At this time of year employees usually receive a thank you by way of a Christmas party although with tougher drinking laws, it is usually only a dinner and a glass of wine, not the all-out free booze that occurred in times gone by.

If employees are really lucky, some organizations give out bonuses, which are always well received at this time of year but again are one-time events of appreciation and in most cases expectations, not true appreciation.

True appreciation is knowing your employees and honouring them for their accomplishments, both personal and on the job, all year long!  Your employees don’t just do good things at Christmas, they work for you all year long.

One company that lives this is London Drugs.  They make exceptional use of social media in praising what their employees do on a regular basis and it doesn’t come from a paid public relations person, it comes authentically from the Executive Vice President and COO.  This company has become one of the most recognized brands in Western Canada.

The lesson from this is you can’t just pay lip-service to employee appreciation. In most cases your employees, especially the front-line workers, are the ones who make the money for the company.  You can have the best product or service in the world but won’t make money from it if you don’t have the right attitude at the customer or client level.

Showing you care and appreciate your employees doesn’t cost anything except a bit of time and genuine interest.  If you have employees make this your personal resolution for 2016.  You will be surprised at the result.

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