How to Thank Your Team: 14 Examples

How does your company thank your team? 

 To help you thank your teams for their hard work, we asked business owners and experienced managers this question for their best tips. From sending handwritten thank you cards to sourcing gifts from local businesses, there are several recommendations that may help you show gratitude towards your employees in the future. 

 Here are fourteen ways to thank your teams:

• Mail Handwritten Thank You Notes 
• Send Amazon E-Gift Cards 
•  Create Thank You Baskets 
•  Write Monthly Appreciation Letters 
•  Consider Reward Programs 
•  Give Free Subscriptions for Different Platforms 
•  Fund Their Education 
•  Recognize Teams Demonstrating Company Values 
•  Host Virtual Parties 
•  Give a Chance for a Nice Rest 
•  Do Monthly “Shout Outs” 
•  Provide Unlimited Holidays & Training 
•  Base Rewards on Individual Interests 
•  Source Gifts from Local Businesses

Mail Handwritten Thank You Notes

There's no more enduring, personal way to say, "I appreciate you" than a handwritten thank you note sent through the mail.   The handwritten word conveys emotion more effectively than other methods because it's a piece of you — a direct expression from your heart. There's an authenticity that's only available  when you put pen to paper. We find it's best to  be specific about what you're thankful for.  This demonstrates that you've given the matter thought, instead of simply wishing a generic "thank you." And remember, with Simply Noted, you can automate all of your handwritten communications as easily as an email.

Rick Elmore, Simply Noted

Send Amazon E-Gift Cards

One way our fully remote company thanks team members is by sending digital Amazon gift cards. We send cards for occasions like birthdays, holidays, work anniversaries, and to recognize random wins like making a great suggestion in a meeting or completing a project. We make sure to write a personal message on each e-gift card to give the gesture a sense of purpose and show the employee that we value that specific occasion. 

 Tasia Duske, Museum Hack

Create Thank You Baskets

One of the best ways to show appreciation is with a thank you basket. Snack baskets are a great way that make people feel appreciated and are useful so this is a great way to show people that you care about them! 

 Loren Howard, Prime Plus Mortgages: Real Estate Note Investing

Write Monthly Appreciation Letters

We make sure to reward our hardworking team as much as possible. To us, that means prioritizing their career growth and showing them constant appreciation to inspire and motivate them forward. That's why we write monthly employee appreciation letters, which highlight something important the employee contributed that month and how it impacts the business' growth overall. We want to make sure our entire company knows that their contributions matter. 

 Lisa Odenweller, Kroma Wellness

Consider Reward Programs

It is a critical aspect of our culture to honor and celebrate the hard work, innovation, and teamwork that our workers demonstrate and drive every day. Our firm would not exist without our teams, and we seek to express gratitude and nurture employee well-being on both a professional and personal level in a variety of ways. On a daily basis, we have a mechanism in place for sharing victories across the worldwide organization and allowing anyone within the firm to give 'Kudos' or shout-outs to any employee who deserves to be recognized for their work. Many of our leaders take the time to call or write a personal email to congratulate their staff for the excellent work they perform. 

 Gerrid Smith, Joy Organics

Give Free Subscriptions for Different Platforms

In our company, each employee gets free subscriptions to multiple platforms of their choosing. Not only can this practice help them relax but also give them a medium to learn more about a topic they are passionate about. The platforms range from video-streaming services to book repositories, so there's something for everyone. 

 Salman Aslam, Omnicore

Fund Their Education

Show your gratitude to your team through paying for their continuing education. It’s true that growth and job satisfaction are directly linked, so providing them the means to hone their skills and knowledge will benefit both them as growing employees and you as their leader/manager. Even just giving your employees a stipend for an online service such as Skillshare will have a positive influence on employee experience overall as you’re helping them develop their passions and hobbies in their personal lives. 

 Joe Spector, Dutch

Recognize Teams Demonstrating Company Values

Call out the specific company values that were demonstrated when recognizing a team. This helps to integrate the values into the company culture. Too many organizations focus on the "achievement" when recognizing a team and not the values that they demonstrated to get there. Why not recognize a team for failing that also demonstrated the company values? Teams that take calculated risks and "fail-fast" should be recognized. 

 Scott Baker, Stage 3 Leadership

Host Virtual Parties

Virtual parties are one way our company thanks employees. We hold Zoom parties for occasions like major holidays, birthdays, work anniversaries, and farewells. These gatherings help to build camaraderie among a remote workforce and show appreciation for the team. Beyond preparing fun games and staff acknowledgements for party entertainment, we also allow staff to expense food and drinks and sometimes send care packages and small gifts. 

 Carly Hill, Virtual Holiday Party

Give a Chance for a Nice Rest

Any entrepreneur should be focused on how to not only find the right talent, but how to keep them committed. The best way to do this is through recognition and appreciation. To do so, find the best way to say “Thank you!”. My practice showed me the best way to reward employees and show gratitude is to give a chance for a nice rest. For example, when a project is done, give the number of employees who were enrolled an extra paid day off they can use whenever they want. This way, your team feels appreciated and also motivated to keep going. 

 Andreyana Kulina, Brosix

Do Monthly “Shout Outs”

As a company, we make sure to recognize our team members and thank them for their hard work. We do monthly 'Shout Outs' when we ask each team member to write about their nominated colleague and share what they think their colleague did really well that month. Which helps with team building. We make sure we carry out activities as a team, at least once a quarter. From renting a cottage overnight stay for a Christmas party, to a team day out to celebrate the agency's birthday. And we send little gifts to our team members regularly, again, to thank them for all their hard work. 

 Hana Bednarova, Shout Bravo

Provide Unlimited Holidays & Training

One of the best ways I've found to reward my team is to provide them with unlimited holidays, which has been incredible for creating a fair and open work environment. It's something that we introduced as a way to thank the team, and as a means of retaining such a good team by showing the level of trust we have in them. 

 James Taylor, James Taylor SEO

Base Rewards on Individual Interests

Our company always focuses on keeping the employee happy because a happy team will give their best in their work. One of the common traditions is to give rewards based on individual interests. This will not only make every team member feel appreciated, but they can enjoy the gift the company sends. That's why team members are allowed to make a wish gift if a project is successful. 

 Natasha Rei, Explainerd

Source Gifts From Local Businesses

I manage a small team in my search marketing department but I understand the need to show my team members gratitude and give credit when it's due. Whenever one of our team members goes above and beyond we like to thank them in a meaningful way. I do this by searching out local small businesses that provide hand-made gifts & ask them to send a gift directly to our team members. I always love seeing a smile on their faces when they come into the office or we jump on a call. It's worth every penny! 

 Ross Kernez, Health Plan One 

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