If it isn’t marked on your calendar already, make sure you put a big red circle around March 5, 2021 because that is when you are going to give a big, warm thank you to everyone at your company because it will be Employee Appreciation Day! Time to celebrate all the achievements and hard work from the last year… and after the year that was 2020, they all most definitely deserve it! 

You might ask yourself, is employee recognition important? In short, absolutely.

If you want to retain top talent, motivate productivity, and create a better dynamic between management and staff, employee appreciation and recognition is vital. Even if you are praising your workforce, you may not be doing it enough. With over half of employees admitting they would stay longer if they felt more appreciated by their boss, it’s pretty clear that employee appreciation is a “more is better” type of action.

Check out these ideas to help make your Employee Appreciation Day a rousing success!

The Thanks Box

We’ve seen an absolute explosion of kits over the past year, so suffice to say people love receiving boxes of goodies! Whether it is planned or a surprise, the act of opening a gift to see what is within is a great way to liven your employee’s day!

Build a Thanks Box that contains items of great perceived value, be it because they are useful, trendy, or downright sweet and delicious! Below you can see an example of what your Thanks Box could look like for Employee Appreciation Day.

It contains all little gifts that have useful purposes throughout the day; a custom notebook and pens for jotting ideas, a cork-bottom mug for a coaster-less caffeine experience, a candy-card to sweeten the mood, a pin to show company pride, and, of course, a toque to combat the frigid temperatures and/or hide the untamed WFH hair. A cohesive kit to show a little lo♥e!

The Unexpected Lunch

Spice up their lunch hour by sending them a free lunch! Many employees are getting bored with their easy-to-prep meals and miss the days when they could go out for lunch with their peers. Sending gift cards/codes, especially unexpectedly, will create a beautiful little moment of happiness for everyone!

This is also a great way to support your local restaurants! Many are facing tough times, especially those that had significant in-house dining traffic. Buying lunch helps them stay in business, ensuring community staples are still there when this is all over!

The Virtual Party

Sometimes, a break away from the nitty-gritty can do wonders for the mind and spirit. Set some time aside to bring everyone together in some form of digital office party. Use that slot to give management some “face time” with everyone and thank them in a way that is as close to in person as we are allowed. You could also do fun activities and games to really lighten the mood! We gave lots of ideas on virtual office party activities over the holidays, and they can still be applied here!

To celebrate the holidays, Genumark hosted a virtual party for all staff across the country. Everyone was sent a gift certificate for lunch and we hosted a virtual trivia challenge using Kahoot to add an interactive and speed element. We had a blast!

Solid Recognition

A virtual party is also a great platform to hand out awards and recognitions. You are able to give praise in a public setting, even from a distance.

However you decide to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day, we’re here to help!