Virtual Employee Appreciation: How to Recognize Your Remote Team

Company cultures are strongest when they create environments where employees feel seen, known, and valued. True employee appreciation — that boosts commitment and morale — goes beyond just “thank you” and “good job.” It’s about finding creative ways to recognize employees for their unique contributions, and bringing feel-good moments to their work days. This is especially important now, with many employees working remotely for the first time, and potentially feeling isolated and disconnected from their teams.

Ways to recognize and reward employees virtually:

Peer-to-Peer Employee Recognition

• Record a video shout-out to a team member — and post it on your internal communications platform. The person who received the shout-out can then record a shout-out for another team member, and so on. Try a prompt to kick it off, such as “You make this a great team because ________” or “I love working with you because _________.”
• Create a peer recognition fund — Give employees a set amount per year to spend on recognizing each other — with gifts like home office decor, a certificate to a favorite store, flowers, a new coffee mug, and more.
• Start a unique employee award — that team members can present each other with at virtual company meetings or events.

Leader-to-Employee Recognition

• Set aside spend for fun — Give each employee a certain amount per year to spend on something they do for fun or something that brings them joy. This is a creative way to reward your employees and make getting a bonus feel more personal and special. Encourage employees to share how they’re spending their fund on your internal communications platform to create culture-building moments.
• Tell a story — Sharing a recent project success story on your internal communications platform can be a great way to recognize and appreciate the employees involved in the work. Make sure to tag each individual and take the time to show gratitude for their unique contribution.
• Send your team a timely gift — Find a gift everyone can appreciate that you can mail to your employees and open together over Zoom to create a fun, shared experience.

Looking for more support with your remote team? Check out our remote teams resources, or reach out to us.