Employee recognition is crucial to a positive work environment and company morale. Companies with a recognition-rich culture have a 31% lower turnover rate, and a 14% increase in employee engagement, productivity, and customer service. Amazingly, even something as simple as saying “Thank You” has a significant impact on the bottom line.

We put our heads together and utilized our 35+ years of experience in the corporate event planning space to give you our favorite employee recognition ideas, both big and small.

Host an awards night

An awards night is a perfect way to say thank you on a grand scale to those who have gone above and beyond, from top performers to unsung heroes. Feel free to throw in some goofy awards too like “best socks” or “most enthusiastic” so everyone feels involved!

Plan a team outing in your backyard

Wine tasting, whale watching, cruising in your local harbor, cooking, or playing tourist for a day are all easy to organize and extremely fun. Take advantage of your location and see what sort of events your local businesses have to offer.

Organize a team-building day

Contrary to popular belief, team building can be extremely fun. It provides an ideal environment for teams, or different departments, to work together in

ways they don’t normally have a chance to do so. Imagine how excited your crew will be to spend a day on the water while participating in engaging and fun-filled activities while surrounded by amazing views. They will appreciate the thoughtfulness that went into planning such a unique event and the casual environment will invite everyone to speak comfortably in a relaxed setting. Throw in delicious food and refreshing cocktails and it’s a win for everyone. This will likely build camaraderie and engage everyone while boosting productivity when you return to the office. Team building on the water will engage even the most reluctant participants. City Cruises will work with you from conception to completion to make it event that is truly your own. Click here to plan your successful team-building event on the water today.

Invest in an employee recognition software

Tools like TinyPulse allow team members to recognize their teammates on a day to day basis. Sometimes the most impactful recognition is just a simple written “thank you” for a job that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.

Plan a company-wide event

Nothing boost morale like having a party that the entire company can enjoy. Keep your event entertaining by offering a mix of activities like raffles, poker games, face painting, dancing and caricature artists.

Host a “Week of Wins” meeting every Friday

“Week of Wins” meetings are a fun way to end cap a week on a positive note. You can cover major wins, minor accomplishments, learning experiences, anything really from that week which stood out. Serve breakfast for extra credit.

Celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, engagements and other life milestones

Individual birthdays, anniversaries, engagements or other major life milestone celebrations show how much a company cares about their employees on a personal level.

Host a launch party

Creating a new product, implementing a new software, or designing a new website are all labor-intensive projects that involve multiple departments and countless hours of overtime. Host a launch party at the end of these big endeavors to show appreciation for the hours of hard work and dedication each individual put into bringing the project to fruition.
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Boost your company morale and host your next event with City Cruises! With 35+ years in the event planning industry, we know a thing or two about how to create an unforgettable, epic experience. Check us out in San Francisco, Berkeley, Marina del Rey, Newport Beach, Long Beach, San Diego and New York!

Original Post Date: March 4, 2019