How do you show your appreciation to motivate your staff?
Lack of recognition is one of the main causes of employee demotivation!
Showing gratitude to your colleagues may seem like common sense! But it can be more complicated than it sounds: how to show gratitude, in what circumstances, to whom, and how to do it effectively? Etc.
So many questions that can slow some managers down and damage their relationship with their staff.
After a (necessary) reminder of what gratitude REALLY is, discover 4 Best Practices for motivating your employees through gratitude.
1/ Recognition in figures
For some employees, the work they put in can be taken for granted. However, if you want to keep your staff loyal and engaged, you need to motivate them and boost productivity. Knowing how to show your appreciation is one of the “weapons” you can use.
In fact, by 2025, one study estimates that organizations integrating recognition at work will be 1.7 times more efficient*.
How can we show the recognition that is perhaps felt internally, but not externalized? And first of all, what to show?
2/ What does recognition actually mean?
Before you know how to express your gratitude, you need to know what it really is. Many people think that, since their colleagues express this need for recognition, they should say “thank you” indiscriminately. But that’s not what recognition is.
It’s the act of recognizing, admitting and accepting someone or something as true or real.
Recognition therefore implies a legitimate feeling of gratitude and respect towards the employee for whom you are grateful. It implies a certain spontaneity on your part.
And by the way, we don’t learn how to be grateful…. You learn how to show it! Nuance makes all the difference. What is there to be grateful for as a manager?
There are several things you can do to help:
- recognition of the person: this is what we call existential recognition. It’s based on respect for the human being for what he or she is.
- your employee’s technical expertise
- its behavior
- its commitment
- its results
3 ways to express your gratitude
- on a daily basis (through your behavior, attitude and respect towards your colleagues, which is the foundation of your managerial relationship),
- on an informal, one-off basis, concerning a specific event or action,
- or in an official or corporate capacity .
It all depends on the “why” of your recognition.
3/ Our 4 Best Practices for motivating your employees through recognition
#1. Express your sincere gratitude without delay
Don’t calculate the moment when you thank your collaborator. He has done something that deserves to be recognized. Tell him, think “Instant”! Individual or team meetings are not the only time to show your appreciation.
Sometimes it’s not necessary to express gratitude in complicated ways. The simplicity of a “Thank you” or a simple gesture (saying hello daily, checking in regularly, a pat of encouragement or thanks…) can have a big effect.
And don’t be alone! Colleagues, members of the same project… Recognition is not just for you, the manager. A culture of recognition within the team, and more broadly within the company, enables employees’ commitment to be valued fairly.
But before you say anything, it’s important to identify the right way to do it. It’s best to know how your colleague wishes to be thanked (individually, in front of everyone, etc.). This avoids, for example, embarrassing an employee (if he’s introverted and you’re congratulating him in front of a general assembly) or frustrating him (if he needs official rather than informal recognition).
#2. Reward with fairness
There are other rewards besides the financial bonus. In fact, non-monetary recognition gives you more room for manoeuvre and regularity.
They can vary depending on what you want to reward: a strong involvement in a project, very good results, good management of an issue or crisis, a success, etc...
They can be :
– Material: you can offer a gift, for example. Offering a box of chocolate (or a well-chosen mug), at the right time, can be enough.
– Professional: you can give your employee more autonomy on certain projects or give them new missions, etc.
– Events Reward: highlighting your collaborator as a way of saying thank you can also be a form of reward. You could invite him/her to a lunch in his/her honor (with your whole team), or thank him/her publicly in front of the project’s stakeholders, at a committee meeting or in front of your customers.
It’s up to you to decide how you can reward him, without underestimating or overestimating the reward. The success of a day-to-day mission doesn’t necessarily require fanfare. On the other hand, a strong commitment, lasting loyalty and the success of a project that’s vital to your company deserve more than just a pat on the back.
It’s all about accuracy!
#3. Put your money where your mouth is = involve your employee
You’ve expressed your appreciation … To go further and continue to motivate your employee: What could be better than involving them even more in projects (cross-functional or strategic, etc.) that correspond to them?
This will enable you to show that your recognition goes hand in hand with the trust you place in us!
In this way, you can help them to develop their skills and aptitudes, while reinforcing their commitment. Adapt this involvement to your possibilities. If not transversally, your employee can be involved in the projects associated with his or her missions.
So you can :
- Involve him in strategic meetings.
- Or even let him lead them.
- Or involve them in steering meetings at an early stage, to show them that their opinion counts too.
#4. Take the time to listen carefully
In fact, all the possible actions mentioned above depend on the employee, his or her recognition expectations and personality. This requires you to know your collaborator well.
Take the time to build your relationship with your collaborator through regular exchanges and special moments.
Don’t hesitate to go and have lunch with him/her to get to know him/her better: his/her projects, his/her feelings, his/her desires… In this way, you create a bond with him/her and make sure that the recognition expressed is understood by your collaborator.
This can also enable you to rectify misunderstandings and make up for mistakes (nobody’s perfect 😉 ). The most important thing is that your collaborator is aware of your gratitude, your good faith and your desire to continue to motivate him and keep him in your ranks! If you don’t do it in the right way, he’ll be able to tell you what he expects from you.
Recognition creates a dialogue about individual and collective successes. You can use these Best Practices to show your appreciation and gratitude to your team.
What‘s more, recognizing successes, skills and potential also helps to create a constructive dynamic around failures. When you’re recognized for your merits, it’s easier to criticize and accept failures… and then do something about them. In a trusting, caring relationship, it’s easier to talk about what’s blocking your progress, and work together to find solutions.
What about you? How do you show your appreciation to your colleagues?
Discover other ways of motivating your employees, particularly through internal mobility!
*Mental Health & QWL Survey 2025 – Ispos and Qualisocial