Lauren Burke Today, March 5, 2021, is a very exciting day: Employee Appreciation Day!
One of the most valuable parts of an organization is its employees. Employees are the heart of an organization’s operations. They meet deadlines, bring in new business, foster brand awareness, and provide service to another valuable asset of an organization: Its clients.
While every day is a day to show your employees that they are appreciated, Employee Appreciation Day is a chance to spread a little extra positivity and motivation.
Here are seven exciting ways that you can celebrate Employee Appreciation Day.
1. Show gratitude.
Whether it’s through a written note or a virtual message, show employees how thankful you are for the contributions they make each day. Encourage teams to share their appreciation for each other too! When an employee is recognized by a manager and by their peers, they may be likely to repeat the actions that led to the recognition and gratitude. These acts may seem small, but small acts of kindness leave a large and lasting impression, which can ultimately lead to better employee morale.
2. Incorporate games & social activities into the day.
Games are a great way to connect with your team, and maybe even get to know each other better. For Employee Appreciation Day, play games that can highlight employees, such as the following:
Throwback Thursday
Ask your team, if they are comfortable and willing, to submit a photo of them as a child. Put together a collage of the photos that were submitted and number them. Have the team guess who is who. You can even include a fun fact as a hint along with the picture, with your employee’s permission, of course. This is a great team-building game, and a way to bring your team closer together. Plus, looking at baby pictures is always a mood booster!
Scavenger hunt
If you are not working remotely, set items around your workplace for employees to find. Create hints to provide to your employees to assist in the search such as “find someone who completed a marathon.” This is a great way to promote employee collaboration and bonding.
If you are working remotely, you can do a virtual scavenger hunt. For example, if your organization has social media channels, encourage your employees to “find that post” and provide clues such as “a recent promotion caused all the commotion.” You can write a list of numerous posts for your employees to find.
Whether you are conducting a scavenger hunt in-person or virtually, you can offer a prize to those who win.
Trivia
Trivia is a great way to socialize. If your employees are willing, have them create a set of questions about themselves for their team members to answer. Ensure these questions remain professional, but fun at the same time. Give each employee a turn to ask their set of questions. In the end, you’ll most likely learn a lot about your team, and they will learn a lot about each other.
3. Have lunch.
Treat your team to lunch. Let your employees know ahead of time that you will be treating them to lunch, and if there are any accommodations that may need to be made.
If working remotely, schedule some time for everyone to hop on a virtual call to eat lunch together. You can even incorporate some of the games listed above, particularly trivia, to keep the conversation flowing.
4. Giveaway company swag.
Give your employees a bag filled with company-branded items like mugs, blankets, notebooks, pens, etc. If you’re unsure what your employees would like, don’t be afraid to ask. This can increase fun conversation.
The gift of giving provides joy in many ways. Not only that, but you’ll also benefit from having your brand exposed to a broader audience.
5. Give someone a LinkedIn recommendation.
Giving someone a recommendation on LinkedIn is a great way to highlight an employee or co-workers’ accomplishments. This shows you not only care about their current success but their future success. This is a quick, easy, and free way to show appreciation.
If you are unsure of how to write a LinkedIn recommendation, click here for some tips provided by LinkedIn.
6. Get creative.
Open the floor for creative conversations. Set up a meeting to allow your team to share creative ideas they may have. This provides a time and place for employees to feed off of each other and let imaginations run freely. These ideas could help build rapport among employees and can potentially unveil great ideas for your organization. When employees feel heard, they feel appreciated!
7. Incorporate these activities outside of Employee Appreciation Day!
You certainly don’t have to limit the fun and appreciation to one day. Read our most recent blog titled “5 Ways to Keep Your Virtual Team Engaged” for ways to appreciate your employees year-round and keep them engaged.
Note: Have a fun and safe Employee Appreciation Day! We recommend you maintain proper COVID-19 precautions in the workplace. Click here to view COVID-19 precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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