When was the last time you took the time to say thank you to your staff and agents?

As the end of the year draws near, now is a great time to reflect on how being thankful can add to your company’s bottom line. With the fast pace of our industry, it is often easy to take for granted how staff and agents contribute to the growth and success of our company.

So just how much is a thank you worth? In the eyes of those that work for you, it can be priceless. In fact, simply feeling appreciated could be the reason they stay or they go.

For example, did you know that according to the U.S. Department of Labor, the number one reason people leave their jobs is lack of appreciation? Or that 88% of employees recently surveyed cite lack of acknowledgment as their top work issue?

The cost of turnover can be considerably high. Think about what it cost you (your time, marketing, admin support, training etc.) to attract the last experienced agent who joined your company. Also think about the lost opportunity, how much could that agent have contributed to the bottom-line, had he or she stayed past the first couple of years?

The costs seem exorbitantly high compared to what it costs to express gratitude on a regular basis, don’t you think? Being proactive is important, so if you are not yet in the habit of regularly expressing your gratitude to your company’s staff and agents, let this be the beginning of a new approach for you.

Below are some practical things you can do to express your gratitude.

10 Ways to Say Thank You at Work

1. Give a handwritten, personalized thank-you note to each of your staff members and agents, highlighting one thing you are thankful for with each of them. The time it takes to do this says a lot in itself.
2. Send a companywide email reflecting on the positives of this past year and how your staff and agents contributed to the company’s success. Highlight those who went the extra mile.
3. Send a mass email to your company’s entire database of buyers and sellers. If you are a BHGRE agent, you can find a nice Thanksgiving e-card in the Greenhouse Digital Marketing Center.
4. Do the same for all the real estate professionals in your market and the agents on your recruiting/talent attraction list.
5. Buy some flowers or a seasonal plant for the people who answer your phones and work your front desk. It will make your front office look nicer too!
6. Take the time to thank everyone in person. Make this your “MO” for the next few weeks and into next year.
7. Have a potluck at the office, or order food in if the budget allows, and take a few minutes to thank the group for a job well done.
8. Close the office early the day before the holidays.
9. Participate in your company events and recognize agents and employees with awards.
10. Make being thankful a part of your company’s culture moving forward and find ways to regularly appreciate the good work that your team is doing.

Thank YOU for reading this post, I hope it gave you some food for thought during this holiday season. Have a wonderful and safe holiday!