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At large companies and enterprise organizations, the need for employee appreciation ideas is even more critical because people can feel like they’re lost in the shuffle. By being deliberate and employing the tactics it takes to create a positive company culture, you can let them know they’re more than just a number.
“44% of employees switch jobs because of not getting adequate recognition for their efforts.” — Achievers.com
Instead of waiting for the perfect moment to show appreciation, you can have happier, more engaged employees who want to stay at your company by checking out this list.
Turn every day into employee appreciation day with the 12 best employee appreciation ideas for large companies and enterprise organizations!
What happens when large companies do employee appreciation successfully?
When large companies do employee appreciation successfully, their employee retention, satisfaction, mental health, productivity, and overall well-being will improve.
1) Boosts morale – Employees who are seen heard and recognized feel more secure in their jobs, which translates to an increase in positive emotions.
2) Increases employee retention – Employee appreciation has a profound effect on retention with remarkably less turnover due to gestures and acts of kindness.
3) More organic recruitment – When employees are recognized, they brag organically on LinkedIn and tell their peers.
4) More referrals – When employees are appreciated, they’re more likely to treat customers and clients well, which will, in turn, lead to more referrals.
5) Increases productivity – Everyone pulls in the same direction and works harder when things get tough, especially when they feel cared about by their company and coworkers.
Who Would You Like To Give Gifts To?
Employee Appreciation Ideas For Large Companies
1) Celebrate employee milestones in a meaningful way
There is something special about recognizing the achievements of your employees. Celebrating important milestones work anniversaries, birthdays, and the end of a special project — is a great way to shout out to individuals at large companies.
Why we love this appreciation idea for large companies: At large companies, it can be difficult to keep employees recognized with so many projects being worked on. Supporting milestones can make an impact, especially with a workforce that is distributed between multiple offices or working from home.
Other large companies that implemented this appreciation idea:
- Nike
- Apple
A resource that can help: Carol
“Caroo has been one of the best companies that I’ve worked with! When the process started it was just so smooth. I was very surprised, never a mistake, never a complication. The whole thing was just so easy.” — Amazon
2) Survey your employees regularly
Surveying employees is critically important. While gifting is a great employee appreciation tactic, keeping a finger on the pulse of their concerns and desires is another way of showing them you care. In a large company, feedback can go unheard. Setting up an employee feedback box like in The Office is fine, but a more modern solution is required in the modern era of flexible work and globally distributed teams.
Why we love this appreciation idea for large companies: Taking the temperature at an enterprise company can help to improve morale, reduce turnover, and create a more positive work environment. Everyone wants to be heard, especially at the place they work so hard every week.
Other large companies that implemented this appreciation idea:
- Hulu
- Headspace
- ZipRecruiter
The resource that can help: Bonusly
“Bonusly gives our remote team a tangible way to recognize each other for accomplishments, however big or small. It’s helped our team be more proactive about encouraging one another and has helped solidify and grow the culture we want.”
3) Plan a shippable experience team event
Shippable experiences are easy-to-participate-in activities that can be sent anywhere in the world. Most of the time, a shippable experience combines a physical item or collection of items with a corresponding activity. For example, this experiential gift could teach employees how to make pottery, cook, or mix drinks.
Why we love this appreciation idea for large companies: Employee gifts are a great way to show appreciation, but experiences and memory-making activities take things to another level. You can also ask for employee feedback to help make it easier to select the best shippable experience for your group.
Other large companies that implemented this appreciation idea:
- Netflix
- Shopify
A resource that can help: Confetti
“Confetti has taken a huge workload off my plate in planning engaging employee experiences… True lifesaver!”
4) Pay for their lunch
Paying for lunch is a tried and true way of showing appreciation. This tactic goes back a long time; however, the modern twist on this allows employees to pick their favorite restaurants or at least to have a little more control over their cuisine.
Why we love this appreciation idea for large companies: Whether it is sending morning coffee, happy hour drinks, personalized gifts, or virtual lunches — you can appreciate their hard work by making their day a little better. This appreciation gift is great for bigger organizations that manage distributed teams since you can easily partner with companies like Uber Eats, DoorDash, GrubHub, PostMates, and other food delivery solutions.
Other large companies that implemented this appreciation idea:
- Amazon
- Philips
A resource that can help: Hoppier
“Our organization sent out meal gift cards through Hoppier. I have to tell you for some reason the first few transactions were denied (error was on my side) and the folks at Hoppier pro-actively reached out to see if I needed assistance, and, problem solved. Outstanding custom experience! Thank you so much.” -Daniel M.
5) Let your employees pick what gift they want
Nobody knows employees better than they know themselves. Instead of shopping and trying to guess what they want, give them the choice. After all, what employees will appreciate the most is feeling like the masters of their destiny!
Why we love this employee appreciation idea for large companies: We love this appreciation program because it provides a wide variety of options. Rather than having to guess, you can let your team members pick which reward they like most! From social recognition, experiential rewards, physical awards, premium gifts, and all sorts of perks and discounts.
Other large companies that implemented this appreciation idea:
- Argos
- eBay
- British Airways
A resource that can help: Nectar
“Nectar has been wonderful. I’ve been with my company for many years and this is the BEST recognition program we’ve ever had. It’s such an easy way to recognize peers who have gone above and beyond. Our old system was more cumbersome and people wouldn’t bother taking the time. Immediately I noticed people who didn’t use the old system are using Nectar.”
6) Incentivize big company goals
The desire to show employee appreciation is one thing, but having the toolset to execute your strategy is another thing altogether. You need a platform that tracks incentives, facilitates feedback, measures goals, and provides seamless performance management and engagement system. Ultimately, big companies depend on creating great employee experiences.
Why we love this employee appreciation idea for large companies: Large companies rely on top-tier talent with team members who feel recognized and validated that the work they are doing is worthwhile. Otherwise, they find themselves recruiting more and more new employees! Focusing on bigger goals can be a great way to rally teams around a common goal that they can push for. With larger company goals solidified, managers can focus on more team-based goals to set for employees.
Other large companies that implemented this appreciation idea:
- Allianz
- Hitachi
- Kia
A resource that can help: Kazoo
“For managers who aren’t used to coaching, Kazoo is a great reminder. It supports people in making the transition from the once a year to continuous feedback.”
7) Offer exclusive employee discounts
Offering exclusive employee discounts makes employees feel like they aren’t just a part of a company — they’re a part of an exclusive club. Of course, the higher quality of the brands they get discounts from, the better. It’s also important that the offerings are diverse so they can find services and products that feel just-for-them type special.
Why we love this employee appreciation idea for large companies: Letting your employees access local discounts can make day-to-day work a little brighter. Not to mention, this appreciation strategy can utilize digital rewards where employees can search through a variety of discounts to use.
Other large companies that implemented this appreciation idea:
- Starbucks
- Uber
- H&M
A resource that can help: WeGift
“Both our customer services team and our accounts team really enjoy WeGift, we would highly recommend using them. It is our first time using an API B2B portal such as this and it has massively helped us increase our offering to our members.”
8) Gift them a bucket list experience
Experiential rewards leave a long-lasting impression — the kind that gets positively seared into your employees’ memories in the best way possible. Blueboard is the ultimate bucket list experience aggregator so you can let employees select the trip or activity they’ve always wanted to enjoy!
Why we love this employee appreciation idea for large companies: Teams at larger companies work hard. Why not reward them with a once-in-a-lifetime experience? Whether it is enjoying a neighboring state or country, trying a new skill, or relaxing at a local spa, this appreciation idea can make a lasting impact that a gift can’t measure up to. Whether your employees love golfing, wine, flying drones, virtual reality, working out, or traveling the wide world over, there’s an experience that’s just right for them.
Other large companies that implemented this appreciation idea:
- GoPro
- Glassdoor
- Shake Shack
A resource that can help: Blueboard
“I had a great experience organizing a trip to Glacier National Park with Blueboard. We were able to find the experiences that worked for me and the concierge was proactive in getting us the best booking with the vendors we used.”
9) Plan a company retreat or field day
Corporate games and team-building activities are a way to get departments to work together and teammates to use their creative problem-solving, communication skills, and talents to get through challenges and exercises. Whether your team is into Murder Mysteries, Escape Rooms, or something else entirely, strongly consider adding company retreats or field days into the mix.
Why we love this employee appreciation idea for large companies: We love that this idea combines the best of pure fun and excitement with team building and promoting positive company cultures. You can fill your day with all kinds of outdoor activities. Plus, there are several virtual activities for your distributed teams to participate in to make a hybrid experience fun for the entire company.
Other large companies that implemented this appreciation idea:
- Samsung
- Sephora
- HBO
The resource that can help: The Go Game
“When I think of Spirit Week, I think of Instagram-worthy costumes, team bonding over matching bandanas, and intense competition that makes you more anxious than the finale of The Bachelor.”
10) Support diversity, equity, and inclusion
Supporting DEI is critical for large companies and enterprise organizations. Unfortunately, DEI can get lost in the mix of corporate priorities since it doesn’t necessarily ostensibly drive revenue; however, there is a huge payoff internally.
Why we love this employee appreciation idea for large companies: There are an endless number of ways to support DEI at your organization and can be utilized throughout the year to support different causes.
Other large companies that implemented this appreciation idea:
- Hulu
- Peloton
- GoodRx
A resource that can help: Caroo
11) Send out swag packs
Company swag is a win-win — employees get cool gear and items and your company receives free advertising. Swag packs turn swag and care packages into an art form by carefully curating custom branded items for particular themes like relaxation, energy, and other work-related needs.
Why we love this employee appreciation idea for large companies: Swag packs can be curated into a variety of themed gift boxes and care packages. With products like water bottles, custom knit socks, notepads, branded tape and boxes, coffee mugs, tote bags, and much more. You can even customize the exact box you want to give to your employees a company-branded gift they will not soon forget.
Other large companies that implemented this appreciation idea:
- Walmart
- Crunchbase
- Atlassian
A resource that can help: SwagUp
“Our company-wide slack channels flooded with thank yous, and people were posting pictures of their kids just saying, it made my day, it made my week. It warmed my heart to see. It reinforced the positive culture and reinforced that we are always thinking about employees and how to adapt given different circumstances.” – Kyrene Wang (People Operations Specialist at Clari
12) Shout out to your team on LinkedIn
For a organic employee appreciation idea, shout out to your team on LinkedIn. While internal recognition is always important, there’s something extra special about being praised for the business world to see.
Why we love this employee appreciation idea for large companies: Businesses and professionals live on LinkedIn. Giving them credit on LinkedIn is a great look for them and an even better look for your company. By clearly expressing care, you’re also amping up your recruiting efforts.
Other large companies that implemented this appreciation idea:
- Coca-Cola
- Apple
A resource that can help: LinkedIn
Conclusion
So, you might be asking yourself, “why is it important to show employee appreciation in large companies?”
Large companies often have bureaucratic, overly complex processes, which lead to highly impersonal interactions. At scale, company culture can become extremely formal. Employee appreciation at large companies can put a personal touch back into the company culture and reduce the feeling of things being rigid and too formal.
Employee appreciation is paramount in 2022 and the push for flexible work will only see the need keep rising, with companies needing to keep their employees more connected than ever.
Culture building is one of the biggest challenges that lie ahead as companies continue to learn to navigate shifting employer-employee dynamics and fight isolation and burnout. Employee recognition and appreciation can be used as glue to hold things together.
Additionally, the morale that comes from deliberately making employees feel important will inspire and bring out the absolute best in them.
