Common pitfalls when showing appreciation to child welfare professionals
As a staff attorney managing an extremely high caseload, I faced a disconnect between appreciation efforts and support needs. When I asked for help or a salary adjustment for myself or the team, the response was a pizza party or office lunch. This approach felt dismissive.
When I went into management, I previously knew my team as a colleague. This helped me create effective appreciation strategies, including team involvement and personalized recognition.
During National Child Welfare Workforce Development Month, we celebrate Child Welfare Workforce Appreciation Week. In honor of this week, we’re sharing ways to thank and celebrate all child welfare professionals, like caseworkers, lawyers, judges, therapists, and others who help kids and families. By avoiding the following pitfalls, your efforts to show appreciation will be genuine and meet your team’s needs.
1. Focusing on appreciation without addressing workload
Child welfare professionals often work under pressure with heavy caseloads. Appreciation efforts that don’t address this reality can feel shallow. Especially when underlying work stressors aren’t being addressed.
Solution: Create initiatives that help alleviate workload stress. Provide support staff with mental health resources. Look into implementing flexible scheduling. This shows that leadership values their employees’ well-being.
2. Overlooking the importance of timing
Efforts to show appreciation only during annual events can make employees feel undervalued throughout the year.
Solution: Recognize your employees’ achievements year-round. This can include acknowledgment in team meetings or virtual communication. Celebrating milestones like work anniversaries or completing mission-based goals can also show appreciation.
3. Applying a one-size-fits-all approach
Child welfare professionals have diverse preferences, backgrounds, and values. Using a generic approach to appreciation, like a pizza party, can miss the mark and make employees not feel valued.
Solution: Get to know your colleagues, including their communication styles and how they prefer to be recognized. This can help ensure your efforts to show appreciation reflect the individuality of each member of your team. You may find that some people like shoutouts on social media or award nominations. Others may prefer handwritten notes. Recognition should be tailored to what resonates most with each person.
4. Ignoring the work environment in appreciation efforts
An unsupportive work culture can make appreciation efforts seem insincere. Actions speak louder than words; employees will disengage if you focus on external rewards while neglecting the work environment. This is why authenticity is important to creating supportive work environments.
Solution: Invest in improving the overall work environment. Help to ensure manageable caseloads and adequate resources. Foster a supportive culture in your workplace. This all adds up to a psychologically safe work environment. This helps appreciation efforts to be seen as genuine recognition of your team’s efforts.
5. Not involving employees in the planning process
When initiatives are planned without employee input, the appreciation may feel out of touch.Solution: Involve your team in planning by meeting and incorporating their ideas. This can also be accomplished through surveys or focus groups. Let your team know their voices are being heard—seeing their ideas in action will help create appreciation efforts that truly resonate.
Remember, you too can show appreciation!
When appreciation is aligned with employees’ needs, it fosters a motivating and supportive workplace. Involving your team in planning is key to showing appreciation. When you personalize recognition, you do more than just check a box; you help your team feel valued while addressing the issues impacting their work and well-being.
