Valuing employees as individuals, workers, and true assets to a company is integral to a business's success. Doing so enhances office morale, productivity, and employee retention rates — three key components of a happy and engaged workforce.
But this isn’t something you should put on the back burner or save only for Employee Appreciation Day. Instead, employee appreciation should be a frequent affair, acting as an integral and ubiquitous part of your company culture.
Yet intertwining company-wide appreciation into your approach and employee-first initiatives isn’t always as simple as it sounds — a few suggestions never hurt. Use these year-round Employee Appreciation Day ideas to celebrate milestones, forge a fun work environment, and reward your employees for propelling your company forward.
Employee Appreciation Day is vital for several reasons. It enables you to cheerlead your employees, recognize their achievements, and enhance engagement and morale. But the idea is more complex than that.
Even working relationships require a degree of attention. If your leadership team ignores employee achievements or only uses Employee Appreciation Day to celebrate them, the gesture can fall on deaf ears; your employees may feel like they’re being taken for granted.
But imagine the impact on employee morale if Employee Appreciation Day ideas were implemented every day! By implementing the celebratory facets of Employee Appreciation Day and extending them to regular intervals, you foster a positive employee experience and boost morale. No longer does the singular holiday feel like an empty gesture; it becomes part of the culture itself.
Additionally, you can attract top talent when they hear about the exceptional employee experience, the rewards you offer, and the value you place on employee contributions to the company.
A Gallup Poll found that regular staff appreciation reduced worker turnover by 45%. Unsurprisingly, when employees feel valued and satisfied, they're also more productive and engaged. Promoting employee engagement can lead to a 21% increase in profitability, an 18% increase in sales, and a 10% improvement in customer satisfaction.
Despite the value of employee appreciation and recognition, it’s an uncommon practice. Only one in three workers received recognition for outstanding work. This percentage can fall even further in remote teams, highlighting one of the pitfalls of remote work, despite its benefits of work-life balance and remote talent acquisition.
The same case study found that the most memorable (and often impactful) recognition came from the employee’s direct manager, showing that you don’t necessarily need complex systems in place or a ritual awarding of Employee of the Month titles. Even simple gestures, such as a shoutout on social media or Slack, or a handwritten thank-you note, work just as well.
However, you must consciously analyze what they do to recognize employees and the entire team. The best staff appreciation ideas stem from an objective assessment of accomplishments — and then an inward dive into each employee’s personality, tastes, and unique qualities.
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Aside from work anniversaries or birthdays, Employee Appreciation Day — the first Friday of March — is the most popular day for employers to give employee appreciation gifts, and with good reason. Not every employee needs constant adoration, positivity, or even a pat on the back for every task. But the more they receive, the greater the odds of overcoming staff member turnover, burnout, or workday doldrums.
However, you don’t have to wait to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day to bestow gifts on your top performers or new employees. Any individual or team achievement can act as a recognition platform — the day is irrelevant.
Incorporate as many options as possible into your company’s mix, ensuring everyone feels recognized regularly, whether online or in person.
Healthy snacks that everyone enjoys are a small yet valuable perk that can show your appreciation for your employees while also improving their overall wellness. Hoppier has you covered with gift cards so your employees can get what they want — from a pint of ice cream at home to a mocha in the break room.
Sending a cleaning crew to clean employees’ home offices prevents your team from worrying about organizing their own homes. Instead, they can work and think clearly and creatively in a fresh space.
Paper clips, markers, pens, and stationery as part of your company swag are game-changers, saving your staff money and acting as a top Employee Appreciation Day idea. If you want other creative ways to boost your staff’s morale and working ability — albeit on a higher budget — charging docks, headphones, and other gadgets for the home office can make great corporate gifts.
Perhaps pizzas once a week, coffee twice a month, or even a food truck to the company parking lot where employees can safely gather on the first Friday of the month. Whatever you choose, collective meals are a fun way to gather your team for onboarding, team-building, or just because. Your team will almost certainly feel appreciated when they’ve got amazing food to enjoy.
Parking has become oppressively expensive in many major cities. Consider covering a yearly parking pass or transit to meetings or conferences as part of your year-round Employee Appreciation Day ideas. Your staff certainly won’t mind a thousand dollars or more in their pockets each year.
A personal thank-you card is a thoughtful gesture for employees who have made a difference in the office. Paired with a virtual or digital personalized gift, your employees will appreciate the gesture even more.
Everyone has a strength they bring to the table, and together, everyone shines. Host an awards ceremony where you call out everyone's one shining moment. Recognize everyone together to foster a sense of gratitude among the entire team and encourage teamwork — a synergistic move that supports camaraderie alongside your Employee Appreciation Day Ideas.
Conduct regular employee reviews and train your management staff to incorporate positive feedback and praise effectively. You can also have each employee write a nice note about an employee's skills and work presence to show how valued they really are.
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Equip your people with development opportunities and see them excel. With a personal or professional stipend, you can offer employees the opportunity for enhanced on-the-job performance or pursue their passions in their personal lives.
Offering career advancement opportunities and mentoring is sure to excite and motivate your employees. Improve employee engagement by creating one-on-one mentorship programs with higher-level employees who teach your staff new skills, coming straight from someone they respect. It’s a personal touch that can make all the difference.
Conferences are an excellent place to acquire new skills, as well as a strong networking opportunity. Covering one or two conferences a year (including a hotel stay if possible) is a smart, win-win way to add to your year-round Employee Appreciation Day ideas.
No one likes doing taxes, and the more complex they are, the greater the fear of an audit grows. Services like employer-sponsored tax support during tax season are a huge asset to show appreciation to your hard-working team members.
These formal programs facilitate peer-to-peer recognition, often accompanied by financial rewards as a perk for participants. Build upon these programs with other Employee Appreciation Day ideas as a one-two punch.
Whether you purchase a personalized water bottle, coffee cup, or beer mug, this staff appreciation idea gives you the chance to pick something each team member would personally like, and even add some humor, which is beneficial for morale. Plus, they'll provide a fun talking point during your next Zoom conference call.
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End a little early on Friday afternoon and have a half-day for an in-office or virtual party with food, drinks, and games. Think Mario Kart tournaments, board games, trivia, or escape rooms at the end of every project period for positive team-building activities, or take-home cocktail kits for the perfect virtual happy hour.
A free lunch is at the top of the list of employee appreciation ideas and gifts that show you care. Choose a fan-favorite restaurant, walk to a local hotspot, or hold a catered lunch in the office. Just be mindful of those with dietary restrictions.
If you have a fully distributed team, try Lunch Roulette, which combines the social and delicious aspects of lunch with the opportunity for team members to get to know each other.
What if you could make it easy for employees to tune into events from anywhere? From live concerts to Broadway productions and comedy shows, virtual tickets enable people to experience top-notch entertainment from anywhere in the world, making for an ideal remote team bonding experience.
Hoppier is one of the best virtual gifts out there to streamline the ticket-buying process. You can set up a Hoppier gift to pay for various live events through different vendors. Then, the recipient can choose from whatever specific events they'd like to see.
Put your money where your mouth is in this regular Employee Appreciation Day idea. While a day off is a nice surprise, employees are (unsurprisingly) motivated by financial rewards. Well-paid employees tend to stay longer, thereby reducing the costs associated with high turnover.
If your team dominates a project and you have room in the budget to give bonuses, add it to your list of regular employee appreciation ideas and gifts. Even $100 a person makes a significant impact. You can get more creative with bonuses by offering sales challenges as part of a sales kickoff.
Few people will turn up their noses at extra time off or eight more hours of PTO. Offer this regular Employee Appreciation Day idea to show how much you value an employee's hard work — and let them choose what they want to do with their time on your dollar.
Order bulk gift cards and pass them to team members at the end of a big project or during the holidays. Keep a few on hand for birthdays, milestones, or anniversaries, allowing your staff to purchase everything from Amazon necessities to Starbucks caffeine injections.
A recent trend that has gained considerable popularity is the provision of fitness perks, which enable employees to maintain their mental and physical well-being without incurring additional expenses. Reward employees with a monthly stipend for fitness and offer online group classes, allowing employees to stay motivated together.
Mindfulness can make your employees happier, less stressed, and more resilient. Give your team members a mental health stipend for talk therapy, meditation classes, yoga, and more for a fresh approach to your Employee Appreciation Day ideas. You're guaranteed to see a difference!
Health coaches can help people learn to incorporate healthier habits into their lifestyles, whether by improving sleep, cooking healthier meals, or walking daily. Allow your workers to tap into the expertise of a health coach, allowing them to focus on goals that matter to them.
Scavenger hunts are an excellent team-building experience that requires participants to use teamwork and problem-solving skills to find hidden objects. If you have the budget, offer rewards to those who complete the scavenger hunt the fastest, such as gift cards or vouchers to an online retailer or a gift basket of goodies. Even remote employees can get in on the fun with a scavenger list of items commonly found around the house.
Employee Appreciation Day ideas and gifts can have a profoundly positive impact on your company culture and boost productivity. Recognizing your workers also improves employee retention, making your business more successful in the long run and reducing the costs associated with finding, hiring, and training new team members.
For optimal results, incorporate a combination of various tactics to demonstrate employee appreciation within your company culture, ensuring that employees receive appreciation on multiple fronts. This low-cost and high-reward strategy will easily pay for itself before you know it.
These employee appreciation event ideas and gifts are a great starting point. But you can take your appreciation to new heights with Hoppier virtual cards.
Our cards provide an easy and affordable way to give your employees gifts they truly want. Set up a gift card balance, a spending deadline, and your chosen vendors to empower employees to select a gift they’ll truly appreciate.
Employee Appreciation Day only comes once a year, but you can deliver the ideas and gifts behind the momentous occasion whenever you feel the need. It’s a small gesture that will keep your employees happy and loyal.
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
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