Council Post: Eight Meaningful Ways To Show Your Employees Appreciation On Any Occasion

Many studies show that demonstrating employee appreciation boosts morale and promotes loyalty. However, with so much “busyness” in a typical day-to-day work environment, it can be difficult to remember to slow down and show that appreciation.

Birthdays, work anniversaries and milestone accomplishments are perfect opportunities to celebrate and thank your employees for their contributions. Below, eight members of Young Entrepreneur Council discuss ways to express your gratitude to employees during these events or on any special-occasion basis.

1. Encourage Family Activities

Work isn’t usually cool to kids or other family members, so we try to involve our homes where we can. Being a 100% remote company for over 10 years makes it harder to connect with the loved ones of our employees. Something that has worked well has been sending monthly activity boxes to do crafts or science experiments. Another was providing treat options for pet owners. Our hope is to influence and encourage family time outside of work with some fun ideas. – Marjorie Adams, Fourlane

2. Throw An Annual Party

I always throw an annual Christmas party. Even during Covid, we held our Christmas party over Zoom because this tradition is so important to our company. A Zoom Christmas party may not sound ideal, but it was actually really fun. People who worked remotely or who lived farther away could attend. It was also actually very easy to adapt our party to an online format. For example, we played a lot of online-friendly games, and we were even able to have a fun white elephant gift exchange online too. I also encourage all of our employees to invite friends and family members, so our Christmas party is very big and inclusive. The next day at work, I love to see renewed camaraderie and just an overall boost in morale and friendship. – Shu Saito, SpiroPure

3. Celebrate Work Anniversaries

At Bounce, we like to celebrate people’s one-year “Bounceversary.” The whole team changes their Zoom background to something that reflects the person whose anniversary it is, like one of their favorite hobbies or interests. It helps people feel appreciated and lets them have fun and feel recognized, and people look forward to it. – Cody Candee, Bounce

4. Award Monetary Bonuses

You can show appreciation for your employees by awarding them bonuses for their hard work and accomplishments. It’s important to compensate your team for their efforts to let them know they’re appreciated. Monetary bonuses make employees happy and give them concrete proof that you’re happy with their performance and progress. – Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms

5. Offer Extra Time Off

Let them take a rest. Give them a break and a valid timeline for accomplishing their tasks. It lets them know that it is okay to rest and that their health is also a priority. Aside from bonuses, extra paid leave for a few days during their holiday is also an option. Having a good work culture starts from within. Value your employees’ health and they will value you and your business as well. – Daisy Jing, Banish

6. Order Them Their Favorite Lunch

Order in their favorite food for lunch. If your employees are working from home, consider occasionally ordering lunch to their homes if they’re within a delivery area. This sends a huge message that their happiness and well-being are in your mind and that you want the best for them. If an employee feels like they mean more to you than a source of revenue, your business will benefit as a result. – Tyler Gallagher, Regal Assets

7. Host Quarterly Giveaways

I like to host quarterly giveaways within our company. You need to engage with your team just as much as you do your customers. Contests where team members can win something valuable, like a new computer or custom office equipment, can drive morale and lead to more employees engaging with your company. – John Brackett, Smash Balloon LLC

8. Send Birthday Swag Bags

We like to send all of our team members birthday swag bags. I’ve found that this drastically improves morale because it shows our employees that we are thinking of them, even if they’re not on the clock. There are usually a couple things we throw into every bag, but we also send our team a link to shop on their birthday so they can pick another two to three items, like Amazon gift cards or new hard drives. – Chris Christoff, MonsterInsights