Leaders, Cultivate Gratitude: The Key to Employee Engagement and Retention

Leaders: when is the last time you showed genuine gratitude to your people? The benefits of doing so are immeasurable and the costs of not doing so are immense.

Many managers and owners believe—or were trained to believe—that good work should be expected, that praise infantilizes workers (example: constant praise is something you give to children and pets), and that even showing gratitude is a sign of weakness. According to this ethos, professionals should not need to be constantly stroked and complimented like puppies being house-broken.

Is this accurate? No. It turns out, study after study reveal just the opposite. Employees not only desire, but need regular recognition, not just to know they’re doing their jobs correctly, but to foster an allegiance to their organization as a whole. Workers who feel little to no emotional connection to their employer, who don’t feel engaged and are “just there for the paycheck,” are more likely to up and leave at the first opportunity compared to people who feel valued where they work.

On a practical level, for employers, cultivating a culture of gratitude is likely to significantly increase retention rates and thus reduce the expenses associated with recruiting and training new employees. An antidote to contemporary employee maladies manifested in phenomenon like The Great Resignation and Quiet Quitting, it can also boost innovation, increase productivity, and lead to overall greater job satisfaction. In short, creating a culture of gratitude can be a real game-changer for any business.

Need help building a culture of gratitude and increasing employee engagement at your company? At Conover Consulting we have decades of experience building great leaders and great cultures.  You can reach me at laura@conoverconsulting.com.