Celebrating Employee Appreciation Day with Remote Employees

Employee appreciation day may look a little different this year, but don’t worry, there are still ways you can mark the occasion remotely. 

The success of our employees is something that should be celebrated every day, but for many businesses employee appreciation is pushed to the bottom of the priority list. In fact, the statistics around employee appreciation are quite frightening, with 62% of workers admitting that they are hardly ever or have never been appreciated by their boss. 

Although many companies put employee appreciation on the back burner, there is evidence that shows giving your employees recognition every once in a while does pay off; better employee engagement, improved productivity, retained business success and higher morale are all outcomes of showing appreciation. 

As employee appreciation day is just around the corner, we wanted to give you some ideas on how you can make the day special for your employees.

Virtual coffee morning 

Instead of the usual Friday work meeting, why not swap this for a virtual coffee morning? Giving your employees the opportunity to forget about work for an hour and catch up with colleagues can be great for their mental health and great for team building. 

Remember, staying connected to your employees while working remotely is vital. During the first national lockdown, 40% of employees said their biggest miss was office life and general conversations with colleagues. Seeing a familiar face and taking time away from the pressure of work may just be what your team needs for a pick-me-up.

Team quiz

If you want to get the competitive juices flowing this employee appreciation day, host a virtual quiz for your team. 

It’s safe to say that virtual quizzes have been a highlight for many over the last year. If it’s not the pleasure of being right that draws people in, it’s the desire to beat their teammates. Hosting a quiz is a great way to promote social interaction between team members and is good for building team relationships. If you want to guarantee a big turnout, we recommend giving a prize to the winner.

Send a gift 

Although you may not be able to give employees gifts personally this year, you can always send a gift to their address. You could send a working from home care package to your employees which can include things like tea/coffee, a note pad, pens, candles and snacks are all little things that will be highly appreciated by your employees while working from home.

Invest in training programmes

A great way to empower your employees and make them feel appreciated is to invest in training and development. Be willing to invest in any tools they may need to enhance their performance and explore any training opportunities that you think will benefit your employees. 

If you invest in your people, they’ll invest in your business.

A simple thank you 

Never underestimate the power of a simple thank you. After a challenging year in the workplace, a thank you may be all your employee needs to feel appreciated. Being thankful can make a person more positive, more resilient and improve relationships. 

It can also transform workplace culture by bringing in a more positive attitude and inspiring others to be appreciative of the people around them. 

As we mentioned previously, an effective leader will always appreciate their employees at any chance given, so make sure your celebrations aren’t just limited to one day. Although you may not be able to go ahead with your usual celebrations, employee appreciation doesn’t have to stop. Follow these tips throughout and you’ll see the true benefits of employee appreciation.