Employee Appreciation - Listen to Your Employees

Emma from HR, let me show you something because it seems that you are way too busy pleasing the bosses or organising your next paid HR Person of The Year award instead of paying attention to your people's voices. 

Let me show you all how deaf employers, managers, and leaders can be. And it is intentional. There is no other explanation for it. Why? Because the internet is helping them, but no! Why would they listen? Why would they pay attention to the people out there talking on social media about what they want and don't want? 

In my first book, I discussed the difference between employee appreciation, recognition, and reward and how to do them properly: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BT6YJDN2. 

Unfortunately, the corporate kindergarten is alive and kicking! Let's review some of the comments from a video (link below) in which employees clearly state what they don't want as an appreciation, so it may be time to listen. 

• "We got an email, but it was special because the CEO included his actual signature."

• "Not to brag, but I got an e-card from the CEO! It even started with my birth name, "Valued Employee."

• "My job gave us $50 Amazon gift cards and then taxed us $20 on them."

• "We got bagels in the break room. Most of us work remotely."

• "I have unlimited PTO. In Q3/2023 I won employee of the quarter award among my department of 50 people. My reward? An extra PTO."

• "Our HR department provided our office of 30 with 12 assorted pastries to share between the 33 of us that day." 

• "We got free jeans day. Honestly, I couldn't think of anything better."

• "We got an email for appreciation day, then an email saying our bonuses are being taken away."

• "Not to brag, but I got a certificate celebrating my one year with the company. I have been working there for two and a half years." 

• "I got a 10% discount to the company store."

• "We got little paper cups filled halfway with peanuts. It's nice to feel appreciated." 

• "I got a $10 bakery gift card. The bakery where I work and get free food."

• "We got a 10-minute massage in one of those sit-up chairs you see at the mall."

• "We got an email and approved to leave 2 hours early. But we couldn't take our lunch, that was explained in the following email."

• 'We got ice cream and they even let us scoop our own ice cream!"

• "Our Women's Day email said, While you are few in number, we are privileged to work alongside you."

• "My company gave us tiffs treats. 40 employees - 10 cookies. 

• "Mine made us a 30-seconds YouTube video thanking us and then told us to do a scavenger hunt for a CHANCE to win a Starbucks gift card." 

• "I got an email for employee appreciation and it said to buy your coworker a coffee and appreciate them. Nothing from the management."

The endless comments prove my point: We do not care about people; we are just going through the notion, and HR is obsessed with food. After years of paying attention to employees' needs and wants, my question remains: Why do you, HR and management, choose to be tone-deaf? It is impossible that you are not hearing what the crowed is shouting. 

PS: Amongst the comments people expressed that they appreciated something they personally valued like extra day off (not an extra unlimited PTO) or something that would help them in their private life.