Corporations succeed when they have good employees. Without a staff of hard-working individuals, no company can profit. So, to thank the employees who have done so much for you over the last year, offer something meaningful and thoughtful.
- One way to say thank you to a group of extremely hard workers is to offer an extra day off. The surprise factor alone will wow everyone. If you’re the boss and have the final say, arrange to have each employee put in for one extra paid day off. The boost in morale will be well worth the money spent. Tell them it’s because they mean so much to you.
- Send food. Everyone loves a goody basket or an unexpected treat. Arrange to have cookies or fruit delivered to the conference room and then invite everyone to take a half-hour break to enjoy them. Or, have lunch delivered in one day and invite everyone to thank them for a job well done.
- Offer a Thanksgiving turkey or ham to every employee. This is a nice gesture that will really show that you care about your employees. Arrange to have them shipped in frozen and allow employees time to come and pick them up to take home.
- The handwritten note still carries meaning. Since emails are the order of the day, getting a handwritten note is a welcome surprise. If you have a small enough department and can manage it, write each person a thank you note in your own handwriting. If you can, include a small gift card inside from the company.
- Invite the staff to a Thanksgiving Day meal at an off-site location after work. Have a full feast including turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pie. Allow each person to bring their spouse or significant other to make it extra special.
- See if you can arrange for a local gym to give you free passes for employees business gifts. Hand them out in cards that say thank you from the company.
- If your company makes a product (pens, electric toothbrushes, whatever) leave one of your new high-end products on each employee’s desk with a note of thanks.
- Announce an unexpected Casual Day. Let employees wear casual clothes one weekday. Send an email the night before so everyone gets it—along with your thanks.
- Close on Wednesday before Thanksgiving. It’s the biggest travel day of the year and employees will thank you for allowing them to get a head start on their holiday journeys.
- Hand out coupons good for “Coming in Late” one day. Tell employees they can use it if they are running late or have a childcare emergency or need to take a pet to the vet. A little good humor about it will make it a fun gift that everyone can really appreciate.
- If you’re the big boss, offer to do someone’s job for the day. Tell all the employees that you are grateful for their hard work. Then take over the help desk or assembly line. Everyone will get a kick out of it and it will show a measure of goodwill.
A little kindness can go a long way in making employees feel appreciated and thanked. Think like an employee. What would be most important to them? Then do something that speaks to that idea.
Image courtesy of Victor1558 on Flickr’s Creative Commons.
Pinkchic18 enjoys writing about topics including holidays, event planning, and lots more. Follow Pinkchic18 on Twitter for article updates!