{"id":14074,"date":"2024-02-29T20:00:32","date_gmt":"2024-02-29T20:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=14074"},"modified":"2025-05-07T14:54:26","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T13:54:26","slug":"employee-appreciation-day-year-round-recognition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/employee-appreciation-day-year-round-recognition\/","title":{"rendered":"Employee Appreciation Day: How to build a culture of year-round recognition"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/category\/people-leadership\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">People &amp; Leadership<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tEmployee Appreciation Day: How to build a culture of year-round recognition\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2024-02-29T20:00:32+00:00\">29 February, 2024<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"Employee Appreciation Day: How to build a culture of year-round recognition\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/employee-appreciation-day-year-round-recognition\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/author\/charlottepenny\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/03\/charlotte-penny.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"Headshot of Charlotte Penny, looking directly at the camera\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Charlotte Penny<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">How do you show your employees you appreciate them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Every year, the first Friday in March marks Employee Appreciation Day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Obviously, appreciating your employees on only one day of the year is not something we advocate \u2013 you should be valuing and recognising your people all year round \u2013 but the day is a good opportunity to take stock and look at what your company is doing to appreciate its staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Here\u2019s what we cover in this article:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#could\">Could you be doing better?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#why\">Why does recognition matter?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#what\">What kind of appreciation do employees actually want?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#it\">Why it should be Employee Appreciation Day every day<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"button button--primary gate-9b785e67-28a4-4d3f-bd26-898968a630a5\"\n\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\tdata-button-location=\"content_area\"\n\t\thref=\"#gate-9b785e67-28a4-4d3f-bd26-898968a630a5\"\n\t>Download your free copy of The changing face of HR in 2024 and discover what\u2019s keeping HR leaders up at night<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"could\">Could you be doing better?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Employee recognition can mean the difference in an employee staying or leaving a company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">In fact, employees who are recognised for their jobs are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zippia.com\/advice\/employee-recognition-statistics\/\">six more times likely<\/a> to stay than those who aren\u2019t recognised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">And <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zippia.com\/advice\/employee-recognition-statistics\/\">yet 29% of employees<\/a> haven\u2019t received recognition for good work in more than a year, according to recent research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why\">Why does recognition matter?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Recognising employees helps drive engagement and boosts morale, which in turn increases productivity. That\u2019s vital when productivity levels have been low for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Appreciation is also a fundamental human need. It falls under the fourth level of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplypsychology.org\/maslow.html\">Maslow\u2019s hierarchy of needs<\/a> \u2013 self-esteem. It\u2019s a degree of self-respect and respect from others which includes recognition, attention and appreciation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">With engagement levels reportedly at an all-time low, building a culture of appreciation in your company is not only the right thing to do but also a smart business move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what\">What kind of appreciation do employees actually want?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">According to <a href=\"http:\/\/news.gallup.com\/businessjournal\/193238\/employee-recognition-low-cost-high-impact.aspx\">Gallup<\/a>, the most effective recognition is honest, authentic&nbsp;and&nbsp;individualised to how each employee wants to be recognised.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The key is to know&nbsp;what makes it meaningful and memorable for the employee, and&nbsp;who is doing the recognising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Some ways you can recognise employees are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Public recognition or acknowledgment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Private recognition from a manager, peer or customer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Receiving or obtaining a high level of achievement through performance reviews<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Promotion or increase in scope of work or responsibility to show trust<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Monetary reward.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">So, who\u2019s going the extra mile and showing employees recognition all year-round? And how are they doing it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Here\u2019s an example of employee appreciation at its best to help fuel some ideas of your own&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"button button--primary gate-9b785e67-28a4-4d3f-bd26-898968a630a5\"\n\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\tdata-button-location=\"content_area\"\n\t\thref=\"#gate-9b785e67-28a4-4d3f-bd26-898968a630a5\"\n\t>Download your free copy of The changing face of HR in 2024 and discover what\u2019s keeping HR leaders up at night<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Salesforce relies on tech for successful employee recognition<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Customer relationship management company <a href=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/uk\/\">Salesforce<\/a> shows us that when it comes to employee recognition, sometimes the simplest ways are the best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Salesforce use communications tool <a href=\"https:\/\/slack.com\/intl\/en-gb\/help\/articles\/4417526920723-Recognise-coworkers-for-a-job-well-done\">Slack for peer-to-peer recognition<\/a>. It uses it to share when a colleague has done a good job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">It has badges for certain types of recognition that are displayed on peoples\u2019 profiles on Slack and custom badges are also made for colleagues who have made a big difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">This is something that everyone can get involved in, no matter where they work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greatplacetowork.com\/certified-company\/1000226\">90% of Salesforce employees say they love where they work<\/a>, so it might be simple but it\u2019s effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"it\">Why it should be Employee Appreciation Day every day<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Employee appreciation shouldn\u2019t be just a day. Empowering your people needs to be constant to drive great experiences throughout the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">However, Employee Appreciation Day can still be embraced as a way to shout about how your people can appreciate one another all year round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">You could share the latest benefits that have gone live that recognise your people for the job they do, or task your employees to share at least one piece of positive feedback to another colleague to start embedding a culture of recognition throughout the workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/sage-business-cloud\/people\/resources\/research-analyst-reports\/the-changing-face-of-hr-research-report\/\">83% of HR leaders told us in our recent research<\/a> that employee experiences will be an even bigger focus for them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">So if employee experiences is a top focus for you also, then employee appreciation throughout the year needs to play a vital role in that, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><em>Editor&#8217;s note: This article was first published in February 2022 and has been updated for relevance.<\/em><\/p>\n \n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">The changing face of HR in 2024<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">From process to people, take a peek at the paradoxes facing HR leaders today by downloading this research report.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-9b785e67-28a4-4d3f-bd26-898968a630a5\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download the report<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"647\" height=\"647\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/11\/changing-face-of-HR-cover.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"HR jigsaw\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/11\/changing-face-of-HR-cover.jpg 647w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Join more than 500,000 UK readers and get the best business admin strategies and tactics, as well as actionable advice to help your company thrive, in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-b1a63862-3fa0-4a5e-bb67-c76b88bbc6b8\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Employee appreciation shouldn\u2019t just be one day a year. See how you can drive employee recognition all year round.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1660,"featured_media":11452,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[45,240,159],"business_type":[3],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[69,71],"imagine_tag":[163,92,217,96,218],"coauthors":[406],"class_list":["post-14074","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people-leadership","tag-employee-engagement","tag-hr-processes-medium-businesses","tag-midsized-business","business_type-medium-sized-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-gb","author_name":"Charlotte Penny","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1271694534.jpg","imagine_tags":{"163":"Employee benefits","92":"HR and Payroll","217":"HR processes","96":"Medium businesses","218":"Top HR resources"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice UK","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14074","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1660"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14074"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14074\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/11452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14074"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14074"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14074"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=14074"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=14074"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=14074"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=14074"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=14074"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=14074"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=14074"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}