9 Thoughtful Ways to Thank Your Coworkers in 2023

As a manager or individual contributor, you know how important it is to recognize your coworkers for a job well done. When employees feel appreciated, they are more engaged, productive, and likely to go above and beyond. In fact, 69% of employees say they would work harder if they felt their efforts were better recognized (Hubspot).

But in today‘s busy workplace, a simple "thanks" doesn‘t always cut it. To really show your gratitude and make your colleagues feel valued, you need to get creative.

As an expert in employee engagement with over 15 years experience, I‘ve seen firsthand how meaningful appreciation can transform an organization‘s culture and performance. And often the most impactful recognition comes from peers, not just management.

So how can you thank a remarkable coworker in a unique, authentic way that shows how much you appreciate them? Here are 9 proven ideas I‘ve personally used and recommend:

1. Write a Heartfelt Thank-You Note

Never underestimate the power of a handwritten card or letter. In our digital world, taking the time to put pen to paper and express your gratitude is a rare and special gesture.

I make it a habit to write at least one thank-you note to a team member each week. I‘m specific about what I appreciated and how their efforts made a difference. The reactions are always pure joy and gratitude.

For example, if a coworker stayed late to help you meet a critical deadline, your message might say:

"Thank you so much for putting in the extra hours to get our presentation finished on time. I know you had to miss your evening workout class and I so appreciate you prioritizing this project. Your design skills and attention to detail took our pitch to the next level. I‘m excited to see what we can accomplish together!"

Pro tip: Include a small gift card or treat with your note for an extra special touch.

2. Give Kudos in a Team Meeting

We all know how good it feels to be recognized in front of our peers. So why not use a team meeting as an opportunity to publicly praise a coworker‘s win?

I like to start each weekly team meeting with a round of "kudos" where each person recognizes someone else for an achievement or positive contribution. It sets the tone for the meeting and week ahead.

You might say something like: "I want to give a huge shoutout to Saanvi for leading an incredibly productive brainstorm session yesterday. Her creative ideas and infectious energy got everyone engaged and thinking outside the box. I can‘t wait to see how the concepts evolve. Thank you for your leadership!"

Tip: Make your kudos specific, expressing what the person did, how it made a difference, and how you feel about it. The more details, the more meaningful it will be.

3. Take a Dreaded Task Off Their Plate

As Tom Rath said in his book Are You Fully Charged?, "The best way to fill your own bucket is to fill someone else‘s."

One simple but powerful way to show gratitude is to lighten your coworker‘s load, especially when they have a lot on their plate. Volunteer to take on that tedious task they‘ve been procrastinating. Sit in on that meeting for them so they can focus on their priorities.

Research has found that helping others actually boosts our own happiness and job satisfaction. So you‘ll get a boost too!

Just last week, I could see that our Operations Manager was swamped with end-of-month reporting. I offered to compile and format the throughput report so she could get an important proposal out the door. The relief and appreciation on her face said it all.

4. Give the Gift of Growth

"The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven‘t found it yet, keep looking. Don‘t settle." – Steve Jobs

Odds are, your rock star coworker is passionate about learning and actively developing their skills. Show them you see their potential and want to help them reach their goals by giving a gift that supports their growth.

That could be registering them for an online course in an area they want to build expertise. Gifting a book by a thought leader in their field. Or inviting them to shadow you in a higher-level meeting to expand their business acumen.

In my experience, investments in an employee‘s development are priceless. I once sent a high-potential member of my marketing team to a social media management conference. She came back brimming with new ideas and later said the experience was a major factor in her decision to stay with the company long-term.

5. Celebrate Their Work Anniversary

Recognizing a coworker‘s years of service is a great way to make them feel valued for their loyalty and commitment to the team. But don‘t limit work anniversary celebrations to major milestones like 10 or 20 years. I say celebrate them all!

On my team, we have an annual "workaversary" celebration where we dedicate time for each person to share their proudest accomplishments, learnings and favorite memories from the past year, as well as goals for the year ahead.

It‘s a wonderful way to reflect on and appreciate the collective journey while creating a shared sense of meaning and history.

Pro tip: Record videos of leaders and peers sharing their appreciation for the coworker‘s contributions over the years. It‘s a beautiful memento that will make them feel like an integral part of the company story.

6. Treat Them to a Meal

You can hardly go wrong with the gift of good food! Taking your coworker out for breakfast, lunch or coffee is a great way to show your appreciation while getting to know them better.

Harvard research actually found that eating meals with colleagues boosts collaboration and performance. The casual, neutral environment allows people to connect on a human level and build trust.

Before I was a people manager, I made it a habit to periodically take coworkers I admired out for lunch to learn from their experience and express my gratitude for their mentorship. Those conversations accelerated my career growth and helped me build a strong network of allies across the organization.

"The most successful people are those who are good at plan B." – James Yorke

7. Nominate Them for an Award

What‘s better than getting praise from a coworker? How about company-wide recognition for excellent performance!

If your organization has a formal employee recognition program, take the time to thoughtfully nominate your colleague for their above-and-beyond contributions. Detail the specific actions and results that merit the honor.

No recognition program? No problem. Consider creating an award yourself to present at the next all-hands meeting or team event. You could even name the award after the coworker as a lasting symbol of their impact.

I once had a team member who consistently embodied our company‘s core value of innovation. I created the "Breakthrough Thinking Award" and presented it to her at our annual off-site meeting. She told me it was one of the proudest moments of her career and the award still sits on her desk years later.

8. Organize a Team Surprise

Group recognition is a great way to foster a positive team culture. Enlist your colleague‘s work friends to orchestrate a fun surprise that shows how much the whole crew appreciates them.

For a big milestone like completing a challenging project, consider throwing them a themed party complete with decorations, a cake and thoughtful toast from team members. The shared celebration creates camaraderie and lasting memories.

For everyday wins, organize a card signed by the team or post an appreciative message on your team‘s Slack channel. People love knowing their efforts are noticed and valued by the whole group.

9. Pass Along Praise

Sometimes the most meaningful recognition is messages passed along from leaders or customers. Make it a habit to share positive feedback you hear about your coworker‘s performance with them and their boss.

Recently, a client sent me a glowing note about the outstanding service they had received from someone on my team. I forwarded the message to the team member saying "Wow! I‘m blown away by this incredible feedback. You went above and beyond to solve the customer‘s issue and look at the impact it had. I‘m so proud to have you on my team."

I also sent the note to my direct supervisor, who later referenced it in the team member‘s performance review. Talk about a meaningful way to express appreciation and boost someone‘s career growth!

The Power of Gratitude at Work

Implementing these ideas consistently will no doubt make your coworkers feel great. But it will also benefit you, your team and the company as a whole. Here‘s how:

Boosts productivity: Showing gratitude motivates people to work harder. A study published in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology found that gratitude increased athletes‘ self-esteem, an essential component to optimal performance.

Increases retention: Feeling valued is key to employee satisfaction and loyalty. 66% of employees said they would likely leave their job if they didn‘t feel appreciated, according to a Glassdoor survey. On the flip side, 81% said they‘re motivated to work harder when their boss shows appreciation for their work.

Fosters psychological safety: Gratitude contributes to psychological safety — the shared belief that it‘s safe to take risks and be vulnerable with each other. Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson has found that psychological safety allows for moderate risk-taking, speaking your mind, creativity, and sticking your neck out without fear of having it cut off.

Yields better business results: A culture of gratitude positively impacts the bottom line. The book Leading with Gratitude details how grateful leaders motivate employees to become more productive, innovative and profitable. It found that the most successful leaders are ones who look for opportunities to express appreciation and gratitude to their team consistently.

When you really look at it, giving thanks should be a daily practice. It‘s one of the simplest and most powerful ways to increase your own happiness, strengthen work relationships and fuel performance.

So go forth and spread that gratitude! Your coworkers, team, career and well-being will thank you.

Best practices for expressing gratitude at work:

• Be specific about what you‘re thanking the person for
• Acknowledge the effort involved, not just the end result
• Share how the person‘s actions positively impacted you or the team
• Tailor your gratitude to the person‘s preferences
• Express thanks in a timely manner, as close to the event as possible
• Make it a regular habit!

"Appreciate everything your associates do for the business. Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. They‘re absolutely free and worth a fortune." – Sam Walton