Episode: 681

Episode Title: The Employee Appreciation Culture

Employee appreciation is not a holiday. It’s a culture—and one that every leader should be working to build. Here’s why, next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 681 show:

It’s a new week on The Perna Syndicate and I’m your host, Mark Perna. Earlier this month—on the first Friday of March, to be exact—we celebrated Employee Appreciation Day. 

We’ve probably all heard the sentiment that Employee Appreciation Day should be every day, not just once a year. Clichéd as that might be, it does hold an element of truth. 

In our historically tight labor market, the current lack of human connection in the workplace is cause for alarm. On a relational level, people aren’t feeling valued, appreciated, or connected to their coworkers. And they’re increasingly willing to look elsewhere to find that elusive sense of human connection—where they feel seen, heard, and valued.

Appreciation can no longer be treated as a one-and-done event that comes around once a year, that we can then check off for the next 364 days. Nor do people want their boss to mark the day with cheap gifts that will most likely end in a landfill. 

People are looking for more from their employers; they want a culture of appreciation where they feel safe to be themselves and bring their best effort every day. It ties back to being talent centric, and it’s absolutely vital for organizations that want to compete in the War for Talent. 

So that’s our topic this week on The Perna Syndicate—the Employee Appreciation culture and how we can build it. Stay tuned and we’ll see you back here next time on The Perna Syndicate.