It is human nature to want to feel appreciated and valued, and we want this in all aspects of life which includes work. As it allows us to connect, build genuine relationships, and adds to our understanding. Further connecting us to the environment around us. It makes us feel liked. It feels good. It gives us purpose and allows us to be seen by others.
You may be thinking, how does showing your apprentice appreciation benefit you and your business?
Well, appreciation is something we all strive for, and it gives your apprentice that little nudge they may need on their current journeys. It allows for growth in confidence, which can affect how the apprentice works. But it also reassures your trust in them which will enable the apprentice to be competent/reliable when producing work so that they will know that they are doing something well and right, linking back to the idea of purpose. This is crucial to the apprentice's learning development and is provided by appreciation.
This will then create a snowball effect which will allow for high morale within the team, which in turn affects their performance. A better performance means more profit for you whilst enabling the company to continue to grow. It will reduce staff turnover and decrease employee absences, granting you access to a positive workplace culture and a higher customer satisfaction rate. In turn, giving your employees an incentive to go above and beyond and increase their willingness to work.
The increase in satisfaction will ensure your business has positive feedback and recommendations which essentially does some of the marketing for you. And those recommendations will enable you access to a larger pool of clients/talent, expanding your network, which can lead to even bigger opportunities down the line.
Other benefits include an increase of both employee and customer engagement to tasks/other activities which links to the higher standard of the product your business produced. As the apprentice/employee will want to be as efficient as possible with the task at hand, allowing you to set the benchmark for your industry. A growth in trust and loyalty in your brand amongst both the employee and customer base which can be turned to revenue is also largely beneficial.
Remember that the apprentice is learning, therefore the safety/health and wellbeing you provide are crucial as they progress into the workforce. The more support and appreciation you give them now, the more your business will thrive both socially and financially and have a bright future ahead.
You can now nominate an apprentice for The Steve Burne Apprentice of the Year Award 2024. The winner will receive a share of £1000 at the Property & Construction Annual Dinner - click here to find out more