10 Employee Appreciation Ideas

Did you remember Employee Appreciation Day? If it passed you by, it’s never too late!

Everyday expressions of gratitude can be easy and effective. Simple gestures such as saying thank you can foster a culture of gratitude, where appreciation is shared frequently and effortlessly.

Here are 10 employee appreciation ideas that you can execute on the fly:

1. Host an Ice Cream Social

Spring is coming! Thank your team with an impromptu ice cream social. It’s easy to gather supplies and have managers or members of the leadership team scoop ice cream for employees. Add in some ice cream gift certificates for employees who cannot attend or as a thank you for coming!

2. Tell the local media about an employee’s good deed

Share a feel-good story about an employee who went above and beyond at work or demonstrated kindness on the job. It gives much-deserved public recognition to the employee and is great PR for your company.

3. Get the ball rolling on an employee-led “recognition committee”

Organize an employee-led committee to build year-round appreciation within your organization.

4. Let employees recharge over an extra-long lunch break

Encourage your staff to take an extended lunch break and recharge in the middle of a long workday. Better yet, treat your team to a long lunch at a local restaurant and express your thanks to employees.

5. Bring in breakfast

A breakfast spread of doughnuts, bagels, coffee, and juice can set a positive tone for the rest of the workday.

6. Nominate an employee for an award

Internal or external awards are a great way to show appreciation. Let your nominee know privately that you’ve nominated them and why.

7. Encourage managers to thank their team

Encourage your company’s lower-level managers and supervisors to thank employees for outstanding work. Praise that is specific to recent accomplishments can make appreciation more genuine and heartfelt.

8. Write a handwritten thank you letter

Be inspired to start a thank you note writing habit! It’s a habit many successful CEOs have started early in their careers because it’s so effective and memorable.

9. Share small appreciation gifts

You can buy little gifts of appreciation to share with your team such as bags of local coffee, movie tickets, or candy gift certificates. Don’t forget to include a short note with your tokens of appreciation.

10. Say “Thanks!”

The simplest and most spontaneous way to show your gratitude is to say thank you. It’s also the most powerful.
Feeling tongue-tied? That’s natural. Unfortunately, the workplace is often the last place many people feel comfortable showing heartfelt gratitude.

However you choose to share your sincere thanks, your employees will appreciate that you care.

Make Employee Appreciation Day Every Day: Download Your Calendar Now!

Celebrate appreciation in the workplace all year long while invigorating your employee recognition planning for the year!

Use this free resource to start building an everyday culture of gratitude that employees will love. You’ll find inspiration and employee appreciation ideas for every month of the year.

Download yours FREE today!

 

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