May 16, 2022

Looking back, the first clue was when Steve Richter’s supervisor insisted on an in-person meeting instead of a virtual one.

When the Sanford information technology systems specialist arrived for it, it became clear this wasn’t an ordinary one-on-one.

“Suddenly, I see my director with some balloons,” he said. “And my whole leadership team showed up to give me a golden ticket. I didn’t know what to think. I was at a loss for words for once.”

The golden ticket meant he’d been offered one of 20 spots as a Sanford Health employee ambassador. It booked him on a multiday trip to Austin, Texas, where he and co-workers from across the health system would be treated to a one-of-a-kind getaway.

“I have 19 new best friends,” he said. “It was amazing. I know marketing did a lot of effort planning this trip.”

He’s right. It’s the second year the Sanford marketing team has organized such an experience, designed to say thank you to employees who exemplify the system’s values.

“They’re the people who really get lifted up as the go-to resource – for new employees, for IT, patient feedback is that they really made me feel taken care of and part of the family,” vice president of marketing Colette Manning said.

The system asks leaders to think about which employees they would want to clone and then nominate them, she said.

“It’s the people who are living and breathing Sanford values every day,” she said. “We call it bleeding blue.”

From there, chosen employees were treated to an insider’s look at Austin – a trip off the beaten tourist path that included meals at food trucks and curated by local chefs, a tasting at a cheese shop, a comedy and magic show and a service project that involved designing shoes for kids.

They closed the trip with dinner at the well-known Aryln Studios, where legendary artists such as Willie Nelson have recorded.

“And it’s not just creating the custom experience, but throughout the trip we do a shout-out for each ambassador to introduce them to the rest of the group and why they were chosen,” Manning said. “So sharing nuggets from their leaders, their patients, about what makes them awesome at their job and letting that light shine on them.”

After the trip, the ambassadors stay connected with Sanford leadership and are asked for feedback on various elements of the organization, including its marketing approach.

Steve Richter with Sanford CEO Bill Gassen

“It was a great reward,” Richter said. “The past two years have been a grind in IT – having to think outside the box, how to better support patients and do telemedicine visits and support our folks that work from home. I’ve already asked marketing to be part of the planning committee for next year’s trip.”

Call it a little bit of everything – the growing need to attract, retain and engage employees coupled with addressing the fatigue so many continue to experience, and it becomes clear why employers seemingly are doing more than ever to show appreciation.

“No offense meant to those who do this, but it’s beyond a T-shirt or a zip-up,” said Addie Graham-Kramer, CEO of The Event Company.

It starts with being purposeful and intentional about how employees are celebrated, she said.

The Event Company, with a staff of 16, holds appreciation events monthly based on employees’ preferences.

“We just did a yoga one. Some is mental health-focused – we’ve done meditation sessions – and we’ve done charcuterie parties, so we get out of the office to be with each other,” she said.

To begin the year, she took a 10-person team to Charlotte, North Carolina, for a company retreat that included an NBA game and time spent exploring the city.

“So we came together to learn together, to growth together and to figure out how to build together the rest of the year,” she said.

The Event Company also just finished helping coordinate a destination company meeting for TSP, which took its 60-person team and employees’ guests to Rapid City.

“We curated special boxes for everyone’s room that included what was going to take place,” Graham-Kramer said. “So we did Prairie Berry, pizza making and beer tasting, and dueling pianos, and their annual meeting was open to significant others, so they’re very intentional about bringing spouses and guests into the mix to say here’s what we’re doing as a company, so they get a sneak peek.”

The TSP welcome gift had a “camping” theme with two campfire mugs, snacks, a TSP pennant, a message from CEO Jared Nesje and a listing of activities.

TSP has held the events since 2018, human resources manager Kari Kiesow said.

“As we transitioned to an ESOP, we are all employee owners, and so a big piece of having our spouses there sitting at the meeting is they know what we’re doing and can support us at home,” she said.

Plus, spread among four offices, there isn’t always a lot of face-to-face time, which the pandemic showed is important for the firm.

“So for us to be able to gather everyone together, the main part is team building and networking,” Kiesow said. “We do very little business discussion. I think our business discussion was maybe two hours out of two days.”

But when they returned to work, there was a clear difference, she continued. Employees who have gotten to know one another better are more likely to pick up the phone and talk through a challenge, for instance.

“We’ve been back just shy of a month, and everyone’s spirits are lifted and the collaboration is there,” Kiesow said.

More people are nominating peers for monthly recognition, she said, adding the company also celebrates employees throughout October for ESOP month.

By designing an employee appreciation event to be interactive, “it lets them let their guard down,” Graham-Kramer added. “We have to put people in purposeful situations and placements so they can react that way.”

For Furniture Mart USA, one of those situations comes annually at an appreciation dinner for employees who are named to the company’s Honor Club. It typically involves individuals generating $1 million or more in annual sales. This year, that included 168 people.

“The atmosphere is pretty electric,” CEO Cory Price said. “They definitely feel it’s something they earned and they’re not just going to a dinner.”

Earning their way adds to the sense of satisfaction, said Bridgit Venekamp, an assistant manager at the Sioux Falls Furniture Mart store who has qualified for the Honor Club for five years.

“The first year I literally was in tears,” she said. “I got up there, and it was such an accomplishment.”

This year, she got to watch a dozen of her team members earn the same recognition.

“It drives people,” she said. “It’s everybody’s goal to hit. They get up there (at the dinner) and put up inspirational videos and everyone talks, and it’s a tear-jerker. And (company founder) Bill (Hinks), you get to shake his hand and he gives you a certificate, and it’s just like, wow.”

In addition to the elaborate dinner and ceremony, Honor Club employees receive a monetary bonus, a shirt that displays their accomplishment and a special seal on their business cards.

“I’ve never worked for this company and not felt appreciated,” Venekamp said.

Furniture Mart is working harder “on making people feel important and appreciated every day,” Price added. “So it doesn’t just feel like a job, and they know where their contribution is in the whole process of the customer’s journey and how important their spot is.”

Managers also are empowered to reward employees for accomplishments throughout the year, bring in food when they work on holidays and are “constantly sending emails out” to say thanks, Venekamp said, adding she views investments such as marketing and building a new fulfillment center as ways the company shows it appreciates its employees too.

“It sets us aside from the competition and lets us sell more,” she said. “We have an edge in our store, and those are things I feel our company does because they want us to be profitable. They are big things, and we forget to say thank you.”

Large-scale efforts

But beyond big-ticket events, there are other ways to doing employee appreciation on a wide scale and ongoing.

Avera Health spent last week celebrating all employees who work within its facilities, including clinics, hospitals and senior living centers – totaling 20,000 employees in 315 locations and 100 communities in five states.

“It’s fitting to celebrate caregivers after two years of pandemic stressors that greatly impacted health care facilities and the people who work in them,” CEO Bob Sutton said.

“Yet we also want to celebrate any and all who fill other roles that fulfill the Avera mission to make a positive impact in the lives and health of persons and communities.”

Treats were distributed at central locations for grab-and-go throughout the week in addition to more facility- and department-specific appreciations.

Throughout the year, senior leaders at Avera McKennan regularly sign up to do rounds throughout departments with “care carts,” which are loaded with Avera swag, snacks, beverages and fun items such as stress balls and stickers.

“This is always a huge day brightener for employees, and the leadership team does a great job of rounding during all shifts, so days, evenings and weekends,” said Cale Feller, director of media relations and corporate communications.

“Over the past few months, employees have also periodically been offered free coffee, tea and soft drinks in the cafeteria.”

Each summer, physicians at Avera also host employee picnics where they grill and provide live music.

Employers also are finding enhanced communication is another way to show employees appreciation on a wide scale and a continual basis, said Jessica Ashton, a human resources consultant with Alternative HR.

She points to “stay interviews,” which are “a way to really gauge where their employees are, opening up communication and continuing to build that relationship,” she said. “These conversations also can reiterate a career path within the organization and how managers can help employee development and growth so they can effectively move up rather than out.”

Employers also are more regularly communicating company successes, both to show appreciation and to build a perception of stability, transparency and trust, she said.

Offering more flexibility in scheduling and work environment is another way to show appreciation, she added.

And so is investing in leadership training to provide team members a positive supervisory experience.

“A common phrase is people quit because of their boss,” Ashton said. “So organizations are trying to change that by equipping managers and supervisors with necessary training on soft skills, listening and building relationships with their employees.”