It’s inevitable. There are days when employee motivation and productivity are not the highest. On the other hand, there are days when employees churn in as much as they can and bring efficiency to the workplace. Never forget to recognize the latter to boost your employees’ morale. Celebrating small or big wins means a lot. Therefore, make sure to celebrate with an employee appreciation event, token, or words. Here are 5 ways to celebrate employee appreciation:
1. Praise in public or private
Sometimes, the simplest way of perfecting employee appreciation is through meaningful words. Saying “Thank You” or giving a speech about how fantastic your employee is is enough.
Survey says 37 percent of respondents prefer a more personal recognition. But you know what they say, different strokes for different folks. Employees differ. That said, make sure to ask them if they want public or private recognition during employee onboarding.
That way, you’re not embarrassing your employees if you’re giving a heartfelt speech in front of the entire organization if they prefer a private one. Or your employees won’t hold grudges against you if you gave praise in private when they desire a public one.
The most important thing is to be genuine and sincere with everything you say. Praising them might not have a monetary value. But this could mean the world to some employees.
2. Treat them out to lunch
Another way to celebrate employee appreciation is to treat your employees out to lunch. It’s a small gesture, but your employee will appreciate it if their bosses pay something out of their own pockets. Plus, this means free food.
Choose the best restaurant to celebrate. Choosing a cheap and bad one will imply that the employee’s worth and efforts are also at the same level. Make the celebration special. If you can, try to ask the employee what type of food or cuisine they’re into. This way, they’ll know that the celebration is all about them.
3. Buy them vouchers
Instead of giving them cash, buying your employees incredible vouchers or including more employee perks is enough to make them smile. After all their efforts, these special vouchers can save them money and reward them with whatever they want to buy with it.
It can be easy to select gifts. However, you won’t know what the employees are into if you don’t ask them. If you’ve gotten to know your employees, pick something you know they would like. Otherwise, give them vouchers, so they choose the gifts for themselves.
4. Surprise them with a fun activity
What better way to celebrate employee appreciation than a fun activity? Whether it’s for an individual employee or a bunch of employees, there’s always something extraordinary to do.
For instance, if you want to do something fun with one person, then you can try that new gym and cover the expenses if both of you are into fitness. Better yet, treat the employee to a game of bowling or pool with a couple of beers.
On the flip side, if you’re celebrating with a bunch of employees, go somewhere nice. Try hiking in national parks or visiting a tourist destination near your area if they also haven’t seen it. Doing activities together also strengthens that bond with your employees.
5. Offer paid time off
Burnout is real, and every employee has experienced that at one point in their career. That being said, if you have employees who are high-achievers, then appreciate them by offering additional paid time off.
Nothing can be a better way to let employees know you appreciate them than to give them time to relax. This way, they can come back to the office feeling reinvigorated.
