Springtime is a great time for your employee thank you!

Employee thank you programs are essential all year-round. Photo via Jonathan Leung, Flickr.

Springtime is time for spring cleaning! So why not start with your assessing and re-energizing your employee recognition efforts with a revitalized thank you program?

As warm weather and brighter days approach, it is the perfect time to invest in your company culture, inspire workers, and reiterate your company values. And guess what? You can accomplish that and more with a strong employee appreciation program!

Read on for easy and effective ideas we’ve collected for outdoor, seasonal, and values-based employee recognition activities. Start building the everyday culture of appreciation you want, and plan for brighter days ahead!

Easter-Themed Employee Thank You Celebrations

Easter Bunny and Thank you card
Easter is a great time to consider an employee thank you kickoff event built around this springtime holiday! Not sure? Check out our post, “Why You Should Celebrate Easter in the Workplace”. We believe, done respectfully and thoughtfully, any holiday is a good excuse to celebrate your team. Here are a few easy ways to create some workplace fun for Easter:

  • Enliven spirits by decorating your workplace with signs of spring – plants, flowers, Easter eggs and colorful baskets of treats.
  • Gather everyone and host a fresh breakfast or afternoon snacks with spring-themed treats.
  • Publicly thank your team for their efforts so far this year and cheer them on to continued success.
  • Hand out personalized thank you cards and if you are able, include an employee thank you gift. A popular choice is the gift of an Easter Ham. It’s a gift everyone appreciates and can be shared with family and friends. If you have a diverse workplace, you may prefer sharing a gift certificate for a Turkey Or Ham.
  • Make a contribution to keeping the great feelings of appreciation alive by dedicating a “Gratitude Board”!

Outdoor Employee Recognition

Tug of war teambuilding

The weather is getting warmer, so why not step outside into the sun and enjoy the fresh air? Your workplace will be grateful for the invitation. Changing routine offers a chance to connect with colleagues and build engagement.

Consider these fun activities that will build engagement and offer workplace fun:

  • Play games! Who doesn’t like playing Frisbee, outdoor bowling or a team treasure hunt? Mix up departments and build comradery!
  • Host a catered or pot-luck picnic. Do it end of day and extend the invitation to invite families.
  • Hold outdoors meetings–remember how much fun it was at school when a teacher took your class outside for a lesson? A break from the office routine is equally appreciated and an opportunity to show employees you value their contributions.
  • Do good work together! Organize an outdoor-based community service activity such as a 5K walk or run that employees can join as a team to help others.

As blog post “Employee Recognition in Spring” says:

“The truth is that you really don’t need any reason at all to go outside and enjoy the warm springtime air. As long as you have half an hour or so free, take your employees outside to recognize them for everything they’ve brought to the table.”

Decorate for Spring

Indoor plants and spring decorations
If it’s not feasible to hold an outdoor employee recognition event, hold a festive indoor event.

In March, decorate in green for St. Patrick’s Day, complete with shamrocks, leprechauns, and pots o’ gold. Perfect opportunity to tie into a workplace goal or a fun event such as March Madness – who wouldn’t want to win a “pot 0′ gold”?
In April, take advantage of Earth Day and Arbor Day. Change up a drab workplace by adding plants and flowers. Bring in a local expert in environment stewardship and have them train and inspire your workforce. Consider sponsoring a tree planting or let employees decide how best to celebrate Earth Day.
In May try a garden theme and tie-in employee thank you gifts of packets of seeds and a small pot.

Take Advantage of Ready-to-Go Celebrations

Each month has national or even international celebration days that you can easily build employee thank you events around (be sure to check dates as these may change annually).

gThankYou’s FREE Day-to-Day Celebration Calendar provides month-to-month “don’t miss” celebrations along with expert tips for recognizing employees every day of the year. Here’s a quick peek at a few springtime examples of days you might want to celebrate in your workplace – download this one-of-a-kind free guide to enjoy them all!

Employee thank you ideas for April!April Fool’s Day (April 1)—Workplace pranks can be a big distraction, but the solution isn’t a humorless No Jokes Allowed HR memo. Instead, encourage activities that put a positive spin on jokes and activities that fit your culture.

Arbor Day (dates vary by region)—Roll up your sleeves and get to work together for a healthier planet! Arbor Day dates vary by regional growing season, so check arborday.org to find the date where you live and to find opportunities for your team to get involved in tree-planting activities.

Employee thank you ideas for May!National Nurses’ Day (May 6)—Research consistently demonstrates a link between nurse job satisfaction and patient outcomes. Be sure your nurses feel recognized for the important work they do!

National Receptionists’ Day (May 13)—Your receptionists are the face of your company and brighten everyones’ day, so brighten theirs for a change!

National Employee Health & Fitness Day (May 15) — A don’t miss celebration for encouraging workplace wellness. Get your workplace moving! Hand out “trail” maps of walks around your building and local points of interest. Have a contest for most miles logged over the month with prizes! Have you looked into Fitbit? Might be just what you need to engage and encourage better fitness in your workplace.

Build the vibrant workplace culture you want – one where employees are engaged, happy, loyal and productive. Use the invigoration of spring to craft your employee thank you plan for the year and download this one-of-a-kind eBook to guide your way!

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