How To Show Gratitude in The Workplace

Did you know that 1 in 6 employees feel awkward about giving gratitude at work? A further 20% of employees admitted that their boss has not thanked them in over a month while 23% say they've left jobs due to a lack of gratitude.

All of these findings are found in a recent Workhuman survey on gratitude in work. It looked at over 500 full-time employees in Ireland and asked questions relating to gratitude and how people feel appreciated in the workplace. Some of the findings were wholly positive - 71% of respondents said they work in an environment where gratitude is highly valued - while others were not so great (as seen above!). Either way, it has opened up some intriguing discussions surrounding gratitude in the workplace.

More specifically, why is it important to show gratitude at work? Following this, how can you show gratitude? Many people don't understand the former and struggle with the latter. So we've put together a guide that will help you show more gratitude at work and explain why you should do so.

Why is showing gratitude at work important?

First of all, what is gratitude?

One definition of gratitude states that it is a conscious, positive emotion one can express when feeling thankful for something. In simple terms, it's when you're showing appreciation for things or people. From a work perspective, you can show gratitude to your coworkers for helping you out with a task - or to people working for you for a job well done.

Why is gratitude at work important? As the survey shows, employees leave jobs when there's a lack of gratitude, particularly from people in higher positions. This is backed up by data from other studies, with one indicating that over 50% of employees said they'd leave a job that didn't praise or thank them enough.

Another found that employees are up to 8 times more motivated and engaged when they receive recognition for their work. In short, gratitude will help companies retain a talented workforce while improving overall engagement. This can lead to better work performance as you maintain a consistent team that works hard together.

How do you show gratitude at work?

You've seen the importance of workplace gratitude - but how do you show it? We've provided a host of suggestions below that'll help show some more appreciation at work:

Highlight accomplishments in meetings

Team meetings are the perfect excuse to show some gratitude and appreciation. Build a section in your weekly meetings that focuses on some of your employees and their accomplishments in the last week or month. Mention what they achieved for the company, why it was great and give them a round of applause. Think of it as a toast to your employees - it can also provide motivation for other workers so they get a shout-out next week.

Send monthly update emails with some kudos included

If you work remotely or don't really do team meetings in person, another solution is to send monthly update emails. For one, this is a splendid way of keeping everyone on the same page and making sure you're all aiming towards the same goals.

From a gratitude perspective, you can include a section of the email where you give kudos to different employees. Highlight some of their good work for all to see, so they get a virtual shout-out. It's such a simple thing to do yet it has a massive impact on an employee's mental wellbeing. They know their work is appreciated and that they're actually being noticed by the higher-ups.

Thank your employees when you communicate with them

When an employee emails you or comes to speak to you about something, you should always try to thank them. Especially if they're communicating about the work they're doing.

For example, an employee has been working on a project and they've sent you the latest update. All you have to do is say "Thank you so much for all of your hard work". It's a short phrase (you can use other similar ones) but it shows the employee that you are thankful for what they're doing. They've worked hard and would like to get some token of appreciation - if you don't say anything, it creates a horrible company culture.

You almost need to get in the customer service frame of mind. When customers contact you via web chat for websites or emails, you're always so thankful. You say "Thank you for getting in touch" or "Thank you for doing business with us". A lot of businesses get so transfixed on showing gratitude to customers that they forget about their employees! Make sure you're not also guilty of this.

Acknowledge special milestones

As an employee, there's nothing worse than working for a company, grinding yourself to the bone and then getting no recognition of your milestones.

If someone has been at your company for 5, 10, 15 or 20 years, make sure they're appreciated. Make a big deal out of milestones and acknowledge them publically in the office or via Zoom meetings/emails. Let people know you're aware of the hard work they've put in and you appreciate it.

The same goes for smaller milestones too - like completing a new project or hosting an event for your business. When someone does something big or has a big achievement, shine a light on it.

Actions speak louder than words

Speaking about things and shouting people out will only go so far; you have to demonstrate your appreciation and gratitude for employees. Actions speak louder than words, so think of ways to reward your workers as a way of showing them how thankful you are for everything they do.

For instance, you could give your team a raise or bonus at the end of the year. Buy the whole office lunch one day, take the team out for drinks on Friday, let people work from home for a few days if they're feeling stressed or give everyone some additional paid leave. These actions back up your words and let everyone feel more appreciated.

Gratitude shouldn't be ignored in the workplace as it directly affects your company. Employees need to feel like they're worth something to your organisation. If they don't, they'll leave or be extremely de-motivated to work hard. Use the tips above to forge a culture built around gratitude and thankfulness.