Employee Appreciation Ideas for Remote Workers

In a world where Zoom meetings have replaced break room chats, leaders are transforming how we celebrate success with new employee appreciation ideas for remote workers. 

This article features some of our favorite employee appreciation ideas for remote workers. We’ll explain how to recognize remote employees in ways that make them feel valued and offer tips for getting the most out of each idea. 

Remote Work Is Here To Stay—Celebrate It! 

The COVID-19 pandemic may have boosted the popularity of remote work, but virtual teams have proven they’re here to stay. According to the Pew Research Center, about 22 million adults in the U.S. work from home, and more than 20% of Americans will work remotely by 2025.

But how do employers maintain the same positive work culture and social interactions with the growing number of remote workers? How do you celebrate success at work? How do you wish a coworker a happy birthday? How do you congratulate them on getting married or a new addition to the family? 

Working remotely has changed these things, but that doesn’t mean it’s not easy to celebrate with them or thank them for their hard work. You just need to think outside the box to ensure your remote team feels appreciated. (Or, y’know, just scatter these employee appreciation ideas for remote workers throughout each month’s to-do list and call it a day.)

Why Does Gratitude and Employee Appreciation for Remote Workers Matter?

Did you know that only 37% of employees who receive annual recognition by their employer feel valued? In contrast, 98% of employees who receive daily recognition feel valued by their employer. That’s a big difference! 

Long story short—don’t just limit Remote Employee Appreciation Day to September 22. Celebrate it daily, weekly, or at least monthly! 

In a popular episode of the Team Building Saves the World podcast, we talked to Chris Schembra, Founder of the Gratitude Experience—An Attitude for Gratitude. He’s also the bestselling author of “Gratitude and Pasta: The Secret Sauce for Human Connection” and a founding member of the Rolling Stone Magazine’s Culture Council.

Schembra had some powerful insights on why showing your employees gratitude is so beneficial: 

“Gratitude creates that psychological trust and safety. It creates those emotional attachments needed to support innovation and creativity,” Chris explained. “In life, people have a habit of kissing up to leaders, especially when they step over people and kiss the ass of the people whose job they want. Well, we believe in the polar opposite. We believe that you gotta take care of the people beneath you in order to rise together.”

Top 3 Employee Appreciation Ideas for Remote Workers

Virtual engagement is a rapidly changing topic, with new ideas sprouting everywhere. Below, we’ve listed our favorite employee engagement ideas for remote workers, from shared experiences to online thank-you gifts.

1. Send an Invite, Group Card, or Video!

Remote employee appreciation gifts and celebrations don’t need to be elaborate—it can be as simple as a virtual or group video card. Here are some virtual recognition ideas for inviting employees to events, sending congratulations, and making sure your team members feel valued! 

Make It Official

Have you booked that virtual event, your first social distancing meeting, a fun night out, or a holiday celebration? If so, get your group excited with an official virtual invite! 

Sites like Punchbowl, Evite, Greenvelope, or Paperless Post can help you create quick and easy e-cards with templates and RSVP tracking.

Design a Kudoboard

This reimagined version of the classic greeting card, passed around your team to personalize and sign, is delivered to their inbox and accessible forever. You can acknowledge and celebrate any special occasion by attaching messages, photos, GIFs, or videos to the recipient’s Kudoboard. 

Kudoboards are designed to bring your team members together and foster a sense of community and fun.

Send a Virtual Group Card

Sending a classic card is more difficult now that many employees work from home while others might be in the office. Luckily, multiple platforms for sending virtual group cards make it easy for everyone to sign with a link. 

Sites like GroupGreeting, OpenMe, or GroupGreets make setting up and sending to that special someone cost-efficient and straightforward.

Create an Animated E-Card

Find your favorite flash animations, dancing ecards, and videos with JibJab. This works by uploading your faces to create your very own customized, hilarious virtual video or animation that your friends and co-workers won’t forget.

2. Take Your Traditional Employee Appreciation Ideas Virtual

We’ve been searching for alternatives to classic work celebration ideas, such as a night out or an office party. And guess what? The search was successful! 

Here are some tried-and-true virtual employee appreciation ideas for remote workers to ensure everyone has a great work experience.

Deliver Champagne to Their Doorstep!

Do you miss the Friday happy hour? Celebrate a birthday or a successful project at work virtually by delivering champagne to their doorstep. 

TeamBonding’s Virtual Happy Hour or Wine Tasting is flexible and customizable for your team’s needs or preferences. Employee appreciation is essential for maintaining team morale and productivity, especially in a remote work setting. One creative way to show appreciation is by having cocktail kits delivered to team members, allowing them to craft the perfect mixed drink together with the guidance of an expert mixologist from the comfort of their homes.

Another fun idea for virtual team bonding is to organize a S’mores and Campfires event. Team members can enjoy live music, interactive ghost stories, competitions, and trivia around a virtual campfire. To make it even more special, consider sending out artisan S’mores kits to enhance the experience.

Laughter is a powerful mood-booster, so why not combine it with yoga for a unique team activity? Hosting a Laughter Yoga session can bring pure joy and fun to your team, fostering a positive and lighthearted atmosphere among colleagues.

For a more interactive experience, consider organizing a game hour for your team. Games like Virtual Jeopardy, Anything Goes, In It To Win It, or Survey Says can be customized for a fun and engaging virtual event. These games are guaranteed to bring laughter and excitement to your team members, creating memorable moments of teamwork and camaraderie.

In addition to virtual events, sending online thank-you gifts is a thoughtful way to show appreciation to remote employees. Whether it’s a coffee or ice cream gift card, an appreciation kit with personalized items, or a traditional gift basket to celebrate a team success, these gestures go a long way in making employees feel valued and appreciated.

To make the most out of these employee appreciation ideas, remember to pay attention to important days like birthdays and work anniversaries, always say thank you for a job well done, give employees an extra day off as a reward for their hard work, and go big at least once a year with a special Employee Appreciation Day event.

Ultimately, showing appreciation for your remote team’s hard work is crucial for boosting morale, productivity, and retention. These simple gestures of appreciation can go a long way in creating a happier and more productive workplace. With a variety of virtual team building activities available, it’s easier than ever to celebrate and appreciate your team members. Contact us today to get started and show your team the appreciation they deserve! I’m sorry, but you have not provided any content for me to write about. Please provide more information or a specific topic for me to generate content on.