With National Employee Appreciation Day coming up Friday, March 1, Simone Waldon, manager of the Staff Success Center, shares the following ideas for showing your employees they are appreciated.

• Send a note of gratitude. Last year, the Staff Success Center launched a new staff recognition program, Miner Mentions. This program was created to help build a culture of appreciation by providing a mechanism for staff to be recognized and celebrated informally and day-to-day. Use this form to send a thank you note to your employees. You can even go one step further and present them a handwritten note of appreciation for their accomplishments.
• Host an office team building event. This can be as simple as playing games on a Zoom or Teams meeting, such as Employee Jeopardy, to as extravagant as visiting an escape room or hosting an office scavenger hunt. When employees have the chance to get to know each other better and bond as a team, productivity and moral can be boosted.
• Provide a team lunch. If you cater lunch, be sure you are aware of any dietary restrictions your team members may have. If you choose to have an office potluck, think about creating a sign-up sheet so that there will be a variety of dishes. The time spent eating and bonding together can help your employees to feel appreciated.
• Gift some S&T Gear. Visit The S&T Store, and grab some Miner swag. You can show appreciation for your employees while also helping to increase the sense of community and Miner pride.
• Provide an opportunity for professional development. Maybe there is a conference coming up that you think would be beneficial for your employees to attend. Or, perhaps, there is a training occurring on campus that you think your employees would enjoy. Encourage them to sign up and to attend. Employees can find appreciation from their managers empowering them along their career journey. You can find professional development opportunities, resources and ongoing events on the Staff Success Center webpage.
• Encourage and support volunteering opportunities on campus. There are several departments on campus looking for volunteers to assist with student, staff and faculty programming! Encourage your employee to offer their assistance with these activities as time permits—studies have shown that volunteering can not only positively impact physical and mental health, but that employees who are able to volunteer tend to take more pride in their organization which can result in increased productivity and improved retention. 
• Current volunteering opportunities: Learn about becoming a commencement ambassadors or Staff Council volunteers, and encourage your team members to do so.
• Stock the break room. If you have a dedicated break room or common room that your employees have access to, consider bringing in some treats as a thank you. Coffee, tea or snacks are a quick and easy way to show your employees you are thinking of them. This small act of gratitude can go a long way for morale.
• Promote a casual Friday dress code. If your office dynamic allows, encourage your employees to ditch their button-ups and slacks and participate in a casual Friday on Employee Appreciation Day. Allow jeans, tennis shoes and casual S&T apparel, such as T-shirts or St. Pat’s Sweatshirts. Being able to relax among colleagues can help lower stress and allow for personal expression.
• Share their achievements. Public office bulletin boards are a simple, easy, cost-effective way to show off everyone’s achievements in a central location. Grab some sticky notes and be specific with each of your praises of your employees. Then, encourage the rest of your office to pin up their notes of encouragement, appreciation and recognition for their colleagues. By the end of the week, you should have a colorful bulletin board recognizing all of your employees’ efforts.

“These are just a few ways to show your employees they are valued,” Waldon says. “Feel free to make any of these suggestions your own — appreciation is not one size fits all. If you bring any of these ideas to life next week, please share your photos with the Staff Success Center so that we can continue to encourage everyday appreciation.”

You can also check out this short clip on showing appreciation in the workplace: Can You Ever Show Too Much Appreciation? through the Percipio platform for some additional insight.