40 Different Ways to Say Thank You at Work

40 Different Ways to Say Thank You at Work40 Different Ways to Say Thank You at WorkAre you interested in ways to say thank you at work? One would hope so. In a workplace committed to creating an attitude of gratitude and employee recognition on a daily basis, every day should be Thanksgiving Day. Employee recognition doesnt have to be expensive and is appreciated by employees in almost any form. Company leaders also appreciate a thank you from employees when the organization takes time to recognize employees. Employee recognition is best approached creatively. While money is an important way to say thank you, once money is spent, it is easily forgotten. It is as if the recognition never happened. Ideas about ways to say thank you at work are limited only by your imagination. The power of saying thank you is magnified when the action, gift, or interaction, such as an interview, is accompanied with a thank you note or card. Use the following ways to say thank you at work to employees and coworkers. Spoken Words Just say thank you - anytime, anyway, anyhow, and for any reason. Want to say more than thank you? Its important to know how to give great feedback to employees at work. Its very easy to say thank you in a way that makes employees feel valued and appreciated, so take the time to notice good contributions and successes. Daily feedback is best, weekly is admirable, but practice saying thank you nearly every day to some of your employees and coworkers. They and you will be happy that you took the time to care. Money Base salary raisedBonusesGift certificatesCash awards Written Words Handwritten thank you notesA letter of appreciation in the employee fileHandwritten cards to mark celebratory occasionsRecognition posted on the employee bulletin boardContribution noted in the company newsletter Positive Attention From Supervisory Staff Stop by an individuals workstation or bro to talk informallyProvide frequent positive performance feedback - at least weeklyProvide public praise at a staff meetingTake the employee out to lunch. Encourage Employee Development Send people to conferences and seminarsAsk people to present a summary of what they learned at a conference or seminar at a department meetingWork out a written employee development planMake career development commitments and a schedule Treats Buy a pizza or another lunch for a teamBring in cookies, gelato, a deli tray, or a fruit basket to shareBring in an ice cream and toppings barRent a popcorn machine for a week The Work Itself Provide cross-training opportunitiesProvide more of the kinds of work the employee likes and less of the work that he or she does not like - know your employees well enough to know their preferencesProvide opportunities for empowerment and self-managementAsk the employee to represent the department at an important, external meetingHave the employee represent the department on an inter-departmental committeeProvide opportuniti es for the employee to determine his or her own goals and directionParticipation in idea-generation and decision making Drawings Keep drawings on the light side, especially if only one employee can win, but quick, fun drawings are ways to say thank you.Hold a drawing for company logoed merchandise and other inexpensive items, for things like most product sold, best customer service, a project completed, sales leads obtained and so forth Gifts Company logo merchandise such as shirts, hats, mugs, and jacketsGift certificates to local storesThe opportunity to select items from a catalogThe ability to exchange positive points for merchandise or entry into a drawing for merchandise Symbols and Honors Framed or unframed certificates to hang on the wall or fileEngraved plaquesLarger work area or officeMore and better equipmentProvide status symbols, whatever they are in your organization Benefits Employee Benefits are also great opportunities to thank employees by providin g perks and other generous, sometimes inexpensive benefits to employees. Make saying thank you to coworkers a common practice, not a scarce resource, in your organization. With these ideas and the 120 provided in the benefits and perks article, you have many ideas that will help you develop a work environment that fosters employee recognition and hence, employee and customer success. Motivated employees do a better job of serving customers well. Happy customers buy more products and are committed to using your services. When more customers buy more products and services, your companys profitability and success will skyrocket.