The holidays are over, and we’ve embarked upon 2013. You likely threw an employee party or handed out gifts to recognize your employees’ year of hard work.

So now you can relax, knowing your employees feel appreciated, right?

Wrong—at least partially.

Your workforce did and does appreciate your holiday thank-you. But employee gift-giving isn’t a one-time thing. Experts say recognizing workers regularly is an important part of improving and maintaining engagement, retention and morale.

You’re busy. All managers are. So here are some suggestions to make regular employee recognition easy:

• Come up with a “thank you theme” for the year. Brainstorm with other managers and develop messages that reinforce the behaviors you want employees to demonstrate. Maybe it’s “ultimate customer service,” or “done-right-the-first-time order processing.”
• Schedule regular recognition. Decide how often and on what occasions you’ll thank employees. Put reminders on your calendar so you don’t miss the dates.
• Identify the rewards you’ll give. Whether it’s a gift certificate for pizza or ice cream, extra time off, or a free lunch, make sure managers know what employee gifts they can give, and that the gifts are easy to find and award.
• Talk it over. Allow time for management to discuss positive employee behaviors they’ve observed so you can mention specifics in your thank-you announcements and letters.
• Let employees reward each other, too. Set aside certain small gifts that employees can give to peers who’ve helped them meet company goals—it reinforces your culture of appreciation and giving.

And remember to make your thank-yous personal, with a smile and a handshake or a signed note. Give recognition publicly when possible, so it motivates the whole team.

To get the ball rolling this year, how about a personal New Year letter to each employee, along with a small gift, such as a gThankYou! Pizza Gift Certificate – perfect for all those football games coming up!  Letters.org offers sample employee letters for many occasions:

[Date]

Dear staff members,

As the New Year begins, I want to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt greetings for the season and my appreciation for your accomplishments and achievements in 2012. Last year was a great year as far as achieving our targets are concerned. I thank one and all for your support and dedication and for the extra hours you worked to achieve goals and complete our projects.

We have many more projects lined up this year and I am sure, with your dedication and determination, we will again be able to complete them on time and with top quality. I look forward to a long and prosperous relationship with you and the entire team and I know we will achieve continued success together.

My best wishes to you and your family for a very Happy New Year.

Yours Sincerely,

[Your name]

A signed letter like this, plus a small gift, given to all employees at a gathering, makes for a highly motivated start to 2013.

And to you and yours from all of us at gThankYou!, a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

About gThankYou, LLC

Turkey Gift Certificates and Turkey Or Ham Gift Certificates by gThankYou! are two of America’s favorite employee gifts and can be redeemed for any Brand (Turkey or Turkey Or Ham), at virtually any Grocery Store in the U.S.

gThankYou, LLC provides company leaders with a variety of easy, meaningful and affordable ways to recognize and reward employees, holiday time or anytime.  gThankYou! Certificates of Gratitude and our free Enclosure Cards are personalizable including incorporating your company logo. And, nearly all orders ship same day.

gThankYou, LLC (www.gthankyou.com) is based in Madison, Wisconsin.  Contact:  Rick Kiley, Chief ThankYou! Officer, gThankYou, LLC at info@gthankyou.com or 888-484-1658.
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“G” logo and “Certificates of Gratitude” are trademarks and “gThankYou” is a registered trademark of gThankYou, LLC.