As we get closer to March, that means Employee Appreciation Day (EAD) is just right around the corner! With employee satisfaction and retention as major focuses across varying forecasts, there are real stakes that need to be considered when ensuring your team feels fulfilled and engaged in their work (which, in turn, boosts your bottom line!).
Luckily, it’s not too late to get your appreciation in order for EAD. This week’s blog shares the number one tip for perfecting your approach to a memorable Employee Appreciation Day.
Employee Recognition VS. Employee Appreciation
Make your efforts for Employee Appreciation Day worthwhile and last all year by ensuring you cover two key elements: recognition and appreciation. Add nuance to your company's EAD celebrations by both recognizing their contributions and appreciating what makes working with them special. While often used interchangeably, there are important differences.
Recognition is the classic performance-based motivation that acknowledges people’s milestones, accomplishments, and contributions. Traditionally paired with a gift, recognition rewards people's efforts.
On the other hand, Appreciation truly celebrates a person’s work, contributions, efforts, and more. It’s not about what they do but how they show up to work each day and treat others. Lasting appreciation can be as simple as spotlighting the special ways people do the work that is expected of them, like the solution-oriented problem solvers who keep everyone moving forward or the programmer who understands your exact creative vision and codes it to life.
87% of employees report a high level of company inclusion when there’s an established culture of appreciation and recognition.
The best part about it? You can start small and still generate a Return On Appreciation™. Extending appreciation into communication that fits your company norms will feel more natural and intentional. This year, we encourage you to practice appreciation in conversations. Celebrate each member during team check-ins or reserve time during company-wide meetings to shout out people who make your company great.
A tip directly from Cultivate HQ? Nominate people who align with and exceed your core values as company Rockstars each month, and give them a gift as a token of your appreciation!
How to start appreciating your team
An exemplary employee recognition program is multifaceted, covering day-to-day, informal, and formal appreciation. However, this doesn't have to happen all at once. Building a culture hinges on one crucial concept: consistency. Begin with simple, sustainable efforts.
Start by sending them a gift for Employee Appreciation Day! Cultivate's Online Gifting platform is an easy tool for appreciating your team year-round.
No matter how you acknowledge your teams' efforts, our corporate gift solutions combine recognition and appreciation into every service we offer, ensuring people feel truly valued with a gift they love and will enjoy using again and again.
To keep up with consistent employee appreciation throughout the year, download the latest edition of our Appreciation Calendar for creative ways to celebrate your team.