1. Developing
Happy People
50 ways to thank your employees
By Sarah Abboreno Corbin, one of the happiest people you might
meet on a daily basis.She tries to harness gratitude.
And she says, “Thanks” A LOT.

2. Just saying, “Thanks.”
1. The best way to say thank you is to substitute “Thanks
for your hard work today” for goodbye.
2. The easiest way to say thank you is to begin your day
with thanks, “ Thank you for coming in today - it’s so
much better when you are here. “
3. Write a thank you on a post it note and put on their
desk.
4. Send a thank you note home - for their tremendous
work on the last project.
5. Put a thank you note on their pay stub.

3. Say it LOUD
6. Start your meeting by recognizing the hard work that
went into it, “First I want to say thanks for …”
7. Tweet the world your thanks, “My team #rocks thanks for
the hard work @localoakpark!”
8. Post a Facebook page thanks - highlight great work with
a great story about that person - include their photo.
9.Tell their family . Have a young employee? Write their
parents. Even older aged employees like to tell family.
10. Tell your supervisors. Send a praise letter up the ladder
if you’ve got one . Send a copy to your employee.

4. Warm and Fuzzy (Pinterest worthy)
11. For all you do this bud/bug’s for you.(flower or plastic bug attached)
12. You are worth a mint to me. (attach a mint)
13. You are dynamite. (cover rolo’s with red paper and add a wick)
14. You are simply the best. (simply apple juice bottle)
15. Mounds of thanks for all you Dew. (attach a mounds bar to a bottle of
mountain dew)
16. For a TEA riffic employee. (attach some tea bags to a mug)
17. Thanks a million. ( attach a bag of 10 100 Grand bars)
18. I would have fallen to pieces without you. (attach a bag of Reeses Pieces)
19. Thanks a latte! (attach a frappacino bottle)
20. Thanks a bundt CH for all you do. ( attach a mini bundt cake)

5. Get with the PROGRAM
Rewards aren’t just for shopping - sometimes they are for doing a good job
21. Caught Red Handed & Doing Good! Every time you see an employee doing
something extraordinary give them a red hand. Once they get enough hands
they can exchange for different things: extra vacation time, restaurant gift
certificates, silly prizes work too.
22. Give points for attendance - once an employee gets 100 points - they win an
extra day off. You need a chart on a wall for this to be successful.
23. Keep sales teams motivated with a sales incentive program. (pink cadillac?)
24. Employee of the month is as simple as a silly trophy for their desk.
25. Make employee recognition a scheduled portion of your social media.

6. Get Personal
26. Got a higher higher up? Ask your supervisor to make a personal thank you
call to your employee while they are working.
27. Take your employee out to lunch and say thanks while treating and getting
to know them better.
28. Pay attention to what is going on with them personally - if they have a sick
relative or are grieving then send something to that family member with a note.
29. College student? Pay attention to when they have exams, or are stressed at
school: care packages don’t have to be mailed away.
30. Employee on medical or family leave? Keep saying thank you while they are
away with mailed monthly or weekly reminders that you hope they are feeling
better etc.

7. Creating a culture of thanks
31. Employee mailboxes or note jars mean co-workers can leave notes for each
other. Make sure you have a spot with extra thank you notes and pens to make
it easy for people to say thank you to each other.
32. Motivational quotes up around in the office? Pick gratitude quotes instead.
www.inc.com/jeff-haden/40-inspiring-motivational-quotes-about-gratitude
33. Success Boards. Create a public place to post the good things going on:
especially giving credit to those responsible - cork boards are awesome.
34. High Fives - whether you are giving high fives all over the office or you have
hand shaped pieces of paper - those high fives should be flying!
35. Train your employees to say thank you to everyone - say it daily, say it to
customers, students, bosses, co-workers. Train it - THANK YOU.

8. MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY
36. Raises - with a review. A raise is not just a raise. When given with thought
and care it means more.
37. BONUSes
38. Profit-Sharing. (motivation or thank you - all good)
39. Perks: Free Coffee, occasional lunches, corporate parties even.
40. Discounts: Negotiate discounts with other places - maybe trade on behalf of
your employees. Coupon books for just your employees. Give as thank yous.
Cash incentives can be tricky. There is some research that says money doesn’t
mean happier employees. When money incentives are used as part of a strategy
of gratitude - it is my opinion that money does make a difference.

9. Movin on UP and on their own
41. Promotions as thanks - even in name alone.
42. Independent projects - completely independent.
43. Increased responsibilities - supervising others or a
larger part of the budget.
44.“Acting AS” while you are gone shows trust
45. KEYS. Do you have a workplace that needs to be locked
up - give em keys - sure means you trust them to “own it.”

10. The FINAL FIVE
45. Be genuine.
46. Be direct and truthful.
47. Say it when it matters.
48. Be specific.
49. Tailor the thanks to the employee.
50. Be contextual - give big picture.

11. While Sarah Corbin did refresh her “Warm & Fuzzy”
memory using Pinterest most of those Thank You ideas she
has personally given or received herself.
And the rest of the thank you 50 were gathered over the
course of her 20 plus years as a supervisor, HR trainer,
bakery owner and volunteer coordinator.
PS - The best way to say thanks to a volunteer is often a t-
shirt and pizza.