While businesses often look forward to peak season due to its ability to give revenues a major bump, employees may not be quite so excited about the extra workload, longer days, and everything else that comes with increasing output to better support a rise in demand.
Giving your staff a little appreciation during these often-intense times can go a long way to showing them that you value their additional efforts. It also has a way of boosting workplace morale, increasing the retention of top talent and making your company the place where people want to work.
What are some of the ways that you can show employees that you appreciate their support in making peak times a success? Here are five options to consider.
Throw an appreciation party
Order a bunch of pizzas and a cake and throw your employees a party to recognize their additional efforts. Before they eat, give a little speech to let them know how important they are to your company.
If someone went way above and beyond during peak, use this speech as an opportunity to call them out for a job well done. Though, this isn’t for everyone as some people don’t like public praise. For these individuals, a private pat on the back before or after the party would show your appreciation without making them feel uncomfortable.
Give thank you gifts (with handwritten notes)
A more individualized way to show your appreciation is to give each employee a thank you gift. Make this gift even more special by attaching a handwritten note that says how much you value the unique qualities they offer, such as a constantly positive attitude or a willingness to jump in and help the team even if the work is outside of their normal realm.
Branded company swag makes good thank you gifts. Get with a local print shop and make each of your staff a t-shirt or jacket with the company logo. Give out branded coffee cups, water bottles or lunch boxes. Show you care while also giving employees an object that they can use to show the rest of the world that they work for a company that takes the time to recognize its staff.
Boast about your employees on social media
Sometimes all it takes is a little public recognition to keep employees going. One way to give this recognition is to tell the rest of the world how great your staff is. When you place the spotlight on them for their additional efforts, they feel a sense of pride in their work. It validates all of the extra work and long days they’ve put in.
Take pictures of your employees doing what they do and post them on your social media pages (don’t forget to get their permission first). You may even create a special hashtag for these posts, such as #[yourcompanyname]strong or #[yourcompanyname]employeesrock.
Share the wealth
If you had a profitable peak, share this wealth among the people who made it a success. Not only does this show your appreciation, but it can also make employees want to work harder during future peaks because they know that they will likely benefit from the results.
Sharing the wealth could be as simple as giving each employee a small gift card to a local business. Or you could put a little bonus money in their checks. Even if the amount seems minimal to you, it can go a long way for employees who are living paycheck to paycheck, giving them a little extra breathing room in their budget.
Offer a paid day off
Nothing says thank you for all of your long days at work more than giving hardworking employees a much-needed (and well-deserved) day off to do whatever they’d like—with pay. This appreciation option can help reduce burnout while giving employees the opportunity to recharge their mental and physical batteries.
Even if this day off can’t be during peak season, it at least gives them something to look forward to in the future. Create a calendar and let employees pick their days off on a first come first serve basis. Alternatively, assign days off in advance so your staff has adequate time to plan this time in a way that suits them best.
Need gift ideas for the holidays (or any other time) to show your appreciation? Check out our employee gift guide here.
