By
Amina Giger
Amina Giger
/08.04.22

Photo by Jason Goodman on unsplash.com.

Today, a well-intentioned pat on the back every other month or a salary increase every three years are no longer enough to show employees the appreciation they deserve – and expect ... Find out in this article how you can better promote employee appreciation in your company thanks to gifcoins.io.

Various studies prove* that it is no longer just achievements and positions that promise success, but the people behind them. Companies no longer measure productivity by the sum of hours worked, but by effectiveness and efficiency. In our digitalised working world, this requires qualified and highly motivated employees.

Employee appreciation plays the main role in increased motivation. Not only is the value of the work done appreciated, but also the person behind it. This is important when employees are expected to work hard and occasionally have to work in the evening or on weekends. Failure to express gratitude for this extra mile in the form of a brief praise can quickly cause dissatisfaction among employees. Most employees are willing to work more – but they expect a clear sign of appreciation in return. Those who do not receive this can get frustrated and are more likely to look for a new job.

Why is it important to give praise?

When we receive a compliment, our body releases endorphins and we produce dopamine, the reward hormone. It has been proven that this makes us addicted, so we increase our concentration and performance. In the long run, frequent praise leads to more productivity. Another hormone that plays an important role in this context is oxytocin – a happiness hormone responsible for social bonding. It is secreted when we feel particularly good in a community. For these reasons, it makes sense as a company to create a working climate that encourages the expression of praise.

From a company perspective, appreciating employees brings many benefits:

  • Increased work motivation

  • Higher employee satisfaction

  • Increased productivity

  • A sense of belonging in the workplace

  • Better employee retention

  • Positive corporate climate

  • Mutual trust due to regular feedbacks

What should be considered when giving feedback to employees?

Positive feedback strengthens interpersonal relationships. To ensure that feedback does not sound like an empty phrase, it is important to give concrete, honest and sincere praise.

What else to consider:

  • Gratitude should be communicated regularly so that it has the desired effect.

  • If the feedback relates to a specific occasion, it must be done promptly. Collecting feedback and communicating it at the end of the year does not make sense, as it is sometimes no longer traceable.

  • Words of appreciation should only refer to one person: We cannot communicate the exact same praise to several employees. Unless the specific qualities of each staff member are highlighted.

  • Employee appreciation is not a one-way street: Managers also want to be praised.

  • Feedback is even more important when it is done publicly. In public appraisals, it is important to avoid that individual employees feel ignored. Always thank everyone involved in large projects and not just the project leader.

How to integrate employee appreciation into your corporate culture

Spontaneous personal feedbacks at lunch, during the coffee break or after a meeting are always well received. As long as they happen spontaneously, they run the risk of being forgotten. In addition, more and more teams are working remote. How do you as a company ensure that appreciation feedback is exchanged regularly? You need a suitable tool for this:

Gifcoins – the online recognition tool for more appreciation in your teams

gifcoins.io is a web-based software that enables regular, quick and intuitive employee recognition. With the help of a digital coin and a short personal message, entire teams exchange mutual recognition. In this way, great and inconspicuous moments in everyday work receive their due recognition. On the team dashboard, all contributions are visible to everyone of the team and can be recognised and celebrated. All employees receive a monthly quota of coins, so they are motivated to give a minimum amount of feedback. By limiting the number of coins available, messages are given a clear value.

All the advantages of Gifcoins at a glance:

  • Gifcoins is simple and therefore intuitive and fast.

  • Gifcoins is web-based and can be accessed from any device. It therefore takes into account all employees, including those who work in the field or remote.

  • Interested companies don't need a demo or a consultation appointment: Onboarding can be done directly online.

  • No software installation is required to use Gifcoins. After a company has successfully registered, the tool can be used directly via the website.

  • Gifcoins offers external integrations to your existing communication tools such as Slack or Teams. This makes it even easier for you to integrate the tool into your company culture.

  • There are no hidden costs: after a three-month trial period, you can upgrade and will be charged a fixed amount monthly or annually.

At Renuo, we have been using Gifcoins since 2016. During the lockdowns in the last two years and the increased remote work, we became even more aware of the importance of this tool. For this reason, we have increased the speed, expanded the functions, revised the design and, above all, improved the usability in an intensive process. Now Gifcoins is not only to be used by us, but it is there to provide more appreciation and an improved working atmosphere worldwide.

Do you want to test the advantages of Gifcoins in your company? Register now at gifcoins.io/register and get started right away. The first three months are free of charge. Have fun!

* Relevant studies and further links: