Do you recognize a job well done by employees? Here’s how to make appreciation a part of your routine to enhance morale—and retention.

We all know the golden rule: Do unto others…

Businesses routinely apply that to how they treat customers, but what about their staff members?

Customer service and experience expert Shep Hyken explains why it’s so important to give equal weight to the people you pay as you do to the people who pay you. When asked how to improve service, he answers, “By first changing what happens to the people who work in the store so that they actually experience what they’re asked to deliver.”

Obviously, frequent feedback is one way to pass along the proverbial pat on the back. That’s especially important for Generation Z staffers. According to a study by the Center for Generational Kinetics, more than 6 out of 10 Zoomer respondents want some supervisory feedback at least every few weeks.

The Why

There are lots of reasons to make saying thank you part of your regular routine. Sure, it shows you care and appreciate staff. There’s a less obvious benefit as well, says Jenn McMillen, CEO of Incendio, a Dallas loyalty firm she founded. “It’s a great way to acknowledge you know what’s going on,” she explains.

It’s always important to communicate the big picture in terms of performance, states the Forbes Communications Council. But it’s equally important to offer both planned and spontaneous rewards. In other words, create a formal “Employee of the Month” program that recognizes staff from around your organization, not just those who face the public. At the same time, however, offer unscheduled rewards—including everything from doughnuts to just a job-well-done comment. They all carry weight.

The What

Here are some of the ways that two practices say thanks to staff. Their efforts range from in-the-moment rewards to more formal “group hugs.” Fun often takes center stage.

That certainly was the case recently for Rob Szeliga, O.D., and his team at Spring Hill Eyecare in Spring Hill, TN, when they “axed” a problematic vision care plan. Spur of the moment, they celebrated that weekend by going to a nearby ax-throwing location.

On a more routine basis, practice administrator Melanie Jenkins, CPO, explains, “I like to do random Sonic or Starbucks runs. If we’ve had a particularly busy or difficult week, we use this as a special treat. I also have cards that I write notes on and leave at a team member’s desk as a surprise thank-you. As a group, we also have team picnics and lunches.”

At Socialite Vision in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, owner Adam Ramsey, O.D., believes incentives need to be more personal than bonuses or even gift cards. It’s about creating personal touch points, big and small. For example, he recently helped one staffer obtain housing and, for another whose dog was ailing, he reached out to the vet and called an Uber to get her there quickly. His philosophy? “People need to know there’s more than office goals. For me, it’s personal.”

Why is all this so important? Because rewards, big and small, address three core themes that Forbes cites as “the new recipe for successful engagement in business today…aspirational purpose, inclusion, and empathy.”