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The importance of recognizing employees’ effort
3 tips for giving impactful recognition
Appreciation for good work messages: 9 types with examples
Celebrate excellent performance with employee appreciation messages
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Jump to section
The importance of recognizing employees’ effort
3 tips for giving impactful recognition
Appreciation for good work messages: 9 types with examples
Celebrate excellent performance with employee appreciation messages
Imagine completing a project and feeling proud of your hard work.
You rallied the entire team to go the extra mile, reached big milestones, and surpassed your boss’s expectations. When someone sends you a message of appreciation, you feel even better about what you’ve accomplished — motivating you to go even further next time.
Regardless of your work history, you probably know the difference between a workplace that gives employees recognition and one that doesn’t. Words of appreciation make it easier to get through difficult days and measure your progress and success.
When you work tirelessly toward a goal and don’t receive recognition, it’s hard to feel a sense of belonging or know whether you’re succeeding in your role.
Although you can’t influence how others express gratitude toward you, you can change how you treat others. Giving appreciation for good work messages to your colleagues and managers is an excellent way to celebrate their effort and contribution to your team.
According to research from Deloitte, organizations that give their employees recognition see a 14% increase in productivity and performance. Offering appreciation and gratitude helps team members connect with the rest of the workplace, bringing a sense of community and a reason to engage.
And when team members don’t feel like leaders or coworkers appreciate them, they could be more likely to quit. Over 50% of employees between 18–34 view changing jobs as beneficial to their career, and without proper recognition from one workplace, they might feel like they’re better off switching jobs.
Whether you’re a manager, team lead, or colleague, showing appreciation encourages people to stay and continue growing.
Although outside factors like verbal validation, positive messages, and bonuses are great motivators, they sometimes aren’t enough to retain top talent. According to researcher Rajesh Singh, intrinsic motivation plays a more significant role in motivating employees than extrinsic factors.
Intrinsic motivation comes from team members’ own self-confidence and drive rather than external validation. And although appreciation messages don’t fall under that umbrella, they can help people understand their value and build a foundation of self-respect.
These are all positive reasons for sending an appreciation message, but you can also do so to make someone feel good without the promise of anything in return. By showing gratitude, you lend a helping hand in shaping a positive company culture where employees feel happy to come to work each day. And sometimes, that’s enough.
Knowing what makes an appreciation message meaningful makes it easier to craft one. Here are three tips for using your writing skills to create a thoughtful recognition message:
Like writing a holiday message or goodbye email, it’s not easy to put your thoughts and feelings into words in a sentence or two. Even if the recipient is a work friend or close colleague, it can be challenging to know how to praise someone professionally.
Looking at examples can help you beat writer’s block and find the right words. If you’ve noticed a team member’s great work and want to show gratitude, use these appreciation messages for inspiration:
Regardless of your position, having a top performer on your team makes a huge difference. They’re filled with brilliant ideas, excel in their work, and motivate the rest of the group. Use these prompts to show your top performers the recognition they deserve:
A company’s success lies in the hands of individual and collective accomplishments. And when someone goes above and beyond to ensure their team reaches specific targets, acknowledging them inspires everyone to do the same. Here are some goal-specific appreciation messages:
Employees with positive attitudes and practical soft skills help boost morale and motivate the whole team. Use these prompts for inspiration when acknowledging an employee or coworker’s positive personality traits:
Teamwork isn’t always easy, so when employees go above and beyond to foster a positive collaborative environment, they deserve your congrats. Show your appreciation for a whole team or a single person with these thoughtful messages:
Strong work ethics aid team productivity and engagement. Use these employee recognition examples to celebrate productive, organized team members:
Employees with specialized training and unique skill sets are an asset to any team, especially when tricky roadblocks arise. Here are some words to say thank you and show appreciation for employees who are one of a kind:
Creative employees bring a fresh perspective to problem-solving strategies and help all types of innovation thrive. Try these two approaches when showing your appreciation for your team’s creative skills:
All employees count their work anniversaries, and so should you. Use these examples to congratulate employees accordingly:
Employee appreciation quotes are more straightforward than personalized messages. Say thank you to a whole group with teamwork appreciation quotes to encourage team building or celebrate an exemplary individual for their hard work.
Add these short quotes to the bottom of an email or send them as a Slack message to your team:
The best appreciation for good work messages are personal and come from the heart. Although these letters have numerous organizational benefits, such as enhancing employee engagement and retention, what truly makes them special is how they make others feel.
High-quality and loyal employees are hard to come by, so send appreciation messages for good work and positive feedback when you spot a job well done.
Connect with our Coaches to build stronger workplace relationships and cultivate a culture that drives success.
Connect with our Coaches to build stronger workplace relationships and cultivate a culture that drives success.
Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships.
With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.
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