This year’s Employee Appreciation Day is on Friday 4th March. It will be the first since the onset of the Great Resignation.  There are many theories about what is driving post-pandemic resignations. But one thing is clear: UK workers often feel burned out and undervalued.

With scattered teams working from home (WFH) and hybrid working the ‘new normal' it is easy for employees to feel disconnected. And underappreciated. 

Companies know that their employees are their greatest asset. Employee Appreciation Day provides an opportunity for HR teams and managers to take stock. Employee appreciation is essential in fostering a motivated and happy workforce. An eachperson.com survey revealed that 86% of employees said recognition makes them happier at work.
 

The difference between appreciation and recognition

The words “recognition” and “appreciation” are not interchangeable. Recognition is about giving positive feedback based on results or performance. Appreciation is about acknowledging a person’s value. This difference matters because recognition and appreciation take place for different reasons. Often businesses focus on praising positive outcomes (recognition). Companies should ensure they’re doing both.
 

Appreciation and retention

A Glassdoor Employee Appreciation Survey shows that 53% of employees say more appreciation from their boss would help them stay longer at their company. Businesses that engage in employee appreciation see improved retention rates and lower staff turnover.

Companies conducting exit interviews may see that lack of appreciation is a culprit in driving employees to leave. Some may have stayed if their employers offered more rewards and recognition.
 

A culture of celebration

The need to belong is part of the human condition. A culture that celebrates career milestones, life events, and group achievements increases a candidate's desire to join and grow within the business.

In a Harvard Business Review article, Michael O’Malley states: “The best places to work provide people with life satisfaction, as opposed to job satisfaction alone.”
 

Appreciation, Happiness and Productivity

In the TED Talk: 'The Power of Appreciation' 43% of people who feel 'appreciated' are more effective and productive.

With WFH, hybrid working and the possibility of a four-day week, productivity is a hot topic. Appreciated employees are more engaged at work. Findings from BetterUp show that 56% of employees who felt belongingness have a higher level of job performance.

SurveyMonkey reports that 82% of workers consider appreciation an important part of their happiness. An Oxford University report shows that happier workers are 13% more productive at work.
 

Types of Employee Appreciation

Employee appreciation takes many forms:

• Day-to-day appreciation is frequent, simple and ongoing. It could include sending emails or e-cards.
• Informal appreciation is when individuals or teams progress toward milestones. Or when they complete a complex project. These are often low-cost gestures such as lunchtime pizzas, after-work drinks or an earlier finish on Friday.
• Formal structure appreciation often involves a nomination, selection process, ceremony or special event. It could be part of a formal recognition scheme.
   

Getting Started

It’s a good idea to ask employees what they would like so you are rewarding staff with something they value.
 

How to show appreciation

Nowadays, more companies value employee appreciation, rewards and recognition. It's something we see here at Morgan Hunt with our clients. They include:
 

Wellbeing Days

There is a correlation between work-life balance and employee performance and job satisfaction. Work-life balance:

• reduces stress
• prevents burnout
• reduces sick leave
• saves money
• promotes a caring company culture

Remote working throughout lockdowns undoubtedly affected employee wellbeing.  A company-wide day off to encourage employees to look after their well-being can help.
 

Employee Recognition Programmes

Employee recognition refers to employees’ accomplishments. The most common programmes recognise one-time achievements.  Programmes can recognise team and individual work throughout the year. Consider asking current employees the type of recognition they desire most.

Over half (56%) of HR leaders believe recognition or appreciation schemes help with recruitment (SHRM). Candidates want to associate with employers that recognise and appreciate their employees.  These can include:

• employee of the month club/award
• annual awards events
• financial incentives/vouchers
• lunch with the CEO
• earned time off
   

Celebrate anniversaries and birthdays

Do something special for employee birthdays and work anniversaries. A hbr.org study found that employees were likely to leave after a year of employment. Don’t let the anniversary of an employee’s hire go unnoticed.  Acknowledging the important dates across your team shows you value them as individuals. This could be:

• a coffee/bottle of wine/chocolates
• greeting card
• birthday day off
• company-wide announcement
• decorated desk
   

Regular employee surveys

Enabling employees to give feedback shows you value their input. Anonymous feedback portals or surveys ensure honest, quality responses. Consider having a mix of questions, like "Does your manager make you feel valued?" and allow employees to provide feedback. Employees feel valued the more they feel heard and want to contribute to the success of a company.
 

Appreciation portal

Giving and receiving appreciation increases morale, collaboration and job satisfaction. Some companies have online platforms where managers and peers can praise colleagues.
 

Offer learning opportunities

Investing in professional development shows you value staff.  For effective and cost-efficient ways to let employees learn new skills consider:

• courses
• conferences
• tuition reimbursement
• cross-training between departments
• mentorships
• budgets for learning materials e.g., books
   

Employee Appreciation Week (or Month)

Events throughout the week or month may include:

• workshops
• coffee and cake mornings
• team lunches
• offsite group/company activity
• onsite massages/manicures
• celebrations of teams’ cultural diversity
   

Say Thank You

A study from Each Person found that 51% of UK employees say a ‘thank you’ would make them feel more appreciated. A heartfelt thank you is a simple way to show appreciation.  While not everyone needs a ‘thank you’ to do a good job, many do. It won’t hurt those who don’t need to hear it, but it will mean much to those who do.

Finally, employee appreciation shouldn’t take place on one day. It should be integral to your company culture and adopted by management. Your employees are your most precious asset, now it’s time to appreciate them.

It’s a new year, so it’s a time that many people think about trying something new. For you, this might mean exploring new job opportunities. In this article we’ve outlined the best ways to approach finding a new job in 2022.
 

The current state of the market

Firstly, to know how to navigate the job market, it’s important to understand the current conditions.

Last year the market was turbulent because of the pandemic, but by the end of the year the market was strong. The unemployment rate decreased by 0.4 percentage points on the quarter to 4.2 per cent by the end of October. More people were back in work, including those who had been on the furlough scheme until it ended in September.

This general market trend also applied to public sector employment where the number of employees increased in September 2021 by 0.4% in comparison to June.

Yet, at the same time, the number of job vacancies continued to grow as the effects of the pandemic began to soften and organisations looked to expand. Between September and November, the number of opportunities had increased to more than 1.2 million. However, by November the rate of this expansion had begun to slow somewhat.

This increase in vacancies was paired with a skills shortage due to hundreds of thousands of people leaving the workforce during the pandemic, meaning employers struggled to hire new staff.

For jobseekers such as yourself this means that, for now, the market continues to be led by you. Jobseekers have a greater range of opportunities to choose from and have more leverage to demand the conditions they want. Further benefits for jobseekers include increases in starting pay due to the imbalance between supply and demand.
 

How to job search in 2022

Update your CV

A straightforward CV that outlines your most relevant and recent experience is key to finding a new job. And although there are plenty of jobs out there, you’ll still be competing with others, so you want to have the best chance of standing out.

Here are some best practice guidelines to follow:

• Update your CV with your most recent experience and achievements
• Include up-to-date contact information
• Add a short profile at the top of your CV outlining your skills and positive attributes
• Make sure it’s easy to scan (hiring managers and recruiters are busy people)
• Ensure it’s not longer than 2 pages
• Don’t include photos
• Double check your spelling and grammar

Ideally, you should tailor your CV for every job you apply for, but having a good template as a starting point will save you time and can be used if you don’t have time to customise it for a specific vacancy.

When tailoring your CV, read the job description and include relevant keywords that apply to your experience to ensure your CV is searchable in hiring managers’ and recruiters’ systems.

For more guidance on how to write an effective CV, read our full CV writing guide.
 

Write a well-crafted cover letter

A cover letter isn’t always necessary as part of an application. We don’t require them at Morgan Hunt for example. However, other companies or job boards often require them, so it’s worth doing. And even if they’re not necessary, following up your application with a cover letter can be a good way to differentiate yourself from other applicants.

In a nutshell, your cover letter should explain the why behind your application. Why you think you’re right for the job and why you’re interested in that specific role or organisation.

You can read our guide to learn how to write an effective cover letter.
 

Finding the right jobs

Given the number of vacancies out there, there’s more than enough to choose from. So how do you find the best ones, or the ones you’re most suited to? We recommend using a variety of methods to support your search which will give you exposure to all available opportunities and allow you to pick right ones.
 

Make your searches specific

When searching for jobs on Google or other websites, use keywords related to the type of job you want and the responsibilities you’d like to have. Being specific and using more keywords will narrow down the number of results, so you’ll only see the most relevant jobs for you.
 

Use a recruitment agency

Having a recruitment consultant working for you who understands your skills and what you’re looking means you’ll be put forward for suitable roles without having to do the heavy lifting yourself. This can save you a lot of time and effort. 

Another benefit is that many employers don’t advertise roles themselves and will exclusively use recruitment agencies, so using an agency can get you access to jobs that are not being advertised. 
 

Set up job alerts

Job alerts are another great way to automate your search. Google Jobs alerts are especially useful as they will pull jobs from across the internet and email them to you. To set these up, perform your search in Google Jobs. Next, turn on job alerts at the bottom left of the page.

Many other sites, such as job boards, support job alerts too. You can also sign up to Morgan Hunt job alerts to be notified about the best and most recent public sector jobs.
 

Update your LinkedIn profile

LinkedIn isn’t for everyone or every type of profession, but for most it’s a great way to network with others in your current or desired industry and set yourself up to be contacted about opportunities.

You should update your LinkedIn profile like you would your CV by including your most recent and most relevant experience. With the extra space you have to work with on LinkedIn you can also include information about your specific interests, career aspirations or other skills you have.

All the information you provide in your profile summary and experience is searchable by other people on LinkedIn, so recruiters will be able to find you for relevant vacancies they’re hiring for.
 

Practice for interviews

It goes without saying that to get a job, you will need to interview for it if your application is successful. This is your opportunity to sell yourself, so being confident is important. But interviews can be nerve-wracking, so to avoid making mistakes you will later regret, practice for your interviews.

You should research the company and the role you are applying for, not only to demonstrate your interest in the job, but to help you come up with your own questions for things you’d like to know more about. Asking questions in the interview reflects well on you and will help you decide if the role is what you are looking for.

When it comes to answering their questions, make sure you prepare for general questions beforehand. You will want to provide relevant examples of work you’ve done that match the skills they’re looking for, so make sure you’re familiar with your experience. Writing all your experience out can be a helpful exercise to do this.

Here are some examples of basic interview questions you might face:

• Tell me about yourself
• What are your strengths?
• What are your weaknesses?
• What do you think makes you right for this job?
• Where would you like to be in your career five years from now?
• What attracted you to this company/organisation?
   

Now go find your next job

By applying the tips in this article, you’ll be able to navigate the current job market with ease. Use them and we’re confident that you’ll find the right job for you in no time.

If you are looking for support in your job search and are interested in opportunities within the public sector, why not explore the vacancies we’re currently recruiting for or submit your CV to us through our Quick Drop CV tool – it takes less than a minute.

During the pandemic the market was such that redundancies and furloughing were high, resulting in fewer jobs and more people unemployed. As the grasps of the pandemic slowly lifted, expectations were that market conditions would return to normal. But to the suprise of many, the situation flipped and we are now experiencing a skills shortage in the UK. 

Job vacancies in Britain are roughly 20 percent higher than before the pandemic. Employers are on the search for people to fill their open positions, and there are still many seeking work, but the jobs don't align with what people are prepared for or want to do. 

The current market conditions were explored further in an article by the New York Times, in which Morgan Hunt's Managing Director, Dan Taylor, provided comment on the situation. When asked about the company's experience as a recruitment agency, he said "This has been a very quick bounce. In six months we went from struggling to find jobs for candidates who are registered with us to a situation where we just can’t find the specific skilled and experienced staff we need". 

Image from The New York Times. Photographed by Tom Jamieson for The New York Times. 

One example of the difficulties faced by employers is when Morgan Hunt was helping a public housing association hire a senior fire officer. Two people were ready to accept the job, until a department store offered higher pay, causing the candidates to pull out from the senior fire officer position.