Employee Appreciation Day is approaching on March 7, and here’s the thing: If you’re just now thinking about it, you’re already behind.
Too often, appreciation gets reduced to a one-day event—a quick email, some free lunch, or a generic thank-you message. But real appreciation isn’t a one-day initiative. It’s an ongoing commitment to making employees feel valued, heard, and supported.
Recognition isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a fundamental driver of engagement and retention:
- 65% of employees who feel recognized at work say they’re unlikely to job hunt, while only 11% of unrecognized employees feel the same.
- Employees who feel insufficiently recognized are twice as likely to say that they’ll leave their jobs this year.
- 83.6% of employees feel that recognition directly affects their motivation to succeed at work.
At Cortico-X, we believe that what’s best for people is what’s best for the business. Appreciation isn’t about grand gestures—it’s about making employees feel that their contributions matter in ways that are personal, meaningful, and ongoing.
Beyond the Basics: Ways to Show Appreciation That Actually Resonate
If your employee appreciation strategy starts and stops with a gift card, you’re missing the point. Here are some ways to make recognition meaningful and sustainable:
- Make It Personal – A generic “thanks, team” email won’t cut it. Call out specific contributions that made an impact. People remember personalized recognition.
- Tie Recognition to Company Values – At Cortico-X, we reward behaviors that reinforce our mission—things like customer-first thinking, collaboration, and innovation. Make recognition about more than just output—celebrate how the work was done.
- Ask Them What Matters – Not everyone wants public praise. Some employees value career development, others prefer flexibility, and some just want to hear “thank you” from leadership. One-size-fits-all recognition doesn’t work.
- Make It Frequent, Not Just Formal – The best appreciation happens in real-time, not just at the annual awards meeting. A Slack message, a shoutout in a meeting, or a handwritten note can be just as powerful as a formal bonus program.
One Day vs. Every Day
Yes, Employee Appreciation Day is coming up—and if it reminds leaders to take a step back and think about how they recognize their people, that’s a good thing. But the best leaders don’t wait for a designated day to show appreciation. They build it into their culture.
At Cortico-X, we believe an exceptional employee experience is just as important as an exceptional customer experience. We help clients create meaningful, sustainable strategies that keep employees engaged, motivated, and thriving.
If you’re looking for ways to strengthen employee engagement in your organization, let’s talk.
And if you found this content valuable, consider following Cortico-X on LinkedIn for more insights on creating a workplace where people—and businesses—flourish.
Len Devanna
is the Vice President of Customer Experience at Cortico-X, offering over 25 years of expertise in digital strategy, customer experience, and transformative leadership across industries.
