Celebrating Employee Appreciation Day
Jackie Curtsinger | Career Tips, Diversity & Inclusion, Hiring Advice | March 3, 2022
Why should we make a special day out of showing appreciation for our team members? In my opinion, it’s the same reason you celebrate Valentine’s Day or the anniversary of someone you love. Ideally, every day is a day where you give employee recognition and show appreciation of how much your team means to you. Team members should feel valued and encouraged with each interaction and know that you value their well-being and employee experience.
Employee Appreciation Day has been celebrated on the first Friday of March since 1994. It originated from the publication of the book 1,001 Ways to Reward Employees written by Bob Nelson. We have seen it grow in popularity due to social media and popular media outlets helping to get the word out about the benefits appreciation brings.
Some of those benefits include increased productivity, employee engagement, retention, and increased trust. Did you know that 40% of American employees state that they would do more at work if they received recognition more often? Employee recognition programs provide a perfect opportunity to get almost half of your workforce to increase their efforts and improve employee morale.
As you celebrate this holiday with your associates, let’s get creative with how we can show appreciation. The following are my top ten favorite employee appreciation day ideas for onsite and remote teams.
- Virtual Happy Hour
- Company swag
- Lunch (use delivery or gift cards for remote employees)
- Awards ceremony
- Personalized thank you notes
- Bonus day off
- Recognize non-work achievements
- Special days—bring your child, parent, or pet to work
- Set up peer to peer appreciation
- Company retreat or field trip
If you are looking for more guidance, please check out this blog, 30 Engaging Ways to Celebrate Employee Appreciation Day from Vantage Circle.
At Goodwin Recruiting, we are blessed to partner with some of the most outstanding candidates and clients imaginable. If we can help your company come up with creative solutions to improve appreciation strategies, retention, and recognition for their hard work, reach out to us today.
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