Employee appreciation before appraisals

The last week of the Financial Year is an exciting time for the entire workforce. It is the employee appraisal season. And the right opportunity for an organisation to thank and reward employees for all their efforts.  Considering the rocky start to the year, we need it now more than ever. Before we head towards the most awaited discussion of the year, here are a few ways organisations can do employee appreciation before their formal appraisals. 

If used wisely, vouchers will become a great tool to facilitate a culture of employee appreciation amongst team members. Managers can give vouchers to their teams for hitting important milestones. 

1. Just say thank you!

Obvious, isn't it? But it works. A lot of people go the extra mile, take that extra load when their member isn't available, put in more efforts to meet the timeline or are simply attentive enough to do their job without any errors. These acts might not seem groundbreaking, but they are quite significant in the overall employee rewards and recognition plan. And need to be appreciated. Even a simple thank you for the job well done can assure a person that their efforts are visible and acknowledged. It can be done easily using customised thank you cards.

2. Employee appreciation with personalised gifts 

Giving rewards to employees has been a tradition. But the gift you pick for them and the way you give also makes an impact. A simple thing that you can do to enhance the efficacy of a gift is personalising it. The person will know that it is made just for them. That gift becomes as unique as that person's contribution to your team. It will add a personal touch to your employee appreciation efforts. You can find simple ways using an exclusive gift built for your organisation.

3. Giving gift vouchers to power rewards and recognition

Gift vouchers might lack the personal touch of a gift, but they do come with a unique set of advantages - 

a. Can be redeemed later

b. An option to choose

c. Flexible and easy


If used wisely, vouchers will become a great tool to facilitate a culture of employee appreciation amongst team members. Managers can give vouchers to their teams for hitting important milestones. These gift vouchers can be facilitated easily with a corporate brandstore.

4. Team outings and events for employee connect

A well-planned team lunch or an outing will uplift the spirits of almost everyone. And a team that works together, has fun together, doesn't it? 

Besides giving a chance to unwind, the team outings give people a chance to know their team members. Such events not only facilitate employee recognition, but also helps organisations strengthen employee connect. 

5. Giving time off for better work-life balance

All work and no play is not good for anyone, let alone your employees. What could be a better reward than giving your employees some time to relax? Employees would be able to have a better work-life balance. It will give them a chance to rejuvenate and return to work with renewed excitement and zeal, ready to take on the next challenge. 

Mentioned above are the five most tried and tested methods used by HR teams across organisations for better employee engagement and R&R. What kind of measures have worked for you? Share your thoughts in the comments.