An introduction to appreciation emails

Showing employees that you appreciate their work is an important part of a healthy and happy company culture. Employees who feel appreciated often have higher job satisfaction and stay in their positions longer than those who do not feel recognized by their managers or employers. While employee recognition programs, bonuses and other programs can go a long way, sometimes all that is needed is an appreciation email for employees to feel noticed.

Sending employee appreciation emails can have a number of benefits, including:

• Promotes a positive company culture
• Increases employee job satisfaction
• May contribute to increased employee retention rates
• Helps employees feel recognized by management
• Employees will be more motivated to perform their jobs better

The more you show appreciation for your employees, the more likely they are to enjoy their jobs and be more productive at work. In short, appreciation emails can ultimately benefit you as the manager, your employees and the organization as a whole.

Related: How to Reduce Employee Turnover

Three dos and don’ts of appreciation emails

The following are a few do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when composing an employee appreciation email:

Appreciation email do’s

• Do be specific in your praise and appreciation. Choose one or two instances in which the employee performed well or went above and beyond and mention these specifically in your note.
• Do send your appreciation email promptly.If an employee has made a positive contribution or taken on additional work recently, don’t wait weeks or months to write them a thank-you email.
• Do proofread your email. Before you send your appreciation email, make sure that your grammar and spelling are correct and that there are no typos.

Appreciation don’ts

• Don’t write too long of an email. You should keep your appreciation email short and concise and avoid being overly exuberant to ensure you come off as sincere.
• Don’t be generic in your email. Avoid saying generic words of appreciation such as “good job” or “thanks for your help.” Instead, include genuine thanks for something specific the employee did or unique traits or talents the employee has.
• Don’t wait to send appreciation emails for when your employees are feeling unappreciated or burned out.Avoid waiting until your team or employees require appreciation to continue feeling good about their jobs and instead send your appreciation emails at regular intervals to keep employees motivated and encouraged.

Related: How to Motivate Your Employees

Appreciation email template

The following is a template you can use as a guide when writing employee appreciation emails:

[Subject line: Thank you!]

[Dear employee name,]

[First paragraph: Use this paragraph to mention the specific action or behavior that you are writing to show your appreciation for.]

[Second paragraph: Include a sentence or two about how the employee’s help contributed to the team or company and/or how they specifically helped you as the manager.]

[Conclusion paragraph (optional): Write a sentence or two reiterating your thanks.]

[Sincerely,]

[Your name]

Appreciation email example

Here is an example of an appreciation email you can use when composing your own:

‘Subject line: Thank you!

Dear Amber,

I wanted to reach out and personally thank you for all of the help you have contributed to the ABC project.

You have invested not only your work hours but also your own time on weekends to ensure this project was completed on time, and this effort has not gone unnoticed. Thanks to your help, the project was a success with the client and your contribution was specifically recognized as being exceptional.

I truly appreciate all of the work you put into this project and I look forward to working with you on the next one.

Sincerely,

Martha Thompson’

Appreciation email FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about sending employee appreciation emails:

• How often should you send employee appreciation emails?
• What should you put in the subject line of an employee appreciation email?
• What kind of tone should you use when writing appreciation emails?
• Which employees should you send appreciation emails to?

How often should you send employee appreciation emails?

You should send employee appreciation emails whenever appreciation has been earned by a team member. However, rather than sending one email for every small accomplishment or contribution, consider combining all of the employee’s recent reasons to be recognized in one concise appreciation email.

What should you put in the subject line of an employee appreciation email?

The subject line of your appreciation email should indicate what the email is in reference to. It should also be short and concise. Good examples of subject lines for an appreciation email include, “Thank you, Donna!” and “Well Done!”

What kind of tone should you use when writing appreciation emails?

Even though appreciation emails in and of themselves are considered informal, you should still maintain a formal tone when composing your email. Avoid including emojis, excessive exclamation points, improper grammar, typos and inappropriate workplace language.

Which employees should you send appreciation emails to?

You should send an appreciation email to any employee who has caught your attention with their contribution or who has done more than what is required in their work. Even if the employee is not on your team or in your department, you should still consider a quick appreciation email if they helped you in some way. In short, all employees should receive an appreciation email when it is deserved.

Appreciation Email Templates for PDF & Word

These templates will help show employees that you appreciate their work, which is integral to a healthy and happy company culture.

*Indeed provides these examples as a courtesy to users of this site. Please note that we are not your HR or legal adviser, and none of these documents reflect current labor or employment regulations.