Fresh & Fab Employee Appreciation Ideas
Recognize Your Work Team: Classic, Quirky, & Unique Suggestions
There’s nothing quite like having a team that you love to work with! Part of keeping employees happy is expressing how much you appreciate the value they bring to that team as individuals. This year, express yourself with these traditional, zany, and customized employee appreciation ideas!
National Employee Appreciation Day (First Friday of March)
Let’s kick this off with the most obvious, yet the most under-celebrated way to let your team feel the love – go ahead and celebrate National Employee Appreciation Day the first Friday of March every year! Recognize employees for their years of service or major accomplishments for the year with a company-sponsored luncheon, happy hour, or award ceremony (and use SignUp to get a head count). Your team may think no one is keeping track all year, but you are!
Quirky Random Holidays
Run through the endless list of fun day-to-day holidays – pick one funky day per month to celebrate with your team and surprise them, it’s the easiest way to generate smiles and break up monotony. Need a few ideas to get you going?
Jan 24 – Compliment Day
Feb 17 – Random Act of Kindness Day
Mar 25 – Waffle Day
Apr 20 – Look Alike Day
May 4 – Star Wars Day
We’ll let you take it from here!
Track Team Wins
It’s amazing what you and your team can pull off – why not celebrate beyond the completion announcement? Did you guys create a new website or newsletter template and it’s making a splash? Are those new features your customers dreamed of up and running after months of coding and testing? Cheers to peers – you did it!
Weather-Related Early Release Days
The weather can have such an impact on our moods – rain or shine. If you feel like calling it quits midday due to the need for a cozy movie day or for a skip in the park, call it for the whole team. They’re likely feeling the same way and will appreciate the invite to ditch.
Appreciation Envelopes
A neat activity to do when you have your team together, truly best for small teams. Everyone writes something they appreciate about each coworker on individual index cards anonymously. Each card is then placed in an envelope with the team member’s name then given to that person. You’ll be surprised at how touched and special everyone feels as they read the cards – it’s the perfect activity to generate truly personalized appreciation!
Traditional Awards With a Twist
Employee awards are not new but, before you skip over this section, take a read and get creative! Host a ceremony and honor your team with awards that are unique to your staff and workplace. Heck, you might even win the Confetti Award – the one who finds the most reasons to celebrate!
Customer Whisperer Award
Most Likely to Break the Internet
Hundreds of Tabs Open Award
Wikipedia User Award
One Liner (Office Jokester) Award
Office Prankster Award
Meeting Host with the Most (Participation/Slides/Screens) Award
Big Idea Award (who saved big bucks, sold something new, solved a vexing customer problem)
Best Breakroom Snacks
Sunshine Award (for infectious positivity)
Take it from here!
Classic ‘Thank You’ Card
Oh, you thought these were dead? They’re not, and they’re possibly even more so appreciated as they have become a rarity in our digital sea of communication. Head on over to your local store and pick a card that helps you say thank you to a teammate that makes work easy.
Stylish Swag
Nothing quite like brand favoritism, right? People wear the brands they like, use brands they like, and support brands they like – and since that’s the case, shouldn’t everyone be sporting gear with your brand on it? Get some quality fleece jackets or hoodies embroidered with the company logo. Spend the extra bucks and go big with YETI cups in various sizes to ensure that coffee drinkers and water lovers are all showing off your brand in the best of ways.
Care Package
These are especially great for remote teams. Throw in some of that company swag, a classic ‘Thank You’ card, and some goodies. EVERYONE loves getting surprise packages – promise.
Home Office Upgrade
As COVID arrived the scramble to create home offices had everyone getting creative. Since then, many have upgraded that initial particle board desk to something more permanent, but like anything and everything, a little refresh is a good thing. Offer up new tech, new chairs, shelves, supplies, whatever – ask the team what they need!
The key here is to make your appreciation visible – everyone wants to feel recognized and valued. With so many different types of players on your team, you have the opportunity to express your gratitude in ways that are most meaningful to each teammate. It’s time to celebrate their hard work!
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