The holiday season is rapidly approaching, which means another opportunity to reflect on the past year, find gratitude, and look for ways to give thanks. As a leader in your organization, one of the easiest places to find reasons for that gratitude is in your workforce. And what better way to do that than a holiday thank you to employees.
Showing your appreciation for your employees isn’t just a kind and reasonable thing to do. It can have a direct impact on retention rates and productivity. In fact, 83% of employees feel that recognition affects their motivation to succeed at work, and 82% of workers are happier when they’re recognized at work.
To ensure that your workforce gets its due this year, let’s take a look at some of the simplest yet most meaningful ways to thank your employees this holiday season.
Going Beyond the Mass “Thank You!” Card
Your employees dedicate a lot of their lives to furthering your organization’s goals every year for a simple greeting card to suffice when the holiday season rolls around. They deserve more, and when they get what they deserve, it can pay incredible dividends for your company.
Showing appreciation for the sacrifices your workforce makes each year is inevitably going to improve employee engagement. According to NectarHR, 78% of employees would be more productive if they were recognized more frequently. In other words, to improve productivity within your organization, you need to find a meaningful way to express your appreciation for your workforce. But how exactly do you do that?
How to Write a Holiday Appreciation Message to Employees
The days of mass holiday cards for employees are behind us. Employees are people, and they want to be appreciated for the unique skills and traits they bring to the table in your organization. Here are some tips to write your personalized holiday thank you note to employees:
- Highlight their impact: Use the employee’s name and mention specific contributions or achievements that they’ve made this year. Try to be as specific as possible, emphasizing the importance of their role in the overall dynamic of the team.
- Be timely: Prepare and send the thank you notes during the holidays or soon after the holiday season while the sentiment is still fresh. If they’re sent out late, it seems les genuine.
- Handwrite if possible: A handwritten note adds a personal touch that’s often appreciated and shows employees that you thoughtfully crafted each card.
- Keep it concise: Aim for 3-5 sentences to maintain impact without overwhelming the reader.
- Express genuine gratitude: Be sincere in your appreciation for their work and dedication. People can tell when a card is a mass send or a personalized message that conveys sincere gratitude.
- Look forward: Include a brief, positive statement about the coming year for that specific employee and the company as a whole.
- Proofread carefully: Ensure there are no spelling or grammatical errors to avoid employees thinking you rushed the card.
- Acknowledge personal sacrifices: If applicable, recognize any extra hours or special efforts during busy periods. The holidays are the best time to thank employees for their commitment to your company.
5 Meaningful Activities as a Holiday Thank You to Employees
Let’s look at some of the simplest ways to express your gratitude to your employees this holiday season and inspire them to become more engaged with their work in the year to come.
1. Monetary Recognition
Perhaps the simplest and most direct way to give thanks to your workforce during the holiday season is by giving them some extra money. They come to work to make a living in order to provide for their families. So, why not make that difficult task a little bit easier for them?
Monetary gifts to consider include:
- Year-end bonuses
- Profit shares
- Gift cards
- Cash
The holiday season may be the time of giving, but it’s also a time when financial hardships are the most glaring for many Americans. Some extra cash at the end of the year can make a tremendous difference in the lives of your employees than you may know.
2. Offer Awesome Holiday Perks
There are plenty of other perks you can offer your employees during the holiday season. A great holiday party, for instance, can be a ton of fun, and it can bring your organization a lot closer together.
You may also consider getting them a thoughtful gift. Maybe you feel like cash is a little impersonal for giving thanks during the holidays. Without a doubt, your employees will appreciate that monetary recognition, but they may appreciate something personalized even more.
Today’s workforce also enjoys flexibility in the workplace, and there is no better time of year for a bit of flexibility than the holiday season.
Whether it’s leaving early, coming in late, taking an extra day off, or taking a break from a regular workday for some holiday fun, your employees will appreciate you playing a bit fast and loose with the normal company schedule around this time of year.
3. Make a Charitable Donation in Their Name
Giving money to your employees is certainly a meaningful way to express your gratitude, but it may be even more meaningful to them if you give a charitable donation in their name to an organization of their choice.
Suppose that you were to speak personally to your employees about what kind of charities are meaningful to them. In doing so, you’re likely to learn a lot more about them than you already knew. If you were to donate to those charities in their name, you can build a stronger connection with them.
You could even hold a charitable holiday event for your team. Events like these can help build relationships between team members and improve employee engagement, and they’re always a lot of fun, especially during the holiday season.
4. Unique Holiday Team Bonding Events
Add team bonding to your organizational improvement checklist this holiday season by trying out special seasonal events.
Virtual Holiday Happy Hour
Allow your workforce to let loose, connect with coworkers, and learn a thing or two about making a mean mixed drink with a Holiday Happy Hour & Mixology event.
Gingerbread House Building
Try a unique twist on a traditional holiday activity with Gingerbread House Hunters. Employees break into teams and attempt to build the most fantastic gingerbread house of them all.
Ultimate Holiday Party
The Ultimate Holiday Party is full of laughs and fantastic holiday memories. Experience 30 minute rounds of creative, engaging, and challenging team building activities. Your team will complete a series of holiday work games and challenges carefully designed to encourage team interaction and celebration.
5. Offer Interesting Learning Opportunities
Money and physical gifts have their intrinsic value, but some of your employees might prioritize a learning experience above either of them.
Allowing staff the opportunity to take a course of their choosing to expand their knowledge and skills may be the perfect way to let them know that their contributions to your organization are appreciated. They’ll find learning much more fun when they see the company is paying its way.
Give A Warm Holiday Thank You to Employees In 2024
There are countless ways to give thanks to your employees this year, from cash, to thoughtful gifts, to holiday team building activities.
When trying to figure out how best to show your appreciation, it’s always a good idea to think about the individuals themselves. What would be meaningful to them specifically? If you can answer that question, then you’ll know exactly how to give your employees the credit they deserve this holiday season.
Happy gifting!
