15 Employee Appreciation Ideas That You Need To Know About in 2024

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If you want a thriving organisation, with happy employees and an amazing workplace culture, then employee appreciation is something you need to start taking more seriously. You might have the best team ever, who work really hard and make your organisation exceptional, but do you reward and recognise them for their efforts?

Appreciating your employees is essential, some of the benefits include:

• A more motivated team with fewer cases of employee burnout
• Boosted teamwork and productivity
• Retain top talent and attract new employees
• An improved workplace culture
• Enhanced employee morale and well-being

Whilst, employee appreciation should be done all year round, in honour of the upcoming National Employee Appreciation Day this March 1st 2024, it’s the perfect opportunity to discover how you appreciate your employees the right way.

In this article, we will be sharing 15 ways you can effectively recognise, reward and appreciate your employees.

1. Ask Your Employees What They Want

The most effective method is to ask your employees what they want to feel appreciated. Unfortunately, many organisations don’t use this method, but your employees will be happy you did. Using surveys or suggestion boxes for example means you can ask your employees what they want from you. You’ll be surprised by the answers, and your team will be happy to be rewarded with something they value.

2. Celebrate Birthdays

We’re not saying you need to fill the office with balloons, but if the employee doesn’t mind, then make sure you commemorate their birthdays. A simple cake can bring the whole office together in one place and make your employee feel important on their special day. Go the extra mile by giving them the day off to celebrate with their friends and family.

3. Offer Health Incentives

Your employees feel appreciated when not only their development is a priority, but their physical and mental well-being. A good way to show your employees that you care is by offering health incentives such as gym passes, healthy snacks in the office or free counselling sessions.

4. Encourage Education

Employees are always looking to develop, which is why it’s crucial to support and encourage education. Whether you help pay tuition fees or let them leave work an hour early on a Tuesday so they can attend a night course, you can display your appreciation by supporting their education.

5. Don’t Forget To Celebrate Work Anniversaries

Individuals spend the majority of their time in the workplace, so it’s important to celebrate big milestones such as work anniversaries. Show your employees that you value them by making the effort to celebrate work anniversaries. Whether it’s for each year they’ve been with you, or every 6 months, don’t forget to thank and reward them for all the hard work they do.

6. Recognise Non-work Related Achievements Too

More than likely, you have employees who are doing incredible things outside of the workplace. From volunteering at a local animal rescue to running a marathon to support a local charity. Whilst these are non-work related and you might not think you need to recognise them, you do. Show the whole team you care about their lives and you’ll soon see a huge boost in employee morale and engagement.

7. Implement a Mentoring Program

Have you ever considered implementing a mentoring program within your organisation? Mentoring is an extraordinary tool, when your employees have access to a mentoring program, they can develop and progress in their careers. When your employees feel their development is invested in and that you want them to go further, they're more willing to go the extra mile for the organisation. If you want to learn more about mentoring, speak to a member of the PushFar team today!

8. Extend Lunch Breaks

We don’t expect you to extend every lunch break, but sometimes it’s nice to give your employees a little extra time to get things done. Maybe it’s a sunny day and they want to go get ice cream, or maybe it’s the Christmas period and they want to pop to the shops to pick up a few gifts for loved ones. That extra hour can show your gratitude.

9. Use Social Media

Use social media to showcase what your employees are up to, from sharing an image for their birthday or showcasing their latest workplace achievement, you can use social media to show your employees you care. Using social media will make your employees feel seen for the work that they do.

10. Welcome Employee Feedback

There’s nothing worse than a leader that thinks they know best and refuses to accept feedback from the people around them. If you want your employees to feel appreciated and that their opinions are respected, then you need to welcome feedback with open arms.

11. The Employee of the Month

A traditional method that has been used for decades is the use of employee of the month. There's a reason that organisations are still using this tried and true method and that’s because it’s successful.

12. Give Them Extra Annual Leave

Give your employees extra vacation time, so they can do anything they want besides work. Reward your employees for their hard work by giving them extra days off to recharge and do the things they love. Your employees will come back to work more motivated than ever.

13. Spruce up the Office

You don’t need to do a complete office renovation, to make it a more comfortable and inviting workplace. Removing bad lighting, replacing old office chairs and adding nice decor are a few simple ways you can make the office a more attractive environment. Your employees spend 8+ hours a day at work, so they want to work somewhere that cares about how it looks.

14. Hire a Local Food Truck

Ask your local food truck to park outside your office and surprise your employees with lunch. You don’t need to do this every week, but once in a while, you can show your appreciation through a good lunch on a Friday or Monday afternoon.

15. Say Thank you

It doesn't matter if your employees do something that is part of their job requirement, if they do a good job, then make sure you thank them. It’s a simple but effective method that many managers regularly forget to do. In a world that revolves around technology, you can also take it old school and write your employees a thank-you note. Whilst, it can be done via email, putting that extra effort in, will put a smile on their face!

Final Thoughts

From a simple thank you to a few extra days off a year, appreciating your employees isn’t as difficult as it seems. Your employees are the driver of your organisation, and so need to be treated with the utmost respect and admiration.

This year, go the extra mile for your employees and show them that as an organisation, you truly care about helping them succeed and making them happier. Remember, take your time, give your employees what they want and be thoughtful.