Everyday Employee Thank You Ideas

• O.C. Tanner revealed that 94% of regularly recognized employees said it motivates them to do great work
• WorkHuman shared that 89% of regularly recognized employees are highly engaged
• The Wall Street Journal reported that 81% of employees say they work harder for a grateful manager
• Glassdoor disclosed that 53% would stay longer at their company if they felt more appreciation from their boss

Springtime is the Right Time

Download Your Free Day-to-Day Employee Celebration Calendar Now!

Creative Ways to Say Thanks, No Matter the Season

With the explosion of video and social media, there are many, many ways to share a creative thank you these days! We encourage you to find ways that resonate with colleagues and fit with your company culture. Here are a handful of always appropriate, always appreciated thank you ideas:

Host Thank-You Note Thursdays
Give letter-writing a try as a group.  Supply the stationery and encourage notes between colleagues, from employees to customers and/or vendors.  Scheduling even just a little time together each week to do this can strengthen relationships both inside the office as well as those you do business with.  Simple treats like bagels can help fuel the fun.

Display a Gratitude Board
Hang up a physical board in the office or create a virtual board online to give employees a mechanism to thank one another and give kudos to their peersSend a Shower of ‘Thank You’s’
Someone do something special to help a team or take care of a sticky situation with a customer? Coordinate the rest of the team or the office send the individual lots of small paper ‘Thank You’s’ all at once! They’ll love the fun appreciation from colleagues and managers.

Throw a Surprise Appreciation Party
Acknowledge your team’s hard work by conjuring up a surprise by ending work early and giving everyone a chance to eat, drink and be merry – hint, if you schedule it as a (mysterious) mandatory meeting your staff will be less likely to be out of the office. Don’t forget virtual workers. Invite them to join via Skype and send them a Certificate for a pizza or ice cream treat so they can participate in the fun!

Take What You Need/ Give What You Can Boards
Popularized in schools across the country, these boards often have bright post-its with inspiring messages of support and thanks that people can peel off and use to help them tackle the day or find a positive way of looking at a challenge.  Search Pinterest for photos of boards to help get you started.

Be creative with your ‘Thank You’! We love this message from Culver’s®

Share an Unexpected Note or Treat of Kindness
“The right message at the right time, found by a person can change their day, their outlook, and even their life,” says Laura Morales, of her daughter’s involvement with The Kindness Rocks Project. We agree!

Making someone feel appreciated is as simple as an unexpected note with a sincere, thoughtful message of thanks.

Make it fun by attaching a post-it saying “Thanks A Million” to play money million dollar bills and you’ll have a winner. Or attach a smiley note with “You are appreciated. Thank you!” on Hersey® Candy Bars. Check out this story of a 94 year-old Iowa man who hands out Hersey bars to make peoples’ day. You can do that too!

Sharing appreciation doesn’t need to cost anything. It just needs to be sincere.

Make it Memorable with a Classic Thank You Note

…anyone can afford to write a thank you note.  And it’s always within your reach.  All you need is some stationery, a few minutes of your heartfelt attention and the will to write an authentic message.

Click the image to download your free copy now!

• Simple: 
  Avoid being stuffy or too formal – think of having a conversation with the person you are thanking (expert tip – consider recording a message of your thanks and transcribe that in your handwritten note)
• Sincere: 
  Base your appreciation in truth – focus on the behaviors that are beneficial to the team or the business and in alignment with your organization’s values or you’ll risk sounding insincere
• Specific: 
  Be specific – share relevant details so the recipient knows you are paying attention
• Swift: 
  If the praise is related to a specific action, send it immediately – if the praise is more general, the timing isn’t as critical

A Culture of Gratitude Makes Everyday Employee Thank You’s Easy

When your organization culture is based on respect and gratitude, then appreciation is easy because it’s the fabric of the culture. To learn more about how gratitude is the foundation of successful cultures of appreciation and how amazingly easy it is to nurture workplace gratitude, download gThankYou’s free eBook, “Transform Your Workplace with Gratitude”.