Employee Appreciation Ideas Without Breaking the Bank

16 Mar Employee Appreciation Ideas Without Breaking the Bank

A company is only as successful as its employees. A good manager knows this and wants to do all he or she can to make sure their team feels appreciated and valued. 

The good news is, appreciating your employees doesn’t necessarily mean having to shell out bags of cash in the process. 

Here are some ideas on how to thank your employees without wrecking the bottom line: 

Bring back Employee of the Month and ask for suggestions

Your team will know who’s put in the extra time and who deserves a little extra attention each month. Ask them to nominate someone for Employee of the Month and watch them highlight extra efforts you didn’t even know were being made. It’s an excellent way for a team to celebrate its members while cheering each other on and could also inspire some friendly competition. 

Use a newsletter or staff email to highlight accomplishments

It’s a great and easy way to give kudos, and it’ll be disseminated throughout the company. People might even draw your attention to the great work that could be flying under the radar.

Feed them

It’s the simplest thing, but it’s a core truth: Donuts or pizza are almost always a happy surprise that’s well-received by a team. The cost is relatively low compared with the goodwill that will be generated. It’s also a fun way to break up a day! 

Come up with a team trophy

Once a month, decide on an achievement to recognize, whether it’s a big sale or completing a big project or accomplishing a major task. Have your employees vote on who deserves to win each month, with a goal of having 12 different winners through the course of a year. Recognizing more than one person at a time is just fine! 

Send a thank-you note

It’s not just for interview candidates — a written, or personally signed, thank you note can go a long way toward making someone feel appreciated and respected. 

Share their out-of-work accomplishments

Do you have an employee who just finished a marathon or half marathon? Or someone who’s been taking art classes on the side and has a show coming up? Share the good news at work (if they’re comfortable with it). It’s important to acknowledge the employee’s whole life, not just what happens while they’re on the clock. 

It can be frustrating when there isn’t money in the budget to give everyone the raise they’d deserve in a perfect world. But these ideas can help keep your employees happy and feeling valued without costing too much. 

Find Talent with LeadingEdge!

When you’re looking for another person to join your winning team, contact LeadingEdge. We’ve got an in-depth list of well-qualified employees eager to find a position with a company just like yours! Contact us today, and let’s get started.