Employee retention starts with a healthy work environment and culture. But how do we create a culture where people feel welcomed and encouraged? It should start at the most basic level of employee recognition. Here are a few ideas you may want to try to help foster a better sense of inclusion at your company.

Spotlight accomplishments

How are your employees benefiting your organization? What skills and positive changes have they brought to the table? Here at PrincetonOne, we recognize our spectacular employees for the amazing work they do each and every day. We love sharing their accomplishments internally and externally. Spotlighting an employee can help build your company’s morale while enabling co-workers across different departments to get to know each other a little better.

Be on a first name basis

Have you ever worked for a company where you feared upper management didn’t even know your name? How did that make you feel? To avoid feelings of fear, lowered self-esteem, and shame, make an effort to be on a first name basis with each employee. In many scenarios, there may not be a need to address a colleague by his or her formal name. It might take a bit of effort to learn every name if you work for an organization with many people, however you will notice that in the long-run employees will be happier and feel a sense of belonging.

Use active voice when communicating

The way we word or structure our sentences, especially over email can drastically affect the way employees feel about their co-workers or superiors. A key example is using active versus passive voice when communicating. Passive voice sentences can exhibit meaning from the way the sentence is presented. For example, when you say the following, “It would be appreciated if you could reach out to Bob before Monday.” It is unclear as to who would appreciate the completion of this task and what the meaning is behind it? Instead, active voice tells the recipient exactly what and when. For example, “I would appreciate if you could reach out to Bob before Monday.” The way we build our statements can really change a person’s outlook on an organization and the way they are perceived by others. Active voice allows people to feel recognized and heard.

Little acts of acknowledgement are great ways to improve the overall culture of an organization. These acts do not have to be elaborate or loud but should be simple and to the point. The key is to continuously practice these steps and constantly readjust if employees begin to show signs of unhappiness. What steps have you taken to recognize your employees?