Fall leaves with the words "give thanks" handwritten

Thanksgiving provides businesses the perfect opportunity to show their gratitude for the hard work their employees put in each day. Conveying how thankful you are for your team is important and it can be done in so many ways. Here are our top five tips for saying “thank you” to your workforce this Thanksgiving.

1. Say it!

Simply saying “thank you” is the easiest way to get in the Thanksgiving spirit. Sharing your gratitude for the hard work your team puts in during a staff meeting, or during a short conversation at their desk is valuable.

2. Mirror your company values

When giving thanks—whatever medium you use—emphasize that you are thanking your staff for being ambassadors of the company’s values. In fact, this positive reinforcement of your company’s values will further increase employee engagement with what your organization stands for!

3. Be consistent

Thanksgiving is not a time for favouritism. Nor is it time for gamification (ranking productivity to motivate performance). So, avoid celebrating one type of employee over another at this time of year by making Thanksgiving an inclusive celebration of your employees that comes with no strings attached.

4. Promote authenticity

Having recognized leaders involved in Thanksgiving reassures your employees that the organization really does care. The kind words of an owner or CEO will feel authentic and demonstrate to employees that leadership does recognize the hard work they do each day. In contrast, delegating this responsibility may be seen as an act of insincerity. So, whether you use electronic, paper or face-to-face communication to say “thank you,” we recommend it comes straight from leadership to show how much they truly care.

5. Organize an activity or get-together

Spending time with your employees outside of work is important for team building and engagement. It’s a great way to connect with your team and get to know them better. Depending on your budget, this could involve taking your staff for lunch, attending a sporting event or doing an outdoor activity together.

Whatever approach you take, don’t let Thanksgiving slip by without taking the time to thank your company’s most important assets!