Tomorrow, March 3rd, is Employee Appreciation Day.

But we don’t care about that.

Showing your appreciation to employees is something you should be doing every day – 24/7/365. In addition to all of the real, tangible benefits of recognizing employees’ great work, it’s also just the right thing to do. Your employees work hard to make your business successful, and they deserve to be appreciated for all they do.

Below, you’ll find our definitive argument for spoiling your employees (and a few ideas to get you inspired).

Why Employee Appreciation is Important

According to recent data from Gallup, companies whose workforces are ‘highly engaged’ see up to 147% higher earnings per share than their peers. In this infographic, Office Vibe shared that businesses who took a strong approach to employee recognition were 12 times more likely to see strong business results.

How does that happen?

Engaged employees work harder, are more productive, and bring more enthusiasm to their jobs than unengaged workers. They’re also significantly less likely to leave the company – that means a focus on employee engagement can reduce turnover and help keep your recruiting costs down.

One of the best ways to get your team engaged is to recognize and appreciate the good work they’re already doing. Tinypulse noted in a recent article "When asked what leaders could do more of to improve engagement, 58% of respondents replied ‘give recognition.’" They also found that 69% of employees surveyed would be inspired by appreciation to work even harder.

There are many different ways to implement a strategic recognition program – from peer-to-peer recognition to manager down programs – and they can all bring big wins for the business.

In fact, Tinypulse also found that 41% of companies who implement a peer-to-peer recognition program see increases in customer satisfaction. And 50% of employees who heard a simple ‘thank you’ from their managers felt it improved their relationship and increased trust with their superiors.

It’s clear that investments in employee appreciation can have huge payoffs for your business, so let’s dig into how to get started showing your appreciation.

How to Do It

We mentioned before that there are a lot of options when it comes to strategic employee recognition. If you’re worried that it has to come in the form of dolla bills, let me quell that anxiety. Gallup found that the most memorable types of recognition (in order) are:

• Public recognition or acknowledgment via an award, certificate, or commendation

• Private recognition from a boss, peer, or customer

• Receiving or obtaining a high level of achievement through evaluations or reviews

• Promotion or increase in scope of work or responsibility to show trust

• Monetary award such as a trip, prize, or pay increase

• Personal satisfaction or pride in work

With that in mind, here are some ideas for employee appreciation programs to get your wheels turning.

Some Ideas to Get You Inspired

• I Caught. At Grasshopper, we have a program called ‘I Caught’ that encourages employees to give recognition to coworkers who exemplify our core values. We fill out a small card detailing the amazing things our teammates do, and these are all read aloud at our monthly Learn at Lunch.

• Share positive customer feedback. When you hear great things about your team from customers, share the good news, especially if the customer calls out a specific team or employee.

• Say ‘thank you.’ The simplest and most affordable way to show recognition is to simply say thank you. Whether you mention it while walking by an employee’s desk or send a handwritten note after a tough project, those two little words can go a long way in making your team feel appreciated.

• Celebrate milestones and accomplishments. Whether a team member has just surpassed the five year anniversary with your company or knocked a recent project out of the park, celebrate them. Celebrate loyalty and hard work and wins big & small.

• Tailor recognition to the individual. An appreciation program that’s one-size-fits-all won’t be as effective for certain employees. Get to know your team and the kind of recognition that means the most to each individual, then tailor your appreciation to what inspires that person specifically.

Show Your Appreciation

Employee Appreciation Day is tomorrow, but join us in employee appreciation year. Be good to your team – recognize them, reward them, spoil them – not just tomorrow, but every day after. Your business (and your employees) will thank you.

How do you show employees your appreciation for all that they do? Share with us!