Employee Appreciation Day: 10 Clever Ideas to Thank Your Employees

 

Employee Appreciation Day – Friday, March 3rd –  is fast approaching.

At MTM, we know the importance of making sure employees feel appreciated and respected. In fact, studies show that feeling appreciated by your employer contributes to increased productivity, higher job satisfaction, and lower employee turnover.

As a recognition provider, celebrating our employees is in our DNA. However, for many companies, it can be difficult to balance schedules and budgets to properly show appreciation for valued staff.

How will you recognize your employees on Employee Appreciation Day?

Here are 10 clever ideas to help you recognize and appreciate your employees!

1) Have each manager write thank you notes for his/her direct reports

• While such a small gesture, taking the time to express gratitude in the form of a personal card is a wonderful way to appreciate your employees. No matter what their language of recognition a handwritten card will make them feel valued.

 

2) Give out snacks with clever messages to show employees you care

• Simply gather the snacks and add a corresponding note!

3) Host a breakfast buffet cooked and served by the executives

• This is an idea out of our personal playbook here at MTM. Every year during Employee Appreciation week, we like to host a big breakfast for our employees. We even take it a step further – our senior leaders are also the cooks and servers! It’s a unique and fun way for our executives to thank employees for all of the hard work they do.

4) Design company t-shirts or jackets for your staff

• Most employees are proud of where they work and want to show it. Offering a company t-shirt, jacket or cap with your company’s branding, is a great way to connect with your employees.  It not only helps your employees to feel appreciated, but it provides them with a sense of inclusion as a valuable member of the company. Plus, who doesn’t love to wear a fun new t-shirt on a casual Friday?

5) Host a company BBQ and invite your employees’ friends and families

• Because Employee Appreciation Day is on a Friday, there are even more opportunities to show your gratitude for all that your staff does! End the day a few hours early with a company picnic or BBQ on Friday afternoon. Make it even more fun by asking your employees to invite their friends and family for an afternoon everyone will enjoy!

6) Book a masseuse for the week and provide your employees free massages

• Book a masseuse or two in the break room during Employee Appreciation week, and allow your employees the option to sign up for a free 15-minute massage throughout the week.

7) Have managers host and cook a fancy dinner held at one of their homes

• Especially for smaller businesses, this is one way to not only thank your employees for all their work but to help build stronger relationships with your work family, too. There is something special about inviting others into your home to share a meal that will seal respect and camaraderie into your work relationships.

8) Implement a social recognition program to keep the recognition going all year long

• At MTM, we know employee recognition shouldn’t happen just one day of the year. It is a commitment to value your employees all year long! Social recognition programs like MTM’s Carousel allow your employees to publicly share recognition with one another on an interactive online platform, sending fun badges and heartfelt messages to add to the recognition.

9) Say thank you with points

• MTM’s Carousel offers small cards which can be handed out to your employees for any type of recognition. These cards have points values on the back that can be redeemed online for cool products and gift cards! Learn more about implementing a points card program here.

10) Provide your employees with the afternoon off

• On a Friday afternoon in spring, there’s not much that beats the feeling of leaving work early. For a simple, no-prep-required way to celebrate your employees, give them the afternoon off!

Fill today and every day with employee appreciation. Happy Employee Appreciation Day. If you have questions about how to improve your employee recognition program we’ll be happy to help.