Employee recognition is either not offered or is irregular in the workplace, unfortunately. In most instances, the employee is just good at their job, right? Why do you need to thank them for doing what you pay them to do? Sometimes a simple “Thank You” matters most to your employees.
The bottom line, employees, can be effective at many different levels while doing their job. A manager has a valuable opportunity to recognize the employees who are performing at a higher level. Ask yourself, “would I like to receive a thank you note if I had done that?”
If yes, know that the effect of a simple “thank you” note (by the way, it doesn’t have to be a formal, long handwritten letter – a notecard or email will do!) offers enormous rewards for the company and your team members.
Great for the Company
- Documenting a thank you or other recognition to your high performers (outside of formal reviews, of course) is extremely useful for managers to provide the rationale of a pay raise over another employee and for bonuses and promotions.
- The recognition that a manager gives helps to communicate the actions they want to enforce – the employee learns what the manager wants from them.
- Appreciated employees stay longer (you know the saying, “employees don’t quit a job, they quit a manager”). So, managers, say “thank you” and retain the good ones!
Great for Your Team
- A thank you note from an employee’s manager is a treasured form of positive recognition – I don’t think anyone could disagree with that!
- A boost in morale – a manager doesn’t always know what an employee may be going through outside of work – a thank you could be just the thing they need to smile today!
- Employee recognition from one manager resonates with another – maybe they haven’t even thought about it! Pro tip: Managers, your supervisor will notice your culture cultivation, too! For more tips on employee motivation – check out this infographic.
Bonus Templates
Need a place to start? Here are a few samples – feel free to use, butcher, or share as you see fit. Remember, it doesn’t have to be long or full of techy stuff, be sincere, explain what they did and why you are thankful.
Sample #1
Shannon,
Thank you for taking care of the inventory while I was out sick yesterday. I was stressed out, thinking how I could possibly get this done today and was so relieved that you did it. Talk about a significant boost to my day!
Thank you again. It’s great to know you that you have my back when I’m sick. If I can ever do anything to help you out, please let me know.
Thanks,
Maria
Sample #2 (manager-to-new manager)
Mikayla,
I wanted to thank you for the training session last week. I was dreading going through training for the new onboarding system. In the past, all technical training has been so dry and boring that I could barely keep my eyes open. To my surprise, your class was not only informative but fascinating. I feel like I really got the information I need to be able to do my job.
Now that I’ve been using Efficient Hire for a week, I’m laughing at why I was so freaked out about the change. Your class really made the transition smooth.
Thanks,
Nicholas
Sample #3
Nathan,
I can’t thank you enough for your willingness to put in extra overtime this month. July is such a heavy time for vacations that staffing the line is difficult in a good year.
The only way we made it through this year, with several people sick, and all of the vacations, was because of you. So, once again, I am grateful and appreciate your willingness to go the extra mile!
Thanks,
Matthew
Final Note
Hopefully, you can use this article and the samples of thank you notes as a guide when you write your own. Don’t forget how important they are in employee recognition and in reinforcing the actions you’d most like to see from your employees. You only stand to gain, why not give it a chance? So, remember a simple “Thank You” matters. To learn more about how easy Efficient Hire is for managers like Nicholas, contact our Sales Team today!