The desire to feel valued, recognized, and appreciated is universal—not only in our personal lives but also in the workplace. Todd and I, technical professionals by trade, understood this when we started our company. From the beginning, we made it a core part of our strategic objective to create a place where people genuinely enjoy coming to work—a great place to work.

Our belief is backed by research. According to Great Place To Work’s 2023 discretionary effort study [related blog], 37% of respondents said that more recognition at work “would encourage them to produce better work more often.” Additionally, employees who feel consistently recognized are 2.2X more likely to innovate and bring up new ideas and 2X more likely to say people at work go above and beyond. Working harder, smarter, and happier—that’s a significant ROI.

Similarly, customer appreciation drives loyalty, engagement, and company growth. A Forrester survey of 85,000 consumers found that the top three emotions that “inspire or discourage loyalty” among people are to feel valued, appreciated, and respected.

We can all agree that appreciation is important, but how you show it matters. Appreciation isn’t a one-and-done event. (Sorry, but your annual Christmas party or Facebook customer appreciation post doesn’t cover it!) To reap the benefits of appreciation in your organization, you must weave it into company culture.

Tips To Build A Culture Of Appreciation

A culture of appreciation is about being consistent. While significant events like anniversaries, birthdays, and holidays are great opportunities to recognize and appreciate employees and customers, you need to do it in small ways throughout the year. At Entech, we’ve implemented systems to ensure this consistency, and these systems are deeply aligned with our objective of making this a great place to work.

Here are a few important tips to help you build your own meaningful culture of appreciation:

Meaningful Employee Appreciation and Recognition:

It’s important to note that there is a difference between appreciation and recognition. Appreciating an employee is to acknowledge their value as a person to your organization. Recognition is related to performance and effort. Consider both when you are planning your acts of thanks:

• Find out what’s meaningful to them. Everyone has preferences for how they want to be appreciated. So ask! Food, a note, a personalized gift—many simple ways to show appreciation.
• Create more opportunities for recognition. You can’t see everything, so ask for submissions from your team and post the shout-outs on a digital announcement board or internal team email. Our company has a system that not only allows but encourages team members to vote and recognize each other. It’s not just about management acknowledgment; peer-to-peer recognition is powerful and fosters a supportive environment.
• Be specific. Did they put in extra effort for the presentation? Are they always on time for team calls? Specific comments are more genuine.
• Don’t wait. Don’t recognize an employee for their work on a presentation a month after the conference. The sooner you say it, the more impact it will have.
• Align with the bigger vision. During team meetings, recognize how employees contribute to your organization’s mission. At our company, we go a step further by linking recognition to our strategic objectives.
• Offered to pay for training courses or industry conferences to invest in their professional growth. Their personal development goals may very well align with your company’s growth goals.

Appreciating Customers:

In a study by the Rockefeller Corporation, 82% [Up from 68% in 2011] of customers will stop doing business with you if they feel undervalued. Here are tips for building a culture of customer appreciation in your organization:

• Personalize their experience. A handwritten thank-you note is meaningful to customers, but personalizing the customer experience can go even further. Figure out how they like to be reached (via email or phone, for example) or simply offer information relevant to their unique industry.
• Follow up. After a service or purchase, check in with your customer to ensure they’re happy. At our company, we’ve implemented follow-up protocols that ensure we’re proactively addressing questions or problems before customers get frustrated. This helps them feel valued and respected.
• Create loyalty programs. Programs like Starbucks’ Rewards or REI’s co-op membership, where customers earn points for purchases or get discounts for loyalty milestones, help express how important their business is to you, ensuring you keep getting it!

Implementing a Systematic Approach to Appreciation

Infusing appreciation and recognition into your organization isn’t just a pleasant gesture—it’s a strategic move that yields tangible results like improved employee effort and innovation, stronger relationships, and loyalty.

At Entech, we’ve built systems that allow us to capture feedback and ideas from the entire team. We don’t rush into changes based on immediate feedback; instead, we let ideas “slow burn,” evaluating them carefully to ensure they align with our core values and strategic objectives. These thoughtful approaches help us Enhance Our Core, Encourage Our Clients effectively, and Enrich Our Community!

Whether you’re acknowledging an employee’s hard work or sending a personalized note to a customer, let’s make every interaction a testament to our appreciation and respect for them—not just this month but all year round.