Staff Appreciation Ideas Every Boss Can Do

Employees want to feel as if they are appreciated. By choosing the right staff appreciation ideas, you can get a lot of real-world benefits that you might not have considered. From improving employee engagement to an increase in productivity and loyalty, making sure that your employees feel appreciated is more important than ever.

There are lots of ways that you show your employees that you appreciate all of the hard work that they do, and that you value their good work. If you're stuck for staff appreciation ideas, here are some ways to show your team members exactly how much you appreciate them, from day-to-day recognition to unique steps that will encourage them to feel more valued.

Giving Positive Feedback

It might seem like an obvious one, but far too many employers fail to let their team members know they have done a good job. There's an old saying for business leaders - criticize in private, praise in public. Show your employees that they have performed well, and let others in your team know.

Dedicate a time slot in every team meeting to highlight the team members who have exceeded expectations, and you'll ensure that your employees leave those meetings re-energized and motivated. This is the easiest way to make a more positive company culture, but too many bosses overlook such a simple and easy to implement staff appreciation ideas. There are lots of employee recognition ideas in this list, but sometimes, a simple show of gratitude for all of the hard work that they have put in will go a lot further than you might assume.

Using a Bulletin Board

Whether it's digital or a corkboard on the wall, a bulletin board is one of the most effective ways to showcase the best team members and show how much you appreciate their good work. There's a reason why 'employee of the month' plaques are such a popular sight to see in offices, workplaces, and the break room all around the world. Having a public announcement of the good work is done by team members again highlight your appreciation, and at a very low cost.

Team members will feel appreciated, and that makes for a much happier workplace as well as a more engaged workforce. The more that you can let your team members and those around them know when you recognize that they did a great job, the more likely it is that they will be motivated to keep on working hard for you. A bulletin board is a great way to boost motivation and employee satisfaction and happiness on a day-to-day basis. It might be low cost, but it has a high impact.

Offer Rewards

If there's one way to motivate your team members, it's to offer rewards for good work. Those rewards can be weekly, monthly, or quarterly, but however you structure your reward system, make it count. Promotional swag is always a good option, as long as it is high quality and has practical use. From Bluetooth speakers for your top sales employees to branded clothing or drinkware for your office team, you're spoiled for choice when it comes to custom promotional products that you can hand out regularly to reward your best team members. Not only will it make them feel appreciated by their bosses, but it will also engage them more as they focus on winning the reward that you're offering (even if it's just a gift card).

Take Them To Lunch

One problem with rewarding team members is that not everyone is comfortable with public announcements about their work. For the team members who prefer more low-key praise and recognition of their workplace contributions, taking them out to lunch can be a great opportunity for employee engagement. Having that one-to-one will make them feel like they are more a part of the company, which will feed motivation as you feed them. A company culture that allows for that kind of one-on-one appreciation experience has a lot of value in today's employment landscape and is a benefit that you can use to attract even more team members.

Team Take Out

If it's an entire team or department that you want to show your appreciation for, a catered meal in the break room is one of the best staff appreciation ideas to look at more closely. Hire food trucks, choose the favored foods that you know are commonly devoured in the break room, and let them have a break. A catered meal isn't your only option either. You could even install a top of the line coffee machine or snack bar that your best teams have access to. In terms of employee appreciation ideas, it's hard to go wrong with free food!

Praising on Social Media

Your social media is a great marketing resource, but it can also be used to showcase your top team members. Dedicate a post to them and their hard work, and you're almost screaming from the rooftops how much you appreciate them. Of course, this is also a useful marketing tactic because letting your customers glimpse behind the scenes is a fundamental part of brand storytelling, so you're getting two benefits: making employees feel appreciated while boosting brand loyalty.

Events and Nights Out

Not only will a planned event or night out show your employees that you appreciate their hard work, but it's also great for team bonding. Take an entire department or your customer-facing team out for happy hour drinks, get the karaoke on, and party into the early hours. Never underestimate the value of a good team bonding night out. It's one of the most effective ways for improving employee engagement because those team members will feel like part of the business family. With more people working remotely than ever, you can even host virtual events and nights! Events are great news for your employee retention rates, and when it comes to staff appreciation ideas, events are right up there.

It's always a good idea to show your employees and team members that you appreciate all of the hours and hard work that they do. There are more staff appreciation ideas than we could fit into this list, so take your time and think about all of the best ways that you can show your employees how much you value them. Your business will only benefit.