08/13/2018
Last month, Sendero celebrated its annual Employee Appreciation Week, planned by the Salt Committee. In the same way salt preserves food, the purpose of the Salt Committee is to help employees preserve Sendero’s culture by continuing to find creative, incremental ways to further strengthen the connection employees feel toward our company vision, mission, and core values.
According to a 2013 survey by Globoforce, only 14% of organizations provide managers with the necessary tools for rewards and recognition. At Sendero, we strive to show both recognition and appreciation to our employees, and Employee Appreciation Week is just one of the ways we do so.
The Salt Committee plans a surprise for each day of the week (such as gift cards, happy hours, etc.) and it culminates in a special lunch on Friday where employees gather in both the Dallas and Houston offices and are served lunch by our (matching) apron-clad Senior Leadership Team.
Try implementing some of these ideas to boost employee appreciation at your own organization:
- Ask your management team to write handwritten thank you notes to employees
- Bring a sweet or savory treat to the office, such as donuts, cupcakes, or (our favorite) breakfast tacos
- Hand out a high-quality swag item – this year we gave out customized YETI mugs to all our employees, and they were a hit!
- Host a company happy hour
- Cater lunch into the office
In order to make an appreciation event impactful, you need to have a keen understanding of your organization’s unique culture and tailor your event accordingly. For example, monthly happy hours are a great event for Sendero, but this might be different for you. There are all types of ways to show appreciation to your employees – some of it is monetary, some of it is recognition from leadership, and some of it costs nothing at all, such as a sincere and meaningful thank you.
Your people are what makes a company special, so no matter what your style is, use it to show your employees they are appreciated.