How Do You Show Appreciation to Your Staff? Great Ideas to Thank Your Team

Employee recognition in the workplace today is not always easy to come by. This could be related to company culture, tradition, or the nature of the business. But one thing’s for sure, employee appreciation never goes unnoticed. What’s so important for employers to realize is that there is no particular occasion necessary when it comes…

Employee recognition in the workplace today is not always easy to come by. This could be related to company culture, tradition, or the nature of the business. But one thing’s for sure, employee appreciation never goes unnoticed. What’s so important for employers to realize is that there is no particular occasion necessary when it comes to employee recognition. It should just be part of your company culture — because happy employees are productive employees, it’s as simple as that. So, how do you show appreciation to your staff? This blog highlights a few great ideas to boost employee morale and share your thanks as an employer.

How Do You Show Appreciation to Your Staff?

When employee recognition becomes standard practice in your workplace, this shows your staff that you genuinely care about their well-being. This promotes a happier, more satisfied group of employees, which can actually reduce your employee turnover and create a healthy company culture. A great way to show your appreciation is by hosting regular staff parties, outings, and even entire events dedicated to celebrating your team.

Throw Them an Employee Appreciation Day Party

Employee Appreciation Day usually falls on the first Friday in March. So pencil March 5, 2021 into your calendar and make sure to throw your staff a party to celebrate their hard work and achievements. It doesn’t have to be in March, you can plan it for whenever makes sense for your company. Here are a few party ideas for inspiration:

Offer Your Employees a Feast

If you want guaranteed employee attendance, make sure you provide good food to show your appreciation. People like to be fed — plain and simple. Good food and a good atmosphere is a great start for your celebration. A good way to make a splash when it comes to catering is to hire out an events space or a caterer for an all-out show of appreciation. Hosting at an event hall or event venue offers a one-stop solution, and usually includes catering, seating, simple decor, equipment, and more.

Make it Fun With Themes and Activities For Employee Appreciation

Nothing is going to put a damper on your staff appreciation party faster than an outdated office party theme. Think karaoke, bingo, and boring team-building exercises. In order to show that you’ve put real effort into the party, design it around a trendy theme. If your budget allows for it, bring in a magician, puppies, or any appropriate entertainment! Take your party out of the office and host your celebration in a personalized event space. This allows you to decorate, eat, drink, and enjoy a company dance-off on your own private dancefloor.

Offer Swag Bags For Employee Appreciation  

Another brilliant way to personalize your staff party is by sending your employees home with a physical token of your appreciation. The swag bag is a gift bag filled with party favors that your employees will truly appreciate. Party favors are always a great way of memorializing the event. These party favors don’t have to break the bank, either. Your swag bag could include one relatively expensive thing, such as a gift card, then a few other filler items.

Creative Workshops For Employee Appreciation

Research has shown that employees benefit from creative outlets. Ultimately, this boosts their job performance. A great way to foster a sense of creativity and celebrate your employees is by offering a creative workshop at your next employee event. You could rent an event space and introduce your employees to fun and creative outlets such as a cooking class, painting or flower arranging workshop, origami, or even a poker lesson. It’s important that everyone gets a chance to participate in an activity that they can relate to and enjoy. So make sure the creative workshop is inclusive of a few options to suit everyone’s interests. Let your staff know you intend to host a workshop and ask for their preferences beforehand. This way, all your bases are covered!

Host a Lunch Outing For Employee Appreciation

Instead of an all-day event or an evening celebration, why not host a catered lunch for your employees, including a few fun activities afterward? This way you can get in half a day’s work, then spend the rest of it celebrating your team. There are few options for a lunch-time celebration — you can host at a fully catered event space, or treat your team to a sit-down lunch at your favorite restaurant. Afterward, organize an exciting activity.

Organize an Exciting Team Activity

A golf outing is a classic activity, or for a new, high-tech twist on golf, consider booking a golf simulator. A golf simulator studio or lounge doesn’t have the physical requirements of driving or walking around a golf course with a set of clubs, and is just as much fun for beginners as for seasoned golfers. Golf simulators also have fun games like virtual putt putt, virtual cornhole and arcade games that everyone will enjoy. Most golf simulator lounges will have a food and drink menu available as well. Do a team poll beforehand to get a feel for the type of post-lunch activity your employees would most prefer. If you have to host the activity in-office, there are still options.
Golf simulator

Organize a Team Olympics Challenge For Employee Appreciation

This can either be hosted in-office, or you could go the extra mile and hire out a private hall or event space for your day of team Olympics. Ideally, you’d want to hire out a larger space if your office is on the small side, plus most event spaces include catering to feed your team! Engage in team games such as a pub quiz, team trivia challenges, a scavenger hunt, or an escape room-type challenge. This is a great opportunity for different departments and teams of people to get to know each other. It also introduces a sense of healthy competition, encouraging competitive thinking. This is the perfect opportunity for employees to see each other in a whole new light.

Host Your Next Business Event With Us

So, how do you show appreciation to your staff? By fostering a work environment that makes them a top priority. Happy employees are the backbone of a successful business, so it’s important that they are treated that way. If you’re looking for an excellent event space for your next business event, such as an Employee Appreciation Day party, then RedWater Events has you covered. Learn more about our West Michigan location and event spaces here, or contact us to schedule an event today. ‍

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