Fun and Engaging Ideas For Employee Appreciation Week

Who doesn't love to be appreciated and recognized for their contribution at work?

Whether it's a simple 'awesome job!' card or a gift for exceeding sales goals, appreciating and recognizing your employees' efforts is the key to driving consistent and quality performance. It improves employee engagement, enhances retention, increases productivity, and maintains a positive atmosphere at the workplace.

That's why Employee Appreciation Day has gained such incredible momentum across industries. 

So, how would you like to appreciate the dedication of your employees?

If you need some ideas, we've got your back!

Today’s blog presents the most fun and engaging employee appreciation week ideas to boost your employees' morale.

Thus, read on!

What Is Employee Appreciation Day?

Businesses in the U.S. have been observing Employee Appreciation Day on the first Friday in March for many years. The holiday officially started to appear in business calendars around 1995. Since then, it has become a respected tradition dedicated to employees nationwide. 

Most credit the creation of Employee Appreciation Day to Dr. Bob Nelson, one of the founding board members of Recognition Professionals International, and his company, Workman Publishing.

Nelson's book 1,001 Ways to Reward Employees led to the birth of National Employee Appreciation Day. Now, decades later, thousands of companies are celebrating this day in one way or another. 

Why Should I Care About Employee Appreciation Day For My Company Staff?

Financial incentives are not the only thing that motivates your employees to give their best at work. According to a survey by Gallup/Workhuman, 56% of employees state that they are less likely to leave a job when they feel appreciated. 83.6% of employees have also agreed that recognition motivates them to succeed.

In the grand scheme of things, aside from providing the fundamental resources for survival, it's essential to appreciate, recognize, and validate your employees' efforts.

Still, if you are contemplating whether to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day, here are a few convincing reasons to help you make up your mind. 

• Lift spirits and boost job satisfaction: Unsurprisingly, humans respond positively when someone commends our hard work. When your employees feel appreciated, they are more likely to show appreciation to your company through their work. This fosters a positive work environment and boosts job satisfaction.

• Get everyone engaged: Engaged employees are more productive, committed, and creative. Surveys indicate employees who feel cherished are three times more engaged. Hence, investing in a few gift ideas for employee appreciation can effectively enhance employee engagement and teamwork.

• Stop the revolving door: Employee turnover can significantly harm your company's reputation, productivity, and revenue. Additionally, onboarding new employees are time-consuming, demanding, and expensive. In the long run, putting efforts into retaining your existing employees is much more logical and financially beneficial. Following our employee appreciation week ideas is an excellent way to implement your employee retention strategy. 

• Upgrade your productivity game: A bit of appreciation can significantly enhance your employees' productivity. When employees feel appreciated, they are not constantly checking the clock. They go above and beyond to repeat the same appreciated acts, increasing their productivity.

Your team works tirelessly to help your organization grow. Thus, you only need to recognize their efforts and give back. It will not only make them feel valued but also make you feel more fulfilled. 

10 Employee Appreciation Day Ideas You'll Like

Employee Appreciation Week offers the perfect opportunity to express gratitude and applaud your team's dedication and hard work.

But have you decided how you would like to show your appreciation?

If not, here, we present ten fun employee appreciation day ideas to help you make the most of this precious occasion. 

So, take out your notebook and give these a try!
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1. Tribute Videos

Tribute videos may seem cheesy to some, but they are a fun way to show that you recognize and appreciate your employees' efforts. With modern editing tools, you can make a tribute video in just a few minutes. You can also turn it into a team-building activity, involving everyone and centering the video on core company values. 

2. Shoutouts on Employee Collaboration Platforms

Public appreciation can significantly boost your employees' confidence and self-esteem. You can use any social or collaborative platform, like Skype, Microsoft Teams, or Slack, to give your best employee or employees a shoutout. Write a personalized note, incorporate points, or include custom rewards to make it exciting for your team members. 

3. Send Personalized Notes or Postcards

Sending personalized gifts to your employees doesn't have to be heavy on your pocket. Some individual's love language is words of assurance. Gift them a customized note, and they will reminisce about it for a long time. Your genuine effort to make them feel good will inspire them to deliver their best work. 

4. Send Them a Personalized Gift

If you don't mind the budget, personalized gifts can be an effective way to celebrate employee appreciation day. Consider something your employee will truly appreciate for tailored staff appreciation gift ideas. Furthermore, if you wish to make things more interesting, encourage your employees to give gifts among themselves. It will give you a good idea about each employee's likes and dislikes.  

5. Give Them Home Day with Relaxing Spa Packages

Who doesn't enjoy unexpected holidays?

If you have a small team, you can express your care for their wellbeing by giving them a day off. As a cherry on top, you can surprise them with spa package deals on the special occasion. Alternatively, if you work with a remote team, you may buy them spa packages or give them a suitable allowance. Your team will certainly appreciate this one!

6. Send Them Day-Specific Gift Cards

This option is perfect for you if you have a diverse team with vastly different preferences or personalities or a remote team. Sending gift cards is one of the most effortless staff appreciation ideas that work for almost every employee. To make it more engaging, you can ask your employees to send a picture of what they have got with their gift card. It will be a great company bonding exercise for all your employees.

7. Happy Hours Could Be Better!

Most bars and food chains host happy hours between 5 and 6 pm. You can take advantage of this by shutting down your operations earlier and taking your team out for drinks and fun. It will help establish closer relationships without affecting your company's productivity. 

8. Make Your Personalized Hall of Fame!

Bring a little drama to your office with a personalized hall of fame with pictures of all your employees. To do this, you will need a spacious, clutter-free room and a few items for decoration. Additionally, you may add a photo booth, give out fun awards, and host fun games and activities. 

9. Everyone Likes Company Swag!

Brand-centric merch and goodies are among the most common corporate gift ideas for employee appreciation day. All you need are some cute bags, with or without your company logo, filled with stationery, pen stands, water bottles, and other office essentials. You can add a small personalized gift for each employee or a plant to the mix to give it a unique touch. 

10. Adventure Days Are Fun!

Desk jobs can get pretty mundane after a while. Everyone starts to loathe the Monday blues and begins living for the weekends. If you wish to add some thrill to your employees' lives, take them on an adventurous trip. From adventure parks to bungee jumping and rock climbing, there are tons of options to choose from. 

Does Appreciation and Recognition Improve Employee Retention?

A recent study by Gartner found that a well-designed recognition program can drive employee performance by 11.1% on average. A survey also identified that 46% of respondents had left their jobs due to being unappreciated.

In summary, there's an obvious relationship between employee appreciation and retention. When you acknowledge and recognize an employee's hard work, their commitment and morale soar. Enhanced job satisfaction leads to better retention rates. 

While money will always be a motivating factor, considering engaging gift ideas for employee appreciation is a great way to provide emotional satisfaction to your employees. 

Should a Leadership Team Focus on Employee's Job Satisfaction?

Good leadership strategies prioritizing job satisfaction have enhanced organizational performance and individual wellbeing. You can cultivate a productive and resilient workforce by nurturing your employees' physical and mental health. Additionally, your leadership team can add more satisfaction to the job roles by showing employee appreciation, whether through our joyful staff appreciation ideas or other ways. 

Does Employee Appreciation Encourage Healthy Work-Life Balance?

From a broader perspective, employee appreciation can encourage employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Since showing gratitude can enhance an individual's mental wellness, appreciating your employees' efforts may contribute to a better sleep cycle and metabolism and lessen stress.

Employees not constantly stressed about work or experiencing burnout will be more willing to lead healthier lives. On the contrary, if your employees don't feel appreciated at work, it will cause stress in their personal lives and eventually lead to unhealthy habits.

Celebrate Employee Appreciation Day With Gifted!

So, which one of these employee appreciation week ideas do you like the most?

Irrespective of your choice, you can trust Gifted for the best automated gifting solutions for this employee appreciation day. With us, you will never miss an opportunity to praise your employees again. We will remind you of the date and give you many personalized and quick-delivery gift options that are perfect for your team members.  You can also use our intuitive software to budget for special occasions.  

Start exploring our offerings now!