Making employees feel appreciated, value their efforts and work, is part of creating a healthy environment for every person in the workplace. And it is also part of making people feel safe and seen at work.

We all want our work to be appreciated, and especially from someone you are accountable to.

What do managers and bosses need to learn in making employees feel valued and important?

Eduige Mutoni, a manager in a shipping company based in Rwanda, says that it is part of a manager’s job to make everyone in a workplace feel valued and important; it should not be something to do for the sake of the company.

"It is our responsibilities as managers. As we also would want to be valued and our work to be recognised by our CEOs, is also how employees would want to feel. Employees are people that serve the company daily, find solutions to keep the company moving and work hard to deliver the goals of a company. Therefore, the least they should get is the feeling that they are not important or valued. Their work is what builds the company and they should be valued for that,” she says.

Once employees are made feel important in the workplace, they do their job passionately and wholeheartedly, hence increasing job outcomes.

Didier Honore Abimana, an employed photographer says that to make them feel important, the employer must take their views and suggestions into consideration. Employees need to feel that they also belong.

"When I feel important in my workplace, I work tirelessly without waiting for the employer. Even when the employer is not there, I do my job as due,” he exclaims.

According to The muse a page dedicated to helping people navigate their career journey, one of the managers’ most important responsibilities is making employees feel truly valued, letting them know that without them, the company, and the department would be worse off.

Their article shared a few tips on how to do that on a daily basis, especially if you don’t have the decision-making power or resources of a top-level executive:

Be intentional with everyday conversations

Employees and managers alike are often ingrained with the idea that "everyone is replaceable.” But a big part of feeling valued occurs when employees are aware that they add something to the company that no one else can.

Show them that others need them, too

While recognition can serve as a great motivator, it can also become a little routine when it always comes from a direct manager.

Challenge them

Every job comes with less-than-glamorous responsibilities. But it’s important to balance out that grunt work with challenging assignments, too. When you only dole out repetitive tasks or tasks beneath someone’s skill level, you’re conveying that you don’t really need his or her specific, individual talents. 

Recognise them as individuals

To boost team morale, it’s great to do something for your entire team, like catering lunch or bringing in donuts. But if you’re aiming to show your appreciation for an individual, it can easily get lost in these types of group celebrations. In one fell swoop, your top salesperson and newbie intern have just been rewarded with the same exact thing.