Legacy Talent Development - Blog

Employee Appreciation Day is one of the best days of the year! It’s a day dedicated to acknowledging and appreciating your employees. We love helping leaders and their teams be more engaged at work. That’s why we’ve curated 15 of our favorite Employee Appreciation Day ideas to celebrate you and your team!

1. Hourly Snacks - Bring in different snacks at the top of every hour. Send out an announcement that the new snacks are available and watch the fun energy this creates all day! To really mix it up the conversations, change the location of the snacks.

2. Handwritten “Thank You” Note - Oh the power of a handwritten note! Mention the employee’s recent accomplishments, contributions and other genuine compliments. Be as specific as possible to let each employee know their message was written just for them.

3. Develop Your Leadership Confidence and Competence – You’re an employee too! Show yourself appreciation with the gift of clarity and confidence. A Strategy Session is the perfect way to uplevel your leadership. Work with me on your specific leadership opportunity, challenge or decision. Your success is the focus of this powerful two-hour coaching session! Together, we’ll remove the obstacles in your way and reimagine possibilities. Plan to gain the clarity and confidence you need to take decisive action on your next steps. Contact Legacy Talent Development or schedule a quick chat to learn more.

4. Photo Scavenger Hunt - Adventure awaits! Create random teams and a list of things they need to find and take pictures of. These can be gems in the office building or items such as neon sign, a local landmark or a someone wearing polka dots around town. Add a fun prize for the first team to find everything on the list!

5. Guest Speaker - Bring in a fabulous outside speaker to entertain, develop and inspire your team.

6. Ice Cream Party - Need we say more?

7. Coffee and Pastry Bar - Go beyond traditional donuts. Order assorted pastries and gourmet coffee drinks for a special treat. Caffine + sugar = happiness!

8. VIP Gift Box - Ask employees about their favorite snacks and drinks. Fill a swanky box with their favorite gift cards, bottled drinks, candy, “leave early” passes, etc. Then, surprise everyone with their very own unique VIP gift box. 

9. Escape Room - Escape rooms are back with both in-person and virtual options. The clock is ticking and teamwork is the only way out!

10. Salsa Competition - Because who doesn’t love chips and salsa? Create a buffet of salsa ingredients like tomatoes, jalapenos, pineapple, cilantro, garlic, limes, chili powder, salt, pepper, sugar, corn, green chiles, etc. You’ll also need bowls, spoons, knives, cutting boards and tortilla chips. Create teams and watch the tasting fun mix with competitive spirits. Everyone wins with salsa sampling and spirited competition!

11. Uplevel Their Self-Awareness - A great way to support your employee’s success is with the gift of self-awareness. At Legacy Talent Development, we use The Hogan Leadership Assessment to help employees gain stronger self-awareness. During a 2-hour strategy session with your employee, we deep dive into their strengths, potential performance derailers and what’s truly diving them now. You'll be amazed at the renewed sense of joy and elevated excellence your employees take-away. Learn more at https://legacytalentdevelopment.com/blog/show-employees-you-care-about-their-success/

12. Host a Happy Hour - Try this at work with fancy nonalcoholic drinks like Italian sodas, energy drinks, flavored sparkling waters and fufu soft drinks. Or host an off-site happy hour with appetizers for your team.

13. Create Personalized Videos - Send a personalize a “thank you” video to each of your employees. Keep it short – the main point is to just say thank you! Don’t worry about the “perfect take”. Be your authentic self - make it entertaining, sweet, humorous, or casual.  

14. Team Lunch - Cater in, eat out as a team or go virtual with food delivery for each employee. Take time to just hang out and enjoy being together. Great Food + Terrific Company = Happy Peeps.

15. Cornhole Competition - Fun indoors or out!  Grab a few corn hole boards. Create randoms teams and ask each to decide on a fun, spirited team name. Give-away a silly, boast-worthy prize for the winning team.

We’d love to hear how you spotlight your team! Whatever you decide, intentionally showing appreciation to each of your employees will lead to better relationships, increased engagement and unmatched satisfaction.