A study conducted early in the year discovered that a little over a third of all working Canadians feel overworked and undervalued in their roles. This statistic is incredibly concerning, given that valuing employees is key to keeping them happy, more productive, and less likely to look for new job opportunities. As such, it is no surprise that many business experts agree that building productive company culture begins with making employees feel valued. Thankfully, there is no shortage of ways to make employees feel appreciated. Here’s how to make your staff feel valued.

1. Provide professional development and learning opportunities
   A 2019 CareerAddict.com survey revealed that 82.39% of the survey participants would leave their jobs due to a lack of progression. Therefore, learning and professional development are fast eclipsing salary as the best way to ensure employee growth and engagement and prevent turnover. Investing in your team demonstrates you value them, and one of the best ways to do this is by offering professional development and learning opportunities. For instance, if you run a hospital, you can invest in healthcare LMS to provide continuing education and training to doctors, helping them stay on top of the latest trends, techniques, and equipment in their fields. One-on-one manager meetings, talent management guidance, paying for online courses, and creating peer learning groups are other great ways to offer professional development opportunities to your staff. 
2. Launch an employee recognition program
   Employee recognition programs are a nice way to acknowledge the work performed by individuals and teams throughout the year. Therefore, consider asking your employees the kind of recognition they want most, like holding a yearly awards ceremony event or starting an employee of the month initiative. You can also offer earned time off, lunch with the CEO, or financial incentives as part of your employee recognition program. Recognized staff feel valued and less likely to leave, so launching such a program is vital to keep employees happy and reduce turnover. 
3. Prioritize work-life balance
   A CareerBuilder.ca survey found that nearly a quarter of Canadian workers struggle to find the right balance between work and personal time. There is no secret that there is a link between work-life balance, job satisfaction, and employee output. Therefore, prioritizing work-life balance can deliver impactful results such as preventing burnout and reducing stress. In addition, helping your employees achieve work-life balance promotes a thoughtful company culture. Indeed, establishing flexible working hours, offering wellness days, providing generous paid time off programs, and allowing remote working opportunities will show employees how invested you are in their wellbeing.
4. Celebrate important dates
   Workers always feel valued when their company takes time to shine a spotlight on important dates like birthdays and work anniversaries. It doesn’t matter if a worker has been at your organization for just a year or ten; making a company-wide announcement about their milestone will make them feel special and show how much you value their loyalty. A gift certificate and an extra day off are other great ways to celebrate milestones, make staff feel valued, and improve the entire organization’s morale.