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Staff Appreciation Toolkit

Employee Appreciation changes everything. Research has proven when employees are appreciated and recognized for their great work, they become more loyal, committed, and engaged. As Engagement Ambassadors, this day provides a wonderful opportunity to connect with your team. The Staff Appreciation Toolkit provides you resources to foster a culture of engagement within your departments.

Benefits of appreciation and recognition in the workplace:
-Empowered, determined, and passionate employees
-Increases employee productivity and longevity
-Promotes transparency and openness

2023 Appreciation Opportunities

Promote Co-Worker Recognition: Heartfelt Thanks Campaign: February 11 – 17, 2023
The Heartfelt Thanks campaign encourages UCI staff enterprise-wide to recognize and thank their colleagues by posting an entry through Bright People, Brilliant Solutions (BPBS). Thank a co-worker for that something special they bring to you and to UCI. Please promote the campaign to your co-workers and encourage the managers/supervisors in your department to promote to their teams as well.  For inspiration, explore the ideas that were submitted in past campaigns such as the Staff Appreciation Week Recognition Campaigns or last year’s Heartfelt Thanks Recognition Campaign.

Heartfelt Thanks Campaign Promotional Materials
Flyer: (UCI Campus) (UCI Health)
e-Signature
Zoom Background

Employee Appreciation Day: March 3, 2023
Recognizing your colleagues on an ongoing basis is important in fostering a culture of engagement. Take some time to appreciate and recognize your colleagues locally in a meaningful way all year. Employee Appreciation Day (Friday, March 3, 2023)  is a national holiday created to recognize and appreciate employees for their hard work and efforts. View the appreciation idea list for ways you can incorporate simple but sincere gestures for your team and the Employee Appreciation Day template for your leaders to utilize. See below for additional employee appreciation ideas and resources.

Staff Appreciation Week:  October 9 – October 15
Staff Appreciation Week is one week out of the year dedicated to acknowledging and thanking staff  for their contributions to UCI. As the backbone of the university, staff are critical to keeping the university running smoothly. To ensure that we recognize our colleagues who have shown tremendous adaptability, perseverance and ongoing commitment to UCI, numerous programs and virtual events will be held each year.

Ambassador Appreciation Tools

As an Engagement Ambassador, manager, or supervisor, your role is to help create a culture of engagement at the department/team level. Please explore the following resources to learn how you can help appreciate your team.

Employee Recognition Preferences Tool
Supervisors are encouraged to ask their employees to fill out a questionnaire to gain valuable information on how they want to be recognized.  How one employee wants to be recognized is specific to that employee.  Supervisors who customize recognition to each employee’s preferences are more likely to achieve the intended recognition purpose. Ask the supervisors in your units to use the  Employee Recognition Preferences Questionnaire

Learn How to Build a Recognition-rich Environment.
Explore the following resources from Gallup Access and learn how to increase recognition within your team.

Appreciation in a Hybrid Work Environment: Activities and Ideas to Help Remote Workers Stay Engaged
As some of your of your colleagues continue working remotely, recommend healthy habits for them to incorporate and stay engaged.

Send a Thank You Note
Remember the power of the ‘Thank You’ Note. Give your thanks often, make it timely, and be specific. A written thank you can be as simple as an email or a text, but taking time to personalize and deliver appreciation, goes a long way. See Resources for How to Celebrate Staff Appreciation Week for sample employee appreciation letters and quotes that might help spark some ideas. Share a Be Kind, Be Well Gratitude Card, or download a Printable Anteater Thank You, Blue or Printable Anteater Thank You, Gold

Promote Gratitude: Use the Be Kind Be Well Toolkit
Appreciate your colleagues by fostering kindness and gratitude in your departments. Give colleagues the opportunity to show gratitude and peer recognition for one another. Start a Gratitude Board, present them with a Kindness Award, or help build a positive work environment by incorporating gratitude in meetings. For an example of how this toolkit can be used for your teams, click here.

Additional Resources