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At the core of every business is its people. Businesses rely on talent to help scale the organization in an impactful way and stay competitive in the current landscape. But if your organization’s employees feel unappreciated, it won’t be long before they start looking for other opportunities. According to Achievers’ 2024 State of Recognition Report, employees who are recognized on a minimum monthly basis are 30% less likely to look for jobs elsewhere.
So how can you take those insights and use them to improve your culture of belonging? The key is to recognize employees in ways they find authentic and meaningful. If recognition feels generic or disingenuous, it won’t have a lasting impact, and it may even result in further disengagement. But don’t worry — delivering personalized appreciation throughout your organization isn’t as hard as you might think.
Every day is an opportunity to show the people in your organization they are valued for the work they do. Not sure where to begin? We’ve put together a list of 20 employee appreciation ideas to help you get started. Let’s dive in!
What to give for employee appreciation
Deciding what to give for employee appreciation is an essential part of any successful recognition program. It’s important to choose gifts that are meaningful and resonate personally with the people receiving them.
To make sure the gifts are impactful, consider personalizing them based on individual interests or achievements. For example, if an employee is a known coffee lover, a coffee subscription or a gift card to a local cafe might be appreciated. Or if an employee likes to read, consider a gift card to a bookstore or a new e-reader.
Experiences can also be a meaningful gesture, and in some cases are more memorable than physical gifts. Tickets to events, spa days, or cooking classes can show employees that you value their happiness and well-being beyond the office. These kinds of gestures not only make employees feel appreciated but also reinforce their loyalty and commitment to the organization.
20 great employee appreciation ideas to suit any situation
1. Find out what employees want, and give it to them
Instead of playing the guessing game, let employees tell you how they’d like to be recognized. Asking team members directly is one option, whether in one-on-one settings or in group meetings. However, employees may be uncomfortable sharing their thoughts in person and may prefer sending their request privately.
Make it easy for team members to share their preferred appreciation gifts with an employee engagement platform. Look for a solution that offers intuitive ways to gather input from employees like pulse surveys and AI-powered feedback channels. Use these insights to build collaborative action plans to deliver what your employees are looking for — otherwise, they may not believe their voices really matter.
2. Say thanks in many different ways
One of the simplest ways to start practicing recognition at your company is by making a point of saying thank you and encouraging others in the organization to do the same. There are many ways to provide social recognition, including:
- A quick chat in the hall or online
- A social media shout-out
- A mention on the company website
But the best way to ensure appreciation comes from all levels, managers and peers alike, is with a recognition and reward platform. Choose a solution that makes providing appreciation fun and intuitive wherever and whenever employees have the urge to say thanks. And combine messages of appreciation with monetary rewards for a well-rounded recognition and reward experience.
3. Provide personalized rewards
Never underestimate the value of social recognition. And what better way to boost its impact than by combining employee appreciation with rewards. A rewards system should go beyond the occasional bonus or raise. It should empower the entire organization to support and recognize each other through points-based rewards. The best employee reward solutions let you give whatever number of points fit your budget to team members on a weekly or monthly basis.
Employees can then award these points to others who have gone above and beyond, offer support or guidance, or embodied company values. The recipient redeems their points for personalized rewards that speak to their interests from a custom marketplace, and you save your organization endless effort without sacrificing your appreciation goals.
4. Offer flexibility and work-life balance
One of the most genuine ways to show employee appreciation is by ensuring each team member has a healthy work-life balance. Added paid time off (PTO) is a terrific way to help give employees the mental and physical wellness a balanced life provides. You can also offer flexibility regarding when and where they work. The freedom to work remotely in any capacity and the ability to adjust their own hours are just two ways to show your employees that you value their personal time as much as their work time.
5. Give out some fun awards
Employee appreciation should be a regular part of your workplace, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make some occasions stand out with creative and meaningful employee awards. Create awards that feature categories employees can connect with and that align with company values. This type of appreciation tool can give well-deserved attention to those whose contributions might otherwise go unnoticed.
Don’t be afraid to get creative. Let employees provide input on award categories. Encourage reward behaviors you want to see repeated with accolades like “Exceptional Listener” and “Recognition Master.” You should also set up a process for selecting award winners that’s fair and involves all employees.
6. Feed your team members
Everyone loves a treat in the workplace, but employees have different tastes, dietary preferences, and work locations, so how can you accommodate? Instead of a weekly lunch or snacks that only some team members will enjoy, keep things flexible.
- Fill a cabinet with snacks in the break room
- Reimburse employees for a meal of their choosing
- Offer reward points to spend on a restaurant gift card
You can also gather feedback from team members and make decisions based on their input. Maybe they prefer a weekly coffee date with a coworker or a monthly trip to a favorite local restaurant.
7. Support employee wellness
Employee wellness programs support your team’s physical and mental health and can significantly improve morale. They also add to your team’s work-life balance, helping them avoid burnout and feel more focused. An employee wellness program can include everything from weekly guided mindfulness sessions to providing critical health services in the office.
However your company shapes its wellness initiatives, be sure to include an employee wellness platform that integrates with your organization’s employee recognition solution. When employees achieve their tracked wellness goals, they’ll love instantly receiving rewards that incentivize them to keep up the amazing work.
8. Game it up with exciting events and team-building activities
Whether your teams are remote, in-person, or hybrid, it’s important to make sure everyone feels a sense of connection and belonging. Setting up team-building activities is an easy, fun way to show appreciation. This type of initiative encourages employees to connect with each other and learn to collaborate in a new setting. Team-building activities can include everything from a scheduled book club to a brainstorming session or group exercise.
The key to successful team-building activities is voluntary participation. No one likes mandatory fun. If an employee feels like they need to go to something, they may feel some resentment. If you find that few team members want to take part in activities you offer, that means that it’s time to either collect feedback on what types of events employees might enjoy or take the pulse of broader employee sentiment at your company.
9. Celebrate work anniversaries and other milestones
When your employees reach major milestones or celebrate important anniversaries, it’s important to recognize those special moments. Not showing genuine appreciation can undermine the impact of any other forms of recognition your organization practices.
That’s why recognizing and honoring team members’ milestones is a vital part of any effective employee appreciation strategy. Make sure to tailor the appreciation to the occasion. A 10-year anniversary deserved a substantial, personalized public display of recognition, while obtaining a new certificate after a three-month course might instead simply merit a callout on your recognition platform with a gift of reward points.
10. Invest in your employees with talent development
Providing opportunities for professional growth keeps employees engaged with their work while developing the talent your organization relies on. Some ideas to consider:
- Tuition reimbursement
- Giving each employee a professional development budget
- Providing access to a learning management system or online courses
You can also consider empowering your employees by giving them a say in their responsibilities or the next project they take on. Making an active investment in employees’ professional growth shows your organization’s commitment to their ongoing success.
11. Make room for charity and volunteering
Everyone wants to give back in some form, but with work, family events, and other obligations, it’s often hard to find the time to do so. Let your team members contribute to a cause they’re passionate about while building your employer brand by giving employees one or more days a year off to volunteer. You can either gather input from team members before selecting an organization everyone believes in or allow team members to choose their own.
Like team-building activities, volunteering should be strictly optional. For those who don’t enjoy volunteering or want to make an impact outside of their community, offer to match employee donations to their favorite charity or social cause. Or adopt a points-based reward system where team members can simply spend their points to donate to a wide range of great charities.
12. Send a care package employees will love
Sometimes, there’s no better way to show appreciation than with a heartfelt gift — the key word there being heartfelt. Find out what types of gifts and swag your employees would find useful and enjoyable with the help of an employee engagement platform. And whether you’re giving out chocolates, water bottles, or electronics, opt for quality over quantity.
13. Help team members create the office of their dreams
Whether employees get the job done at home or in the office, a comfortable, personalized workspace makes a difference in satisfaction and performance. Simply offering a stipend for leveling up the office shows that you appreciate how important an employee’s work environment is and helps team members be as productive as possible.
You can also provide useful tools like computer monitors, keyboards, and more to ensure employees have everything they need to do their best work. For your remote workers, consider covering the cost of co-working spaces so employees are guaranteed to have a great place to work and, potentially, collaborate in person.
14. Make Employee Appreciation Day the highlight of the year
Employee Appreciation Day takes place on the first Friday of March every year. Make it a yearly highlight by using everything in your employee recognition toolkit, from donating to your employee’s favorite charities, to offering cash prizes or reward points, to setting up activities and events for team members to attend.
Your employees won’t forget the effort you put into this special day. Plus, they’ll be more likely to stay motivated and respond to your other recognition initiatives throughout the year.
15. Start a mentoring program
Giving people leaders the resources to support and coach other team members can help encourage collaboration and teamwork within your organization. Incorporating a mentoring program allows managers to better understand what their employees need from their leadership.
Make sure to invest in proper mentorship training programs for your managers so they know how to best employ coaching techniques and strategies. Employees appreciate leaders that empower and teach rather than micromanagers that undermine and control. Once the program has been completed, gather feedback and use those insights to create meaningful change.
16. Host fun team games
Work doesn’t need to be all business, all the time. It’s important to incorporate a sense of play at the office, where employees can engage and connect with their coworkers on a social level. Show your team how much you care about employee morale by hosting interactive employee games that foster a culture of teamwork and creativity.
Different styles of games and activities can help flex different creative muscles and produce unique results, including:
- Setting up a workplace scavenger hunt can help encourage teams to work together to solve riddles and find clues around the office.
- Give employees an opportunity to show off their knowledge outside their roles with a trivia contest.
- Bring in life-size childhood games, like Jenga and Tic Tac Toe, and let your employees enjoy a nostalgic experience.
17. Experiential rewards
Workplace rewards don’t have to exclusively fall into the monetary category. There are several ways to boost morale and reward staff members without adding to your recognition and reward budget. Non-monetary incentives can have just as big of an impact and create memorable experiences for employees by tailoring them to the person’s interests and passions.
Experiential rewards can range from a meaningful handwritten note to a day off to volunteer with their favorite charity. By connecting the experience to the recipient, you’re helping employees feel seen and celebrating them in a meaningful way.
18. Happy hour celebration
Finding ways to connect with coworkers away from desks and conference rooms is an important part of building a well-rounded workplace. Happy hours are a simple and effective way to encourage socializing between staff members and can be tailored to suit diverse needs and preferences.
To encourage more employees to join in on the fun, make sure there are non-alcoholic beverages available and, if you’re serving snacks, take dietary restrictions into account. By putting in the time and effort to create an inclusive environment, you’re showing the people in your organization that you want them to be a part of the company culture.
19. Ice cream
If you’ve ever gone out for ice cream when you were young, you probably remember how much that simple activity made a difference in your day. Bring that uplifting energy to the workplace with an ice cream party or hire an ice cream truck for a midday treat. This simple gesture can instantly improve employee morale and act as a shared experience where team members can connect away from their desks and build interpersonal relationships.
20. Company swag
When employees are proud of the work they do, they want to represent their organization both in and out of the office. Company swag is a great way to say thank you to your employees and help them feel more connected to the brand. However, it’s important to choose branded merchandise that fits their needs. Is the recipient passionate about wellness? Consider a branded yoga mat or personalized journal. Do they like to have fun with fashion? A pair of socks with the company logo and colors is a memorable way to say thanks.
Make employee appreciation easy and fun
Building a culture of appreciation is key to employee retention, morale, and your business’s bottom line — but you don’t have to re-invent the wheel to get the results you want. Instead, turn to the experts behind the Achievers Employee Experience Platform. It features a comprehensive employee recognition solution with easy-to-use, engaging social recognition capabilities for the entire workforce.
Great rewards are also a part of the package, with a points-based rewards system backed by a marketplace filled with options for every type of employee. It even includes a science-backed employee feedback software for keeping your finger on the pulse of employee sentiment about your company’s recognition program, along with other key drivers of success and culture.
We’ve made it easy to show your employees they’re valued for the work they do. Learn how Achievers can help you embrace recognition and bring these employee appreciation ideas to life.
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