Creating a Culture of Appreciation
Potential employees have a multitude of choices when it comes to where they want to work. To attract and retain excellent employees, offices should foster a culture of community and appreciation. Hiring an employee is just the beginning of the journey, organizations should strive to create an environment where employees feel valued and motivated to stay.
No office wants to be in a perpetual cycle of hiring and training. A Forbes study found that 66% of employees would likely leave their job if they did not feel appreciated, with that number increasing to 76% among millennials (Lipman, 2018).
There are a multitude of ways that organizations can demonstrate appreciation for their employees.
Recognizing Positive Behaviors Through Personalized Appreciation
Recognizing positive behavior is essential. “Catch” employees doing something right.
Employers notice mistakes more easily because they directly impact the business, but successes often go unnoticed since they are expected. Personalization enhances the impact of appreciation and knowing each employee’s preferences ensures that recognition is meaningful and sincere.
Implementing a “favorite things form” as part of new hire paperwork allows employers to tailor rewards and recognition for special occasions such as birthdays and work anniversaries.
Identifying each team member’s preferred method of receiving appreciation can make recognition more effective. The book Motivation by Appreciation is a wonderful resource for understanding workplace appreciation languages. Some employees may prefer gifts, while others value acts of service or words of affirmation.
The type of appreciation that an employee wants to receive might not be the same as what they like to give. For example, they may like to give other people gifts, but words of affirmation are the way that they feel the most appreciated.
Meaningful Programs to Reward Excellence
Several programs can be implemented to show team appreciation. One program is Awesome Cards. These cards are given to team members who go above and beyond their regular duties.
Some examples are: if they manage an angry patient with grace, help other team members without having to be asked, or just about anything that isn’t part of their regular duties. Any team member can give them to another team member; it doesn’t need to come from management or leadership.
Once employees accumulate a certain number of Awesome Cards, they can exchange them for various rewards, including gift cards, products, or experiences. This is a terrific way to use the company credit card rewards points. The team member is getting recognized and shown appreciation, but there is no additional cost to the company.
Celebrating Teamwide Efforts to Build Stronger Collaboration
Awesome Cards are a wonderful way to show appreciation to individual employees, but it is also important to recognize the team as a whole. Show appreciation when the entire team has worked together to make a patient’s or another team member’s day.
For example, if a patient arrives via stretcher, the entire team collaborates to make the process as seamless as possible by ensuring accessibility and comfort. The patient can be brought through the back door, the op chair can be moved so that they can stay on their stretcher, payment can be collected in the op, and the whole team has worked together to make sure the appointment has been as easy as possible for the patient.
Keep track of these instances and when you have enough of them, the team votes on a shared experience as a reward. The team reward experience is two-fold, they are being shown appreciation, and it is also a team bonding experience since they are doing it together.
Given the amount of time spent together in the workplace, fostering a positive environment is crucial, particularly in high-stress fields such as dentistry. Encouraging employees by acknowledging their hard work helps build morale and reinforces a sense of teamwork.
Employees want to be part of something meaningful, working toward a common goal and knowing their contributions matter. While many employers assume salary is the primary motivator, appreciation plays a more significant role in job satisfaction.
Building a Lasting Culture of Recognition and Retention
Creating a workplace culture that values and appreciates employees is essential for long-term success. When organizations recognize and reward their team members in meaningful ways, they foster a sense of belonging, motivation, and job satisfaction.
Programs like Awesome Cards and team-wide appreciation initiatives not only highlight individual contributions but also strengthen collaboration and morale. By prioritizing appreciation, offices can reduce turnover, improve employee engagement, and build a positive work environment where people genuinely want to stay.
In the end, businesses thrive when they invest in their employees, proving that a culture of recognition is not just beneficial, it is necessary.
About the Author
Deanna O’Connell, MAADOM
Deanna truly found her passion as an Office Manager when she entered the dental field. Her proudest professional achievements are when she can be a part of changing patients’ lives.
She enjoys volunteering with the Mogollon Sporting Association, Veterans Day Dental Events, and Arizona Sonshine. Deanna excels at financial planning, organization, and thrives when presented with a challenge.
She is honored to have her AADOM Mastership and to be an Elite Office Manager of the AACA.
