By Shep Hyken
If you show your employees a little love this Valentine’s Day, they will reciprocate with a little love for you, your company, and your customers.
Earlier this year, I shared a business prediction for 2023: Companies will focus as much – maybe more – on their employees as they do on customers.
If you’ve been following my work, this isn’t anything new. However, with what is being referred to as The Big Quit, The Great Resignation, and other clever names to describe a problem plaguing many businesses today, we must focus on the employee experience more than ever. What appears to be a mass exodus of employees is an illusion for two reasons:
- First, the Baby Boomer generation is at retirement age, and that’s a big part of the working population. More and more Boomers will be leaving the workforce, not because of how they are treated, but because it’s their time to do so.
- Second, it turns out that many employees who appear to be quitting aren’t. They are moving on to other jobs and opportunities that improve their lifestyles and are a better fit for them.
With that in mind, here are seven ways to show your employees a little love on Valentine’s Day (and any other day of the year):
- Verbal recognition – Share a little praise for a job well done.
- A handwritten note of appreciation – This is powerful. I’ve seen employees keep a note from their boss for years. Some even display it on their desks.
- Snack time – Surprise employees with a snack of some kind. It can be a chocolate bar, an ice cream sandwich, or anything special. Be sure to remember employees who might have food allergies.
- Teambuilding – A game or teambuilding activity is always fun and memorable.
- Take the team to lunch – An hour away from the office to enjoy a meal with your team can build better relationships and morale.
- Free coffee – Nothing says “I love you” more than a Starbucks gift card. Okay, that’s a bit of a stretch, but people do love their Starbucks!
- A clean car – One of my clients shared that once a year, the executives would wash the employees’ cars. It’s a fun time that “humanizes” the executive team.
There are hundreds of other ideas that I could have included. The few I’ve mentioned are easy and fun to do. But let’s end with a serious comment. The cost of employee turnover goes beyond hiring and training. When good people leave, it can negatively impact the morale of other employees, and when people aren’t happy working for a company, the customers can sense it. That can cause customers to leave as well. So, for Valentine’s Day (and every other day of the year), find ways to show your employees a little love.
