12 Ways to Appreciate Your Caregivers Outside of National Caregivers Day

We know it’s hard to gather caregivers together and celebrate their success as often as you would like. Bearing that in mind, we put together 12 ideas to keep your team appreciated and engaged.

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Raffles

Offer raffles to your caregivers as an incentive for doing a good job, like consistent clock-ins and clock-outs, picking up shifts, and more. Even better, ask for their input on the prizes to make sure they’ll be utilized. 

Employee-specific gift card recognition

When your caregivers are recognized by a client for a job well done, make sure that you keep a worksheet on hand with their preferences. Whether they like to eat at Applebee’s or get their nails done, keep a log of their interests so that you can personalize a reward and deliver it in real time. Your caregivers will appreciate this more than you know!

Give time off to recharge.

Do you have caregivers who consistently work overtime? Rather than removing them from the schedule on certain shifts, offer them extra hours of time off to offset the balance of what they were going to work. It is important to leave employees financially and physically whole. Working past 40 hours per week lessens productivity, and clients deserve to work with caregivers when they’re at their best. 

Interview and meet with caregivers for upskilling opportunities. 

When your HR person meets with caregivers to review performance, be sure to ask that they look into professional development and promotion opportunities. Caregivers are often overlooked as it relates to office and field work. This presents an opportunity to look more deeply at caregiver retention and employee longevity. When caregivers see a career path with you, they’ll stay longer—and invite their friends to work with them too. 

Public praise

This might not be ideal for all of your caregivers but consider offering praise in public. If you have an all-hands meeting in-person or virtual company-wide meeting, recognize caregivers who have gone above and beyond for your clients and their families. 

Invest in education opportunities.

If your caregivers show an interest in learning new skills, consider sponsoring a CNA class or holding a raffle for other training opportunities. The costs of a CNA class may prevent caregivers from getting their license, but you can support and invest in their success. This will go a long way for them and their career. 

Invite an inspirational speaker to motivate your caregivers. 

Survey your caregivers on who they would like to speak at your event. Make sure that the presenter has a compelling story and takeaways that your caregivers can do something within their career.

Film personal videos.

There is nothing like the power of video. Create a personalized video for your caregivers for their anniversaries, birthdays, and as random notes of thanks. This will show your employees how much you appreciate them and further the culture that you’re setting up.

Take a group photo.

If your caregivers are gathered together for a meeting or on a Zoom call, take a group picture. Post it on your company website and show off the amazing team that you’ve built. If you’re in-person, you can also use this as an opportunity to have some caregivers record recruitment videos or testimonials of the caregiver experience for orientation. Showing off caregivers to new caregivers will be helpful and relatable. 

Offer to make a donation.

Your employees likely have organizations and causes that they’re passionate about. Share with your employees that you want to donate a set amount of money to a charity of their choosing. Rotate through the ones that you use.

Incentivize your employees to reward each other.

There’s a unique feeling to be rewarded by your peers. Platforms like Slack, Bonusly, and Nectar are a few that allow teams to stay connected and reward each other for a job well done. You can often redeem points for cool rewards like gift cards.