Managers Don’t Celebrate Their Employees Enough

February 8, 2021
manager celebrate

For any company, retaining hard-working, talented employees is crucial to business success. Hiring new employees is expensive, time consuming, and may result in a down-grade in talent. And large chunk of the workforce is making that process become a lot more relevant.

A Gallup report shows that 21% of the millennial generation – born between 1980 and 1996 – have changed jobs in the past year, and 60% of them say they are open to a different job opportunity. Labeled the “job-hopping” generation, millennials often carry a different set of work-life values than those of their GenX and Baby Boomer parents.

Plenty of factors go into the increasing employment migration, yet research indicates that recognition and appreciation play a big role. OC Tanner, a firm specializing in employment recognition and engagement, found that 79% of employees who quit their job said that a lack of appreciation was a major factor.

The concept of celebrating employees seems so simple, yet it’s clearly become an issue that many companies find themselves on the wrong end of.

So where can managers and businesses start in flipping the narrative and celebrate employees?

Barry Burnett, BDR co-founder, used to say, “Find someone doing something right and reward them.”

Actively looking for opportunities to celebrate employees will help managers begin to develop a mindset of recognition. These moments could include:

  • Work anniversaries
  • Completion of achievement milestones
  • Going beyond their role to help a customer or team member
  • Special events and holidays

By celebrating these occasions, managers develop consistent recognition habits and make their employees feel more engaged as both a person and a member of their company. Developing the habit of consistent verbal affirmation and recognition will pay dividends in employee retention and performance.

Information in this article came from BDR’s Creating the Next Generation of Company Managers class.

Want to learn more about how managers can develop team leaders that drive profit and growth? Check out our upcoming virtual classes!