Employee appreciation is a concept designed to show those who’ve committed to a company or nonprofit that their dedication means something. Recognizing employees who go above and beyond, or those with exemplary attendance records, or those who have served a decade or more with your organization is more than appropriate. It’s meaningful to those being honored and it’s important for those doing the honoring. Employee appreciation and employee recognition doesn’t have to be by the book either; the gestures can be as creative and inspired as you’d like them to be. If you’re having a difficult time coming up with employee recognition ideas, fear not, we’ve got you covered.
The heart of any employee appreciation event is the celebration. You can keep it simple, or make it complex and grandiose. Here are a few employee appreciation celebration ideas to get you started.
Company Picnic: The managers and company leadership can organize the whole thing, catering the lunch or ordering pre-packed baskets and making homemade desserts as a gesture of appreciation. Imagine how much fun it will be for employees and support staff to kick back and enjoy a delicious picnic knowing all the bosses took time out of their schedules to create an impressive dessert! A perfect activity for spring or fall, consider hosting outdoors at a local park or campsite!
Raffle Mania: To mark employee recognition at your office, invest in several dozen incentive prizes to raffle off. Give extra tickets to recognize seniority or significant achievements throughout the year. Raffle off everything from gift cards to additional vacation days. Remember, managers aren’t allowed to play!
Freaky Friday: If you work at a small company and have decided to honor an entire category of employees; administrative assistants for example, consider swapping jobs for the day! Have managers take on the faxing and filing duties and allow assistants to spend the day working on broader projects from the comfort of an office. At the end of the day, present the employees being honored with a handwritten letter expressing appreciation for all they do.
What about the all-important employee recognition gift? If you are saying thank you to a very large group of employees, you might want to consider a standard gift, like a ceramic vase and small potted plant or gift certificate. If you’re recognizing a small group or a handful of individuals, you can be more creative.
- Through The Years Album: Perfect for the employee who’s spent more than a decade in the same job, gather photos, copies of performance reviews, and excerpts from special projects to create a memory book. A handsome leather photo album can even be stamped with the employee’s name.
- Engraved Crystal Plaque: What better way to say thank you for your service than with a high-quality gift that can be personalized and will last forever? DIY Awards products have been designed with employee recognition in mind. They can be deep-etch engraved at no additional cost and personalized to suit any honoree, and any occasion.
- Pressed Flowers: Surprise your employee with an arrangement of flowers for his or her desk and a single blossom, pressed in a glass tile, to display permanently. It’s simple, beautiful and thoughtful.