How To Make the Most of Employee Appreciation Day
Employee Appreciation Day is a national holiday that encourages employers to invest some time into making their teams feel valued. The first Friday of March, this day is an opportunity to thank your employees for all the work they do for your business and to strengthen the bond between you. However, there are a lot of potential ways to celebrate and this can often make it difficult to decide what exactly you should do—or what would be most effective. This is how to make the most of Employee Appreciation Day and reassure each member of your team that their hard work doesn’t go unnoticed.
The Importance of Celebrating Your Employees
The first crucial step in planning a successful employee appreciation event is to gain an understanding of what this process actually does. In essence, team members want to feel as though their work is being acknowledged and that they’re being treated properly by their employers. Taking the time to recognize their accomplishments, both individually and as a group, can have a large impact on future engagement and overall employee job satisfaction.
Crucial Tips for Planning the Day
Now that you know why you should be taking this holiday seriously, it’s important to talk about the planning process for it. Remember that the way you approach these events might be different from other companies. This is perfectly fine as long as you’re adhering to your team’s wants and needs. These are a few tips to follow to make the most of your Employee Appreciation Day celebration.
Stay in Line with Company Culture
Your company’s overall culture already plays a large role in how you and your employees conduct yourselves. So, why should Employee Appreciation Day be treated any differently? Part of what draws individuals to your business is its established set of values. As such, you want these values to still be present in whatever event you choose to create.
Keep Your Team’s Needs in Mind
You also want to ensure that you’re planning an event that caters to your team’s needs and interests. After all, this celebration is for them and including things that make them happy is key to improving their experience. If you’re wondering what type of event would appeal to your team, sending out a brief interest survey can be very effective at giving you some ideas.
Be Creative
Once you have the basic information you need to get planning underway, start getting creative. While you don’t need to do anything extravagant, coming up with something outside the box will convey that you really put in the effort. This makes the gesture feel more genuine and, therefore, shows your team that you’re willing to put in the work for them—just as they’ve worked hard for you.
Don’t Be Afraid To Get Personal
As you’re brainstorming different ideas, keep in mind that you shouldn’t avoid putting a personal touch on the plan. Showing appreciation can be done as a group. However, addressing individual accomplishments is also a great way to demonstrate that you’ve been paying attention to their success. This is effective for further encouraging each team member to meet their goals.
Different Ways To Show Your Appreciation
If you’re still struggling to come up with something that would match your team’s specifications, it also helps to know what’s worked for others in the past. These are some good examples of Employee Appreciation Day activities and how you can potentially customize them to suit your own team.
Arrange a Team Lunch or Happy Hour
Team lunches are a classic way to get everyone together for a good time. They promote additional communication, take the mind off work, and can even help establish new friendships. If your employees are comfortable with them, happy hours can work in much the same way. With a few drinks and good conversation, it’s a great time to cut loose and unwind after a long day of productivity. Just make sure that you’re including the option for individuals to participate virtually as well as in-person so they can choose which they’re most comfortable with.
Reserve Time for Fun and Games
Putting together an event with games and prizes is also a fun way to foster stronger bonds among the team. Depending on the games, these activities could require them to work together or make each other laugh. They can even generate a little bit of friendly competition. Having this break during the workday can help show that while work is important, so is being able to set it aside and have some fun.
Provide Employees with Unique Awards
Giving out awards is very effective, too. As stated previously, team members generally want to be recognized for all the hard work they’ve put in and the milestones they’ve achieved. Because of this, handing out personalized rewards for these accomplishments is the perfect method to show them you’ve noticed their efforts. These awards could be something as small as a gift card or as large as a plaque—either way, they’re made to feel like a vital part of the company.
Give the Gift of Ergonomics
One of the best ways to show your employees that you appreciate them is to give them what they need to achieve future success. Ergonomic office furniture is the key to luxurious comfort, performance, and productivity in the workplace environment. Providing employees with updated seating, and even ergonomic workstation equipment, has been linked to an overall increase in team mood and productivity.
So, if you’re looking for the perfect gift to give your team for this upcoming Employee Appreciation Day, look no further than Rework. Our selection of new and refurbished office furniture in the Chicagoland area offers top-notch products from many quality brands. Our staff of professional office designers will assess your needs and help you find the perfect pieces to suit your employees. For more information on our services, give us a call or set up an appointment on our website.
