What Do Companies Do for Employee Appreciation Day?
Companies do a variety of things for Employee Appreciation Day - there’s not just one way to celebrate! In addition to telling employees that you appreciate them, it’s a good idea to also do something special for them. Ideas to show employees that you value them while also boosting team morale and building stronger employee-employer relationships include the following:
- Public Praise - You could do this through shout-outs on a community page, creating celebration videos, doing shout-outs in a team-wide meeting, or through an organization-wide email.
- Personalized Notes - A personalized note and heartfelt note from a manager can mean a lot. Take the time to write each of your team members a letter of appreciation thanking them for their work and letting them know why you appreciate them. As with verbal praise, be specific and authentic.
- Personalized Gifts - Pay attention to what employees enjoy and give them a gift that reflects this. Not only will this be something they appreciate, but receiving a personalized gift will help each of your employees feel known and seen by the leadership team.
- Time Off - Give your team members an extra afternoon off, a personal day, or extra flex or remote days. Time is one of the best gifts you can give employees, so reward their hard work with some extra time for themselves whenever possible.
- Lunch or Snacks - Consider bringing in lunch for your team or having a special afternoon snack (for example, ice cream or a coffee truck). This can help to boost employee morale and team relationships.
- Host a Social Gathering - A happy hour, dinner, or social outing can be another way to show employees appreciation and foster healthy relationships across your team.
When deciding what to do, keep in mind that you don’t have to do something extravagant. There are even great ideas for remote employees! Try to consider what would mean the most to your team members and what would fit well with your company culture.
