How to make every day Employee Appreciation Day

Each year, Employee Appreciation Day falls on the first Friday of March. Does your company celebrate? If so, you’re on the right track. Organizations that express and encourage appreciation for their people have more authentic connections and a strong sense of community. However, companies must expand their employee recognition and engagement strategies beyond a single day—celebrating their employees throughout the year to accelerate workplace engagement and retention.

In this article, we explore how high-performing organizations are extending the benefits of Employee Appreciation Day through ongoing employee recognition, rewards and advocacy—and how your company can, too.

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The impact of recognition on employee engagement & purpose

Today, 85% of employees are not engaged at work,¹ and 63% of employees would rather work for a company that expresses gratitude for their work instead of a company that pays 10% more but without regular praise.²

To ignite workplace engagement, it starts with recognition. When employers cultivate a workplace culture centered on gratitude, it fosters a more inclusive environment that gives employees a heightened sense of value and purpose. Recognition inspires a sense of camaraderie and teamwork at every organizational level, inspiring employees to consistently deliver their best work.

Studies show there’s a 69% engagement rate in recognition-focused organizations.³

Recognition even plays an important role in employee retention. Large companies with a culture of recognition save $16.1 million in annual turnover costs.⁴ Employees who are recognized consistently as opposed to just on Employee Appreciation Day are likely to experience higher job satisfaction, contributing to overall well-being, powering motivation and strengthening team dynamics for the company's overall success.‍

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The power of employee incentives in elevating workplace experiences

Keeping employees engaged and feeling appreciated is key to fostering an authentic workplace culture of gratitude. Recognizing contributions is one step towards engagement and retention—rewarding them is another.

Revolutionize the employee incentive experience by extending Employee Appreciation Day year-long and allowing employees to choose their own rewards. Utilize platform technologies that offer team members the opportunity to earn points through gamified experiences and point-based value recognitions from peers. Organizations that leverage platform technologies to implement peer-to-peer recognition and rewards accelerate productivity, profitability and advocacy across their company.

There’s a 29% average increase in profit when employees feel valued.⁵

With earned points, employees are empowered to redeem relevant experiences that matter to them. Offer endless options like travel, live events, experiences, digital assets, merchandise and charitable donations—delivering economic benefits, emotional enrichment, experiential opportunities and a feeling of exclusivity.  

Take it a notch further and leverage rewards with the power of gifting on Employee Appreciation Day. Show your employees how they matter by providing custom gifts that are intentional while demonstrating your brand’s commitment to corporate social responsibility, bridging company and employee values.

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Transform employee enthusiasts into passionate brand advocates

Showing value and appreciation to your employees every day serves as a foundation to inspire authentic employee advocacy. By recognizing and rewarding your people beyond Employee Appreciation Day and fostering a culture of gratitude, you are positioned to transform your brand enthusiasts into influential advocates.  

What does this mean? Employee advocates leverage their voice to generate compelling content on your behalf—amplifying celebrations such as Employee Appreciation Day, activating brand awareness, catalyzing talent acquisition and strengthening your community.

Maximize the enthusiasm of your engaged employees by providing the simple, intuitive tools they need to advocate for your company across leading social platforms. Ignite a culture of authentic workplace appreciation in ways that are authentic, relevant at a hyper-local level—and brand-safe thanks to AI-powered safeguards.

Explore how Augeo can help elevate your workplace culture with an Employee Appreciation Day strategy that extends throughout the year.

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¹ Gallup | State of the Global Workplace: 2023 Report

² Reward Gateway | Organizations risk losing employees by failing to provide recognition at work

³ Harvard Business Review | Do you tell your employees you appreciate them?

⁴ Gallup | From Praise to Profits: The Business Case for Recognition at Work

⁵ TeamStage | Teamwork Statistics: Importance of Collaboration in 2023