Are you an executive leader or Board member looking for easy, quick ways to express employee appreciation? In honor of Employee Appreciation Day, the KEES team provides ways to easily show team appreciation and kindness. These suggestions provide an opportunity to inspire excitement, passion, and energy to continue growing a culture of appreciation.  

Here are a few simple ways to celebrate and show appreciation: 

• Compliment – Give a sincere compliment to a colleague, teammate, or board member. An unexpected compliment will surely bring a smile to the recipient. Find opportunities to give positive feedback and compliments throughout the day. 

• Teamwork – Lend a helping hand or offer to help an employee with a task or project. Celebrating small wins together can go a long way in fostering team motivation, pride, and appreciation. 

• Express Thanks – Take time to show appreciation for someone. Make your team feel appreciated by acknowledging them and sending them a positive email or hand-written thank you note. If you are working in a hybrid/in-person environment, leave thank you notes at employees’ desks or motivational sticky notes with positive messages in places throughout the office.  

• Treat Your Team – Reward your team with a gift card (or online certificate) to their favorite restaurant, coffee shop, or café. Sometimes planning and cooking can feel overwhelming after a long day of work and your team will appreciate the surprise. Creating opportunities for your staff to spend quality time with loved ones is a great way to not only show that you appreciate their time and energy but also acknowledge the importance and fullness of their life outside of work, helping to create a work-life balance. 

• Write a Positive Social Media Review – LinkedIn makes it easy to publicly celebrate/endorse colleagues, and it will be seen among their co-workers. Other social media offers similar opportunities. Give a genuine recommendation or endorsement to one of your employees on their LinkedIn profile.  

However you and your team are planning to celebrate this special day, it is always nice to be recognized and appreciated for hard work. Showing a little appreciation on this special day will go the extra mile. In an ever-changing labor market, going the extra mile is vital to keeping employees happy, productive, and motivated! How are you planning to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day this year? Have you created a culture with creative and successful ways to show appreciation?