Updated 2/28/2022
The first Friday in March is National Employee Appreciation Day, providing you with an opportunity to celebrate and recognize your employees’ achievements and contributions. Whether your surgical assistant, lab technician, dental assistant, receptionist, or any other employee has gone the extra mile to support you and your practice, this year, March 4 is your chance to do so.
Why Employee Appreciation Day Matters
Research shows time and time again that employees are your greatest asset. That is why you must treat your team members like the assets they are, not expenses. When you invest in your team, they will help you achieve your goals — especially in terms of building a solid reputation among your patients and the local community. 
Employee Appreciation Day matters because it helps employers remain mindful of how important their team is to their success. When you let your team know that their efforts are appreciated, it will increase motivation, help you retain top employees, boost productivity, and encourage optimal performance.
Put simply, when your employees are happy and do their best, your patients benefit, which then supports your practice’s reputation. This is exactly what Richard Branson meant when he said, “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.”
It’s typical that your patients likely come first in terms of your attention and expertise. However, there is no reason why you can’t show appreciation toward both your patients and employees. For example, when your orthodontic or veterinary assistant has finished a busy day that was mentally or physically taxing, a simple “thank you,” can go a long way.
Once Employee Appreciation Day rolls around, you can go that extra mile. It’s a day that your employees will look forward to, and more importantly, your efforts will foster a culture of employee appreciation year-round.
How to Show Your Team Appreciation
As you consider the way in which you will show appreciation, it is important to note that this is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Employees each have their own preference for the kind of appreciation they prefer (e.g. verbal praise/recognition, handwritten note, gift, etc.). Customize your act of appreciation so that employees understand that you truly value them and that you are not just trying to go through the motions. Employees can sense when things seem disingenuous, so be sure to approach employee appreciation in a thoughtful manner.
In need of ideas for this upcoming Employee Appreciation Day? See some examples below.
⦿ Provide your team with a catered lunch, followed by an after-work activity — something fun! Leading up to Employee Recognition Day, you can take suggestions or plan an evening out based on what your team enjoys. 
HR for Health Feature Alert: Our timekeeping system allows you to track the time for these activities, including a different rate of pay if applicable.
⦿ Write personalized notes that highlight the ways you admire your team members. Include specific examples of when they had a positive impact on your patients. This will show that you pay attention to what it is they bring to the table.
⦿ Post how much you appreciate your team on social media. This shows both your employees and patients that you care.
HR for Health Feature Alert: Our employee handbooks for each state include an electronics and social media policy that sets the guidelines for posting on social media. You can also customize it to fit your practice’s unique procedure.
⦿ Give gifts that keep on giving. Do you work alongside dedicated nurses who are on their feet all day? In addition to more personalized or fun gifts, a practical gift such as custom orthotics can support the recipient’s wellness daily. If you run a high-stress office, yoga classes could be a great gift! It’s all about knowing your team and what they would benefit from most.
HR for Health Feature Alert: Utilize our documentation storage in the cloud to house your paperwork, policies and more detailed info regarding the terms and conditions for the gift/benefit.
⦿ Allow peers to provide recognition to your employees. This is something that doesn’t only have to occur on March 4. Allowing for ongoing opportunities to recognize peers helps contribute to a culture of appreciation and collaboration.
HR for Health Feature (Coming Soon!): We will be releasing our “kudos” feature, which will allow employees an easy way to recognize their peers.
⦿ For employees that like to receive recognition via a more private manner, you can send an email or have a one-on-one conversation where you share your recognition in person.
HR for Heath Feature (Coming Soon!): We will be launching a feature that allows you to send direct messages via our software.
Regardless of what you decide to do, as a practice owner, you must lead by example. When you show appreciation, you will be appreciated. While this Employee Appreciation Day is important, it is what you do after March 4 that’s important.
When you acknowledge the impact recognition can have on your team’s happiness and productivity, you can directly influence the success of your practice. You should also ensure ongoing compliance and documentation.
HR for Health’s software is the perfect complement to your appreciation and recognition program. We offer multiple tools, as noted above, to not only offer/document your appreciation for your team, but to also manage all of you other HR day-to-day tasks.
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About HR for Health
HR for Health is an all-in-one HR software solution dedicated to helping the dental, optometry, and veterinary industries. Our human resources platform features all the tools practice owners need to manage payroll, timekeeping, 401(k), and more with total integration and ease.
Whether you’re looking for HR support for a small business or you’re a large group dental practice, HR for Health has the solution to fit your practice and budget. Reach out to a HR for Health account representative to learn more, today.
