5 Letters of Appreciation For Employees

Recognizing great work is easy to do with thoughtful letters of appreciation for employees.

Employee Appreciation Day might be a few months away, but there's never a bad time to show your appreciation for the work your employees are doing. Writing a letter - whether that's a formal letter or a handwritten letter - shows a personal touch and a real investment in your team member's contribution.

Why are letters of appreciation important?

Whether you are the owner of a small company, a manager with direct reports or a part of an HR team, meaningful and personalized letters of appreciation for employees go a long way to boosting employee engagement.

Personal letters increase morale, productivity and generally make everyone feel more appreciated. You know it from your own experience! It feels great to be acknowledged for the effort you put into your job. Recognizing your employees' good work and expressing your gratitude is just good management practice.

Stuck for inspiration for what to say? Grab one of our sample letters of appreciation below and adapt these for your own team. We've also got a few tips for personalizing these and making a positive impression.

5 letters of appreciation for employees

We've got 5 sample letters to help you craft your own personal messages.

Peter,

Thank you very much for all of your hard work on finalizing the Twinnings account. I know that it took considerable effort to finalize the requirements documents and lots of coordination with Legal and R&D. Landing this deal is something to be very proud of and we could not have done it without you.

Thanks again, Jeremy

Mitchell,

I just wanted to thank you personally for going above and beyond with the office move last week. Thanks to your coordination it was must easier than it would have been and we all appreciate the effort. You truly exemplify the team spirit here at JLB. Please speak with your manager to choose one of the Perkbox perks as a gesture of our thanks.

Best, Webb

Thomas,

Your team’s performance has been amazing this past quarter. It is a true testament to your management and teamwork skills that you’ve met the sales goals by 120% with 1 week left to go!

Additionally, from speaking with members of your team, it is apparent that they all feel respected, challenged and appreciated and that is an accomplishment all in itself.

All of us deeply appreciate the hard work you’ve put in to making this team a success and as a small gesture of our thanks please find an extra vacation added to your balance as of the end of this week. Keep up the good work!

Best, Andrea

Mary,

I wanted to let you know how much I appreciated your help with the opening day ceremony. I know how much time and effort you invested to not only to get the project ready prior to the deadline, but also in ensuring that every minor detail was ready for launch.

You are a valued member of our team, and I truly appreciate your contributions!

Thanks again, Karen

Dear Keith,

Thank you very much for meeting with me yesterday to share ideas for the new strategic initiatives. I really appreciate your insights, and I think that we have no issues with implementing many of your suggestions.

It's so great to have someone who has had experience with similar initiatives to talk things over with. I appreciate your time, patience and expertise in the matter. You are an indispensable member of our planning team.

I’ll be sure to send you a follow up when we move the initiative from the planning to execution phase.

Best regards, Jessy

5 tips to writing meaningful letters of appreciation

1. Structure

As with most letters you want to include a greeting, some content and a closing. You want to keep the message succinct but impactful.

2. Delivery

Try to deliver the letter as soon as you can after any accomplishment or event that you’re referencing.

3. Format

Email is acceptable, but if you have a few minutes then handwriting your letter is a simple way to show you’ve put time and thought into the letter.

4. Reason

It’s easier to show appreciation for a particular task or achievement, but even if you're giving praise for a series of things you need to be specific with why you’re sending the letter.

5. Message

Since this is a personal message there’s no need to go over the top. Just be genuine and thankful as you would with an other type of “Thank You” letter.

For just the cost of some stationary and 5 minutes of your time, you can show genuine appreciation for the hard work of your employees. Why not send out a few letters of appreciation recognizing your employees efforts and rewarding your team members for the extra mile they put in? And if you're interested in more employee engagement ideas, here's 9 employee engagement activites to boost motivation.