Even after being extremely positive about the office environment, a simple ‘Good job’ can ruin the experience. This is not to say that you are not happy with the work of your employees when you say ‘Good job’. But, this is to say that it is too mainstream to say ‘Good job’ to someone these days. The feedback is just not specific and it is almost as good as no praise at all.

However, since we are too used to the idea of saying ‘Good job’, other praise words don’t cross our mind. Hence, we have prepared a list of alternatives to help you break the monotony and move past ‘Good job’. Here’s a chance to make your employees feel valued and appreciated.

1.  Wow. You are Creative.

This is a great response to someone’s hard work because it appreciates both their work and extra efforts. Further, it makes your employees believe that you are happy about their work and they are actually contributing to the growth of the organization. This simple sentence is highly creative – it radiates positivity and encourages motivation. Happy feelings all around.

2.  You Rocked that Presentation.

Now, you may be wondering how is this different from the same old ‘Good Job’?

When you say you rocked that presentation, it gives an impression that the task was of high importance and it was well achieved. This gives your employee a sense of satisfaction and makes them feel appreciated. You may say ‘Good job’ to everyone present in the meeting or presentation but ‘You rocked that presentation’ is different.

3.   I’d Love to Hear More of Your Ideas. Let’s Talk About It.

This feedback is certainly excellent as well as pretty honest. This feedback allows your employees to know that they are moving in the right direction, which encourages them to achieve more. In fact, this feedback motivates employees to come up with innovative ideas, processes, procedures, and structures.

However, this piece of feedback is quite tricky. You don’t want to seem to off-beat and mechanical while saying it. You need to follow up on the idea, sit with the employee, and explore new opportunities. This is not just to say but you actually need to follow ‘Let’s talk about it’ part.

4.   I Really Liked Your Response on X.

If you specifically point out the responses or piece of work achieved by the employee, it shows that you really appreciate the work. Because if you care enough to specifically mention something, this means you liked their work.

With this feedback, you can strategically involve criticism as well. If you wish for your employees to work differently, you can appreciate their specific work and then point out the mistake. But, do this without including a ‘but’ in your sentence.

5.   It Is Great How You Handled Client X. It Helped the Client Fully Utilize the Product.

While the first sentence would seem enough to many, it really isn’t. When you add this second sentence, you are specifically appreciating and praising the employee for solving an issue. Just telling them that they have done a great job is not enough. You need to specify that their work is well received by the client as well as you as the human resource manager.

6.   Thank You for the Amazing, Research-based Work.

Although this is a normal response that you can give to an employee, in a presentation, it makes a difference. If you appreciate and praise your employees for their hard work in public, they know you mean it.

For instance, during a client meeting, when the client appreciates you, saying, “I didn’t do it alone, my team was behind the hard work,” can really motivate everyone. These little things go a long way – and certainly, matter more than even rewards.

Conclusion

Utilizing different and more specific phrases for appreciating and praising your employees makes a difference. It helps your employees visualize their position in the company. You can encourage your employees and motivate them to achieve more. All of this ultimately helps in increasing the productivity of the whole organization.