Fun and Engaging Ideas and Events for Employee Appreciation Day
A business' employees are the backbone of the company. They work day-in and day-out to make the company a success deserve to be thanked for their dedication. Employee Appreciation Day is March 6 th. Show your employees that they really matter with these fun, engaging Employee Appreciation Day ideas.
1. Create an employee “call-out" column on the employee intranet or in the newsletter: Everyday employees do something to support their colleagues and superiors. Create a section on the internal website or newsletter where employees can give kudos to those they work with.
2. Company dance or guitar-off: Take a couple hours on Employee Appreciation Day, and get employees moving and having fun with a dance or Guitar Hero competition. Top three winners can get a special prize or medal to remember the day.
3. Potluck: Employees all have different talents – especially in the kitchen. Pick a theme for the potluck, and encourage employees to sign up for certain courses. Businesses can even offer prizes for best dishes.
4. Spring “White Elephant" party: White elephant parties are usually quite popular around the Christmas holidays, but they can be an entertaining way to get individual teams to engage on Employee Appreciation Day. Plus, since it's getting close to spring cleaning, employees can bring items that they were going to get rid of anyway.
5. Cabin fever escape: March is usually about the time when people are ready for winter to be over. Why not remind people that summer is on its way with a tropical or spring theme? Decorate the office with fresh flowers, palm trees and bright colors. Lay out beach blankets in the break rooms, and invite employees to have a “picnic" for lunch.
6. Say Thank You: Sometimes it's the simple thank yous that people remember the most. Encourage managers to invite employees into their office and personally thank them for their commitment and hard work. If face-to-face thank yous are impossible, send hand-written thank yous instead.
7. Meeting-free Day: Do something that every employee can appreciate. Don't schedule meetings on this day. Many employees spend most of their lives sitting in meeting after meeting. Give them a break.
8. Volunteer: Employees love giving back to their community. Make it a company-wide event. Select a local charity, and spend the day assisting the homeless, planting a tree or just cleaning up trash. After the volunteer morning or afternoon, treat employees to lunch or happy hour.
9. Award Board: Create an award board that showcases special accomplishments of employees, and place it either in the hall or break room. Invite employees to give special awards to teammates.
10. Photo Booth: Setup a specialty photo booth with different props and costumes. Let employees take as many photos of themselves. Once all the photos are taken, print them out, and put them in a decorative frame memorializing the day. Or, let the employees share their photos on social networks, and urge them to say something about the company or their experiences there.
Whatever you do for Employee Appreciation Day, just remember that it's about the employees. If employees know they're appreciated, they'll work even harder for the company and remain loyal.
