of reflection, a time when we look back at the year we’ve had and all the good and bad that came with it.

This is why it’s the perfect time to recognize our employees’ merits and show them our appreciation. Share how their work throughout the year contributes to the company’s growth and success and show them that we are thankful to have them.

Giving them a reason to feel good about the efforts they put into their work will allow them to truly enjoy their holidays and make them more motivated to get back to work the next year.

Jessica Ulloa, MyPerfectResume

Build Community and Family Bonds

At a time where spending time with family is so important, a lot of employees may not have a family to visit over the holidays. The only family they have might be the one between the four walls at your business. This is why recognizing employees is so important so they know they are a part of a family at work and their hard work is not going to waste.

Jonathan Finegold, MedCline

Improve Team Culture

I’m a huge fan of praising and rewarding employees throughout the year, not just during the holiday season. However, the holiday season is a time when employees actually expect recognition and a nice end to the year.

After busy, intensive months, employees want their job to be appreciated. They want to know if their employer notices their hard work and contribution to the company. Recognizing employees during the holiday season is especially important because it’s a part of our culture.

We simply got used to receiving gifts and wishes during the holiday season. Since we were children, we’ve waited for this time of the year with hope and excitement — no surprise, we still do it in our adult, professional lives.

Ewelina Melon, Tidio

Show Sincerity

Showing recognition during the holidays lets employees feel important after going through a difficult year in terms of workplace stress like overwhelming workloads, long hours, and close calls with layoffs. However, when giving recognition, make sure it’s sincere or it won’t serve a purpose.

Let them know that the company values them and their contribution. The more time you invest in showing praise, the more genuine it seems. Consider their needs when deciding on the type of gift to give. Remember, to remain consistent every year regarding employee recognition to maintain good morale.

Desiree Medellin, Peels

Encourage Positive Reflections

The holidays cause people to reflect on what is most important to them. They’ve spent time with family and are considering New Year’s resolutions. If they feel unappreciated or unrecognized at work it’s likely they’ll consider a job change as a solution.

Though employers should be consistent in appreciating their employees all year long, it’s crucial for retention that they know how important they are during the holiday season. When people take off for the holidays, make sure one of the things they’re celebrating is a wonderful employer!

Logan Mallory, Motivosity

Highlight the Importance of Appreciation

The holiday season is the most important time for employee recognition as many companies experience a higher turnover rate in the new year. Businesses need to focus on a positive work culture celebrating the individual achievements of all workers to ensure their staff feels valued and appreciated.

Managers can give a virtual shoutout for a job well done in online communication platforms such as email or Slack, and recognize the success of that individual before an in-person meeting. Companies are the most competitive during the holiday season as far as employee retention, but encouraging positive company morale is the most effective way to keep top talent satisfied.

Corey Walters, Here

Bring Joy During the Season

It used to be that, other than a bonus and a holiday party, all the joy that we got out of the holiday season was sourced from our personal lives. With the line between work and life having been blurred, and in some situations, erased, it is also easy for negative work vibes to sap our holiday spirit.

It has been proven that employee recognition is a primary contributor to both engagement and happiness. Therefore, if an employee’s holiday vibe means anything to their employer, this will be a year to vitally focus on employee recognition.

Jeremy Ames, Workforce Insight

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