It is human nature to want to feel appreciated – especially at work. IT teams are some of the most overworked and underappreciated employees in any organization. It’s easy to take them for granted, but showing appreciation boosts job satisfaction and engagement. It’s also easy to take a little time to show your team you value them.
Here are seven great strategies you can enact today to show your tech team your appreciation.
Celebrate Wins
People want to be acknowledged when they go above and beyond, exceed expectations, and turn around a great result. When someone has a win, celebrate it. Acknowledge them in meetings and be sure to point out the specific positive behaviours that led to the win to help reinforce great habits.
Take An Interest
Getting to know your employees on a personal level shows that you care about their lives outside of work and that you appreciate the time they put in with the company. Learn spouse’s and children’s names, ask about their hobbies outside of work, or simply ask how their weekend was on Monday mornings.
Mark Milestones With Something Fun
When a stressful project closes, show you appreciate all the work everyone put in by taking them to lunch offsite or putting together a happy hour where you buy the first round. Going out as a unit and sharing a meal or drink shows appreciation and allows the team to relax after putting in long hours.
Respect Their Schedules
A great way to show you appreciate your tech team is to provide them with a better work-life balance. Post your coverage calendar two months ahead of time, so people know when they will be on call. Consider letting on-call team members leave early or work from home one day during the week they are on call to help them feel appreciated and prevent burnout.
Provide Development Opportunities
Talented IT professionals don’t want to stay stagnant in their careers. Investing in their development shows your appreciation for their contributions. Whether it’s paying for a conference, tuition reimbursement, sponsoring in-house training, or even acting as a mentor, development opportunities show your thanks.
Give Bonuses
Financial incentives for going above and beyond are a great motivator – and a great way to say thank you. Build performance-based bonuses into your compensation structure and consider other types of bonuses like attendance bonuses or tenure bonuses.
Say Thank You
These two simple words can go a very long way with your employees. Make “thank you” a part of your daily vocabulary, so that it showing gratitude and appreciation becomes habitual.
For more tips on showing your tech team appreciation, contact the expert recruiters at Employment Professionals Canada today.