Small Business

Everyone wants to be acknowledged. And for small businesses, where workers and teams are close knit, recognizing achievements and high performance goes a long way to building loyalty. So what are the best ways to keep your employees engaged and feeling appreciated for their efforts?

  A simple thank you will do. It’s amazing how much people appreciate being thanked for their efforts. Do it personally, write a note or send an email, cc’ing senior management or other key members of the team.

  Celebrate good times, c’mon. Service anniversaries, birthdays and holidays are a great time to pay special attention to employees with cards, cakes or a planned team lunch.

  Share successes. Create an employee newsletter to keep team members current on promotions, customer wins and feedback, personal achievements/milestones and upcoming news.

   Mighty mentors. For new employees, having an experienced resource that knows the ropes and can make introductions goes a long way in building comfort and ensuring a smooth transition into a new role.

   What’s your favorite? Get to know your employees by having them fill out a list of favorites – stores, hobbies, luxuries, restaurants. You can then use that as your guide to planning team-building activities or choosing rewards that are meaningful and personal.

  Support interests. Offer to pay partially or in full for activities that enable employees to pursue their personal passions. You can also encourage volunteerism by offering paid days/hours off for volunteer work.

   Make it personal. Plan social activities for employees and their families where everyone, at every level of the company, attends. It allows employees to interact informally, and gives family members the chance to put colleague faces to names. You can also personalize the office environment by stocking the break room with games and the odd treat to make downtime fun.

   Make voices heard. Employees feel higher stakes when working for a small business, so solicit their input on business decisions if it makes sense. They will feel important, and you will probably hear some really innovative ideas.

  Simplify their lives. Working in a small business can be demanding. You can ease life maintenance stress by offering concierge services to help with errands like picking up dry cleaning or taking a car for servicing. Check out Thirsty Muse as an example.

  Give them options. Offering work-at-home flexibility shows employees that you understand the pressures of balancing life, family and work. To support telework, equip workers with technology including smartphones, remote access and collaboration tools for ongoing productivity.

At TELUS, small business matters. We are committed to helping you achieve success in every area of your business. We hope that these tips generate new ideas on ways that you can keep employees excited and engaged by recognizing daily contributions and special achievements.

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