Ever wondered how small gestures can make a big impact in celebrating employee milestones? In this article, insights from a CEO and a general counsel reveal effective ways to acknowledge and appreciate employees. The first expert suggests rewarding with the brand’s own goods, while the final insight highlights the value of offering days off. Discover these tips and nine more, totaling eight surprising and effective gestures.
- Reward with the Brand’s Own Goods
- Encourage Positive Thoughts From Colleagues
- Organize Personalized Milestone Dinners
- Give Handwritten Notes of Appreciation
- Introduce Virtual Applause
- Recognize Achievements in Team Meetings
- Send Personal Video Messages
- Give Tailored Gifts Reflecting Interests
- Offer a “Day Off on Us”
Reward with the Brand’s Own Goods
The best way to celebrate an employee milestone, no matter how small, is to support brand loyalty by recognizing their efforts with a gift within the business.
Particularly for retailers or customer-facing companies that sell products and services to consumers, allowing your workers to be rewarded with your brand’s own goods helps to build a stronger rapport with the company and can be largely cost-effective for the business itself.
Intelligent POS services can also work alongside integrations that can create personal reward cards, which can be distributed to employees as a reward for reaching a work anniversary, completing a major project, or winning employee of the month, for instance. Adding a personal touch with an amount that can be tailored to the scale of the milestone is an ideal and flexible way to acknowledge the achievements of your staff and inspire more to achieve their targets.
Dmytro Spilka
CEO and Founder, Solvid
Encourage Positive Thoughts From Colleagues
While it might be tempting to hand out a bottle of champagne or a gift card, we found that the most meaningful recognition is much simpler. People genuinely appreciate knowing they’re doing a great job and that they’re valued.
Although they may hear this from managers, we encourage colleagues from across the business to share positive memories or small notes of appreciation from their time working with the employee. These notes often come from teammates, but occasionally, a message comes out of left field—from someone the employee had no idea they’d impacted.
These surprise acknowledgments are gold, boosting confidence and underscoring the employee’s positive influence. They also play a pivotal role in fostering a supportive and positive work environment.
Elyas Coutts
CEO, Connect Vending
Organize Personalized Milestone Dinners
One small gesture that has proven impressively effective in celebrating employee milestones, in my experience, is the unique practice of “Milestone Dinners.” This personalized gesture entails organizing intimate dinner meetings where an employee’s achievements are recognized and celebrated. For instance, upon successfully completing a high-stakes company project, our team organized a Milestone Dinner for the project lead.
It resulted in fostering a stronger bond between her and the rest of the team, leading to improved collaboration in subsequent projects. I have discovered that this small yet thoughtful gesture is not only a great way to acknowledge and appreciate employee effort, but it also works as a powerful team-building activity that boosts morale and camaraderie among team members. Thus, through such simple actions, businesses can create a rewarding culture that values deserving employees.
Jonathan Feniak
General Counsel, LLC Attorney
Give Handwritten Notes of Appreciation
One such small yet noble effort we practiced at Alpas to celebrate employee milestones is giving handwritten notes. Be it the anniversary of a deal, a big project completion, or your achievement, a personal message acknowledging someone’s contributions could be a very potent moment.
For instance, I wrote a note on one of my team member’s third anniversary, detailing the ways in which her work had contributed to helping further our mission. Her response was heartwarming—she explained how it made her feel really appreciated and that she felt recognized in all of her work, which helped solidify her commitment to our team.
These small, thoughtful gestures help to create loyalty and morale, as well as a company culture where employees feel valued for their individual contributions.
Sean Smith
CEO & Ex Head of HR, Alpas Wellness
Introduce Virtual Applause
In the era of remote work and online education, celebrating employee milestones required a shift in approach. At OPIT, I introduced “Virtual Applause,” an online acknowledgment of our staff’s achievements during our weekly meetings. It might be a small gesture, but its impact is significant, generating a surge of positivity and unity.
For instance, when a member of my team successfully overhauled a challenging module, we celebrated this achievement with a virtual applause during the meeting. This small act of recognition galvanized the team, reinforced our culture of mutual appreciation, and underlined our commitment to shared success. It serves as a reminder that no success, however small, goes unnoticed, creating a motivating and positive work environment, even in a remote setting.
Rosario Maccarrone
Director & Head of Student Services, OPIT
Recognize Achievements in Team Meetings
One small gesture that’s made a big impact in celebrating employee milestones is personally recognizing their achievements during a team meeting. Rather than just a quick mention, I take a moment to highlight the specific skills or dedication that led to their milestone, like exceptional customer service or handling a challenging project safely and effectively.
After working in this industry for over two decades, I know how critical it is to acknowledge the unique contributions that each team member brings, especially in a field as hands-on and skill-based as tree care. Being a TRAQ-certified arborist, I can recognize the technical nuances of their hard work, which shows the team I truly understand and appreciate what they’ve achieved.
One recent example is when one of our climbers reached his 5-year anniversary. I shared stories about his work on some of our most complex jobs and pointed out the skill it took to do that safely and successfully, reinforcing the expertise he’s developed. The effect was immediate: the team felt inspired, and he felt valued. In a job as demanding as this, where trust in each other’s expertise is essential, taking the time to recognize these contributions helps everyone feel more connected and committed.
Amaury Ponce
Business Owner, Ponce Tree Services
Send Personal Video Messages
Personal video messages recognizing specific achievements resonate deeply with our team. Through managing nationwide events, we’ve found that leadership acknowledgement of individual contributions to successful luxury activations builds lasting engagement. This approach, refined through thousands of events, strengthens our culture while maintaining operational excellence.
Daniel Meursing
Founder/CEO/CFO, Premier Staff
Give Tailored Gifts Reflecting Interests
One small gesture that’s been surprisingly effective in celebrating employee milestones at our small business is giving a personalized gift that reflects the employee’s interests. For example, when a team member reached their one-year anniversary, we gifted them a book from their favorite genre, along with a handwritten note thanking them for their contributions.
This small gesture showed that we really pay attention to their interests and value their time with us. It made a big difference—our team member felt appreciated and acknowledged in a way that went beyond just a generic congrats.
Kristin Marquet
Founder & Creative Director, Marquet Media
Offer a “Day Off on Us”
I’ve started giving team members a “day off on us” as a way to celebrate significant milestones, allowing them to relax, recharge, or spend quality time with family. It’s a small gesture, but it speaks volumes about our commitment to their well-being and appreciation of their hard work. This time away lets them return refreshed and ready to take on the next challenge.
After granting a “day off on us” to an attorney who had poured extra hours into a case, I noticed a marked improvement in their energy and focus upon returning. This small gesture of appreciation allowed them to decompress, giving them the mental clarity needed to tackle future cases with renewed vigor. It underscored the importance of balance, which in turn boosted the team’s overall productivity.
Jason B. Javaheri
Co-Founder & Co-CEO, J&Y Law