Wow, 2021 has been another doozy of a year. Let’s all agree not to utter the words, “this year will be better!” this New Year. Somehow, we collectively jinxed ourselves, which had a lot of people reevaluating their lives, whether they wanted to or not. ‘Am I on the right career path?’ ‘Do I have enough work-life balance?’ ‘Could it be better?’ 

According to Harvard Business Review, some industrial companies have experienced over 100% turnover since the start of the pandemic.

We’ve been in quarantine, transitioned to remote work, tested, quarantined again, maybe vaccinated, maybe moved to hybrid working, and then maybe quarantined again. Now, let’s talk about what companies are doing to give their employees the proverbial pat on the back they deserve after all this.

Bonuses

This first one is kind of obvious. A quick way to show your employees that you value them and that you’re glad they’re there is a bonus! Many companies are probably now passing out holiday bonuses as a big thank you.

Opportunities to Grow

Because the context of the pandemic has pushed so many people to reevaluate and think about what’s important to them, they’ve been asking themselves, ‘Am I on the right path?’ Leaders can show their Employees that they are by setting up a yearly review and showing them what the company can offer them for opportunities.

Invest in your Employees' Families

At the end of the day, people just want to be treated as such, like a person. It’s the responsibility of supervisors to remember that, and a lot of times, employees just want to feel as though their managers care about their well-being. We all have a whole life outside of work, and family is very important to many people. Some ways companies can show compassion is by offering parents subsidized daycare or more PTO.

Ultimately, if you want to know more about taking care of your Employees, ask them. Outside of all these strategies, the one that will make the most difference is simply listening. Everyone has different needs, and making employees feel valued doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all solution. I like to think the holidays are much more about gratitude than they are about presents and giving. So, when employees come back from their holidays with their families, feeling refreshed, let’s ask them, “What can I do to make you feel valued at this company?” And then get to work!