7 meaningful ways to thank exceptional employees within the organization
The fact that employees are the building blocks of an organization and are responsible for its growth and success is undeniable. Therefore, it falls on the organization to care for its employees and make way for their personal and professional growth. When an employee positively impacts your company’s success, as an employer, you should appropriately express your gratitude. Giving them a raise or allowing flex time are popular ways to keep them motivated, but what about expressing your heartfelt gratitude? A little thank you can go a long way to make them feel welcomed and appreciated, and can boost their performance and productivity.
Keeping that in mind, we have listed seven meaningful ways you can thank your exceptional employees within the organization that don’t involve a monetary reward.
Personalized appreciation
Besides a monetary reward, if there’s anything that makes the employee feel appreciated, it’s a personalized appreciation. You can do this in a few ways. Talk to your HR, create a heartfelt thank-you note, and deliver it to the employee. Alternatively, you can put together a flower bouquet, or even a small gift basket with flowers, snacks, or personalized office supplies to go with the thank-you note. The employee will feel special and will remember this simple gesture for years to come. It will motivate them, and at the same time will motivate their peers.
Giving personalized awards
Along with a thank-you note, you can also arrange a token of appreciation that the employee can keep with them for years. Giving them a personalized award is the best way to thank them, and it also gives them something they can preserve as a memory. You can prepare a trophy or a plaque with the employee’s name, designation, and their achievement. These personalized awards are directed towards individual and personal appreciation, which makes them feel valued. They become motivated and strive to work harder for the company to achieve the next milestone.
Hold an event
Holding an event to announce employee of the month, quarter, or year is also a great way to show appreciation for an employee’s contribution to the company. At the same time, it keeps all employees of the organization motivated to work harder to achieve their targets or goals. Public recognition, followed by a small token or reward can increase enthusiasm in them. Receiving an accolade in front of their peers will make the employees feel special. It will also foster a sense of trust and loyalty between the employees and the organization.
Public announcement within the company
In case you don’t want to hold an event every month, you can publicly announce the best employee of the month at a small gathering in the office. It can be in a meeting room or during a small snack break in the afternoon. Announce the employee’s name with their achievements and appreciate their efforts in front of everyone. This will boost their confidence, give them a sense of belongingness, and encourage them to perform even better in the upcoming days.
Employee spotlight
You can thank top performers of your organization over the company intranet, email, or another communication system, such as the internal newsletter. If the company uses a cloud workspace, you can design a quick banner with the announcement and post it on the feed or homepage of the workspace. Peers can have the option to congratulate the employee in the comments section or a group chat box. This will make the employee feel more appreciated, and they will get a chance to strengthen their bond with their peers.
Team appreciation activity
A team appreciation activity can be a quick day tour to a local destination where you can announce the achievements of the best-performing employees or teams and give them a chance to recharge and bond with their peers. The activities can be team-building games or anything that brings colleagues together. This will give them a chance to build camaraderie and also create memories that they can look back on years later. These activities also enhance trust and synergy within teams and benefit the organization in the long run.
Offering a leadership role
Another way to appreciate the performance and achievement of an employee is to offer them a leadership role. Based on their skills and expertise, you can offer them to lead a team or a special project. The project can be long or short-term, and you can adjust the compensation as required.
Offering a star performer to lead a special project always boosts their confidence. It also makes them feel appreciated and welcomed. They understand that the organization trusts them. So, they put their best foot forward to achieve success in that particular project or any other project they become a part of.
Monetary rewards are a good way to show appreciation to an employee for their achievements. But, these small, non-monetary gestures can also aid the purpose. Any type of public accolade or appreciation not only makes the concerned employees happy but also sets an example or a goal for the other employees. So, they feel motivated to work hard to achieve the same accolade. Practicing good employee recognition also benefits a company. It earns them goodwill in the industry and helps attract top talents. The practice also helps you to retain employees for many years as they feel more appreciated and grow a sense of belongingness.
