Six ways HR can show appreciation for their workforce

On Fridays, we celebrate employees (said with our best Mean Girls impression)—and that’s especially true on the first Friday in March, otherwise known as Employee Appreciation Day.

Although shows of employee appreciation shouldn’t be limited to an annual holiday, why not use it as an opportunity to put in some extra effort and recognize your employees’ achievements? After all, when employees feel appreciated, they are more likely to be productive and stay with their employer for a longer period of time, according to a survey conducted by workplace recognition platform Bounusly.

HR Brew asked HR leaders and workplace experts about plans and strategies to recognize employees.

All statements were given via email and have been edited for length and clarity.

“At PwC, we value and appreciate our employees throughout the year and in a number of ways, including providing opportunities for uninterrupted time away. As part of our commitment to flexibility and well-being, we offer two week-long firmwide shutdowns in July and December, in addition to regular vacation time.”—Yolanda Seals-Coffield, chief people officer at PwC

“This Employee Appreciation Day, we are excited to provide employees with a budget to be used anytime throughout the entire month of March, encouraging them to spend time outside of work with their teams and colleagues from other departments doing fun activities. We know great colleagues are a big part of what makes your work day special, and we think it’s very much worth the investment to foster connections and build relationships even outside of work confines.”—Luck Dookchitra, VP, people and culture at Leapsome

“We provide financial rewards to every team member, regardless of their role, from ESOP shares and milestone achievements awards, to annual bonuses and long-term financial awards. We also believe appreciation is more than gifts and financial awards, it should include opportunities for team members to meaningfully connect, have fun, and celebrate contributions together. We host company-wide events throughout the year, where we shut down our production lines and everyone participates in get-togethers like offsite adventures and company-wide cornhole tournaments.”—Becca Russell, chief of people and opportunity development at Torani

“Don’t be afraid to show appreciation for their successes and nominate employees for industry recognition and awards. Provide a platform to shout out employees on personal and professional wins, ranging from a recent wedding to running their first marathon or going above and beyond on a recent client deliverable. Knowing that senior-most leaders are invested in getting to know employees and what matters to them goes a long way.”—Meagan Davis, HR business advisor at Sloane & Company

“Employers need to remember that any appreciation they show on this day needs to be about the employee, not the organization. It’s for that reason that I would suggest gifting your employees no-strings-attached time-off. It could be a company-wide day off or allow employees to choose a day in the next month to take off. If you’re an employer and you rolled your eyes at this suggestion, then you definitely need to consider it. The best employee appreciation is something that surprises employees, but also generates positive feelings toward the organization.”—Julia Toothacre, résumé and career Strategist at ResumeBuilder.com

“Reward your employees with an experience such as tickets to a sporting event, escape room, taking a boat trip, etc. This gets people outdoors and the experience is something that they can remember forever. Additionally, expanding internal [recognition] campaigns throughout the whole organization is very important for productivity and performance. It is nice when an employee isn’t just recognized within their business unit, but throughout the whole organization.”—Trevor Bogan, regional director for Americas at the Top Employer Institute