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One of the most common reasons for employee dissatisfaction is a feeling of not being valued. How can you as a leader make your employees feel more valued? The following four tips are proven to increase employee morale, leading to better productivity.

Be Intentional with Conversation

Sure, you can say “good morning” to your employees every morning. But why not ask them how their son’s soccer team is doing? Or how they are enjoying the new home they just built. Ask personalized questions. This shows that not only do you care, but you listen when they talk about their lives. This leads to not only a better rapport between you and your employees but also more trust. They can see that you too are a real person who can relate to their life outside of work.

Challenge Them

When you consistently provide menial tasks to do, an employee begins to feel that this is all you believe they are capable of. Challenge your employees by giving them tasks that are difficult but achievable. Take note of specific strengths and delegate tasks related to that. This empowers your employee to do their best work, and most likely they will go above and beyond.

Recognize Them as Individuals

The Muse says that to truly make individual employees feel valued, single them out and reward them according to their accomplishments—and with something that the rest of the team won’t necessarily get. For example, if an employee’s gone above and beyond developing a recycling project in the office, reward them! Or, pinpoint an employee to attend a conference on your behalf. Small recognitions go a long way!

Offer Them a Platform

By offering your employees a platform, you are again reinforcing the fact that they are an important part of your company. Sandy Geroux, the CEO of WOWPlace International, says it could be done as a request to share. When we let people know we value what they have to offer by asking if they’d share their story, tips, methods, etc. with others, it provides validation to them that they do have something of value to offer, and it boosts their self-confidence and self-esteem in the process. This is a win-win situation!

Everyone wants and needs to feel valued. This is especially the case in the workplace. Employees can become disengaged easily, especially if they don’t feel like they are contributing anything to company. Make your employees feel valued by recognized and challenging them. Be intentional with your conversations and offer them a platform to shine. The more valued people feel, the harder they will work, and this is a win-win for everyone!