10 Thanksgiving employee recognition examples

By: Melissa Perry

What you need to know

  • On the spectrum of good to great employee recognitions, authenticity, clarity and inside jokes make yours stand out.
  • Handwritten, video and chat recognitions each resonate—it’s the habit of regularly recognizing peers and teams that matters.
  • Thanksgiving is a golden opportunity to lean into employee appreciation, but a connected culture relies on a year-round approach to employee engagement.

 

thank you note on top of thanksgiving decor

Expressing workplace gratitude should happen year-round, but especially for holidays like Thanksgiving. Primarily celebrated in Canada and the U.S. in October and November respectively, the holiday reminds us all to pause, reflect and recognize our hard work.

Sharing a warm holiday message can impact a team's morale and performance. When employees feel appreciated at work, they're more likely to be engaged. Plus when leadership gives routine recognition, employees and peers are more likely to see them as great collaborators, relationship builders and motivators. 

Keep workplace gratitude top of mind. Planning ahead for the holiday season can ensure you're keeping positive employee experience front and center. 

Related: revitalizing your employee recognition experience

How to write a meaningful employee recognition

Employee recognition can easily fall down the list of priorities. But it's never too late to retroactively recognize employees’ hard work. (They’d much rather hear it than not at all!)  Thanksgiving is a great time to send out that token of gratitude or thank you note.

So why not recognize that peer, team or mentee for their growth and hard work?

Tips for writing employee recognitions

1. Share why they stood out

How did they elevate their contributions this year? Was there a challenge they overcame? Did their work align to the brand’s core values?

2. Give details and clear examples

Get specific about what they achieved. Describe the challenges or projects they conquered, and what you appreciated. (What core value the recognition aligns with matters too!)

3. Show an employee's impact

Give examples of how an employee helped move the needle for a company goal. Help them feel valued and seen. When employees feel like they're contributing, they feel a deep sense of purpose.

4. Keep it professional but have fun

Recognition is an opportunity to connect with team members. Share your inside joke of reference. Your recognition should sound personal and not like a “canned response.”

Not sure where to start? Reflect on the year. Highlight specific projects over the past couple of months or recognize an employee’s progress. These details help team members feel empowered and create an authentic culture of appreciation.Intentional recognition creates stronger bonds and a more rewarding employee experience.

get our guide on total employee engagement through a connected culture

10 employee recognition templates to repurpose

Leadership or front-line managers can spark activity in a recognition program, even for well-established initiatives. Thanksgiving is a built-in reason (and reminder!) for leadership to show their gratitude and keep morale up during a busy season.

Set an actionable goal for leaders to send three recognitions a week during the holiday season. They can be to a team or to an individual. Make it a friendly competition and add incentives for whoever meets their goals each week. You can also send a few examples or prompts to help executives start a chain reaction of recognition issuance. Just let them know they should add a personal touch to these examples to keep the messages authentic.

A meaningful recognition to a team or an individual deepens work bonds and creates an emotional connection. Be sure to remind leadership to give specifics like details of a project or giving out a shoutout to each team member by name.

Here are a few thought-starters for writing your own recognitions

1. Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what we're grateful for, so I wanted to send my appreciation for all you do. Your work and positive attitude help the team collaborate smoothly and happily together. We wouldn't have the amazing results we did this year without you. Thank you!

2. Happy Thanksgiving! Your drive, hard work and sense of humor helped our department through challenging times. I want to personally thank you for being an amazing team player this year! And I hope you have a restful, relaxing Thanksgiving holiday!

3. Working with wonderful people like you every day makes what we do fun and impactful. Thank you for your collaboration and hard work this year. We couldn’t do it without you. Have a lovely Thanksgiving!

4. Thanksgiving is a great reminder to show gratitude, so I wanted to express my thanks! Your hard work, calm attitude and savvy Excel skills shined through this year and have been a tremendous asset to our success. Thank you and have a great Thanksgiving!

5. Wishing our entire team a very happy Thanksgiving! In this season of gratitude, I’m grateful for your dedication, flexibility and everything you do each day to help our team put customers first. Thank you!

6. Before the day we give thanks, I wanted to express my gratitude for everything you do. You always have a great attitude and are willing to brainstorm solutions at the drop of a hat. It means so much to the team that we can count on your help and positive attitude to tackle any problem. I hope you have a great Thanksgiving!

7. On behalf of the leadership team at [organization name], I wanted to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving! We succeeded on many initiatives this year, and it's all thanks to the wonderful people on our team who come to work every day. Your commitment, creativity and dedication to the work and our customers is what sets us apart. Thank you! We hope you have a great Thanksgiving holiday!

8. Wishing a happy Thanksgiving to an amazing employee! Your positive energy and deep curiosity make our workplace brighter every day. Your work earlier this year on the [vital project] made such a positive impact on our company goals. And I wanted to express my thanks for bringing that dedication and energy to every project this year. Have a great Thanksgiving!

9. This holiday season, I wanted to express my gratitude for your creativity and diligence. I appreciate everything you do. Each team member plays an integral part of our success from customer support to engineering, and I’m so grateful to work with you all. Have a very happy Thanksgiving full of good food!

10. Happy Thanksgiving! I wanted to give you a shout-out for everything you bring to the team. You’re a thoughtful, creative employee who brings your expertise and nuance to every project. We're so grateful for your efforts. Thank you! I hope you have a fun and restful Thanksgiving!

 

Customize your recognition delivery method

Writing an employee recognition might not come easily at first but keep the receiver in mind. The message should be thoughtful and unique to their personality and work. You can also customize the delivery method.  

5 unique ways to send a thank you to an employee

  1. E-card or individual email
  2. Handwritten card
  3. Video message
  4. Team meeting shoutout
  5. Employee recognition platform or dedicated chat channel

How you send your recognition might depend on the employee's preference, the message or your own bandwidth. Remember, the effort shows.

You can incentivize leadership or peers to recognize during the season with ITA Group’s recognition and engagement technology platform or with your own tokens of gratitude, like a gift card, a present for their desk or a sweet treat. Getting leadership involved is a fun way to kick it off and set an example too.

Related: ITA Group’s employee engagement and recognition platform

Keep employee recognition authentic and meaningful

Making time to send Thanksgiving recognition can carry more weight during the busy holiday season. It's not just a simple thank you. Thoughtful employee recognition can help team members feel seen and empowered. Plus, a gratitude-first approach can continue to build a connected culture and ensure you end the year on a positive note.

Employee recognition is a strong first step to building an engaged company culture. Create a strategy that strengthens your business and teams with our ultimate experience guide.

get our guide on developing total employee engagement with a connected culture
Melissa Perry
Melissa Perry

Melissa Perry is a Marketing Manager at ITA Group, where she drives go-to-market success on the Employee Experience Strategy Team. With over a decade of marketing expertise, she is passionate about creating environments that prioritize employee experience to fuel growth and engagement. Melissa has crafted marketing strategies, managed teams, and built compelling brand voices, particularly in the B2B SaaS space. Her work emphasizes innovative strategies that connect with both employees and clients alike. In her downtime, she enjoys writing and reading fiction, hiking, and spending time with her one-year-old son.