Happy Employee Appreciation Day!

This national holiday is a great opportunity for employers to show their workers just what they mean to them. Some organizations may send out thank you cards, others may offer some extra time off, and still others may organize a lunch or virtual get together to emphasize to employees that their collective contributions matter. These efforts are certainly needed, now more than ever. New data from Gallup, for instance, found that just one out of five employees are truly engaged in their work. Who wants to bet that, if those workers felt just a bit more appreciated and valued, they might be more invested in their role? We do!

While an occasion like Employee Appreciation Day is certainly important, we at Integrity Staffing Solutions work year-round to show our associates our appreciation—and we think it’s a strategy that other employers would be smart to follow! Here’s why:

At Integrity, we are in the business of making people practices work. So, if people don’t feel appreciated, or don’t feel connected to their role and their organization, our work isn’t done. That’s why we take an associate-first approach. We put our workers before everything: our clients, our objectives, the bottom line. We need to ensure that we have a fulfilled, satisfied workforce that feels genuinely appreciated and cared for. Because when that happens, that’s when their organizations thrive.

Putting associates first isn’t always easy, but it’s an organizational mindset that has shaped our culture for more than 25 years. And it shows up across the organization. Employees feel appreciated, for instance, when they can take part in our many volunteering opportunities, that we host right in the communities in which our associates live and work. They feel appreciated when they are able to access their earned pay, when they need it, for whatever they need it, right from the phone in their hand. And they feel appreciated when they know that they are supported by a diverse range of benefits that help them tend to their physical, mental and financial wellbeing. Investing in our employees in all of these ways is our way of showing them every day of the year that we appreciate all that they bring to our organization.

We all know from our personal lives that showing appreciation can be challenging; we don’t always know the right words or actions to communicate our gratitude. However, we all also likely have experienced the incredible feeling we get from being appreciated—it’s one that encourages positivity and fuels us to keep giving back! And that’s the spirit we want to promote. So, this Employee Appreciation Day (and every other day!), thank you for all you do for your teams, your organization and Integrity. We appreciate you!