As you've climbed the career ladder, I'm sure you've felt sad more than once that your employer didn't appreciate the commitment you put into a project. So why should you also serve your subordinates the same feeling?
Acknowledgements are an extremely important tool in building a positive workplace atmosphere and employee motivation. Sending a thank-you note for commitment at work can not only be a gesture of kindness, but also a way of appreciating an employee's efforts and work. So how do you write a thank-you note that is sincere and motivating? Here are some tips.
How do you thank your employee for their cooperation?
If you want to prepare a thank-you note for an employee's cooperation on his or her last day of work before retirement, or simply as a token of gratitude for the contribution he or she has made to the business, this can be done verbally or in writing.
When formulating such acknowledgements to a colleague, it is worth asking yourself:
- What made his work particularly distinctive?
- What specifically can you thank him for?
- What positive surprises did this employee give you?
- How were his relationships with the other człons of the team over the years?
- What employee skills will you miss most?
In the following section, we will show you what to look out for and what to include in such a thank-you note for working together.
Appreciate personally and directly
Acknowledgements are most effective when communicated personally and directly. If possible, stop by his or her desk or arrange a short conversation or even a coffee outing to convey your thanks face-to-face. This will make the thank you feel more personal and authentic. However, if you don't feel up to it a letter or email will also be an appropriate form.
Express concrete appreciation
When writing a thank-you note, try to be as specific as possible. Mention the key activities or achievements of the employee that you want to recognise. This will show that the thank you is sincere and based on real achievements.
Show gratitude for your contribution to the company
Don't forget to express gratitude for the employee's contribution to the team or the success of the organisation. Emphasise how this involvement has benefited the company, the project and you as an employer. This will help the employee to understand how his or her work is valuable and important to the organisation and that his or her dedication in his or her personal life has been recognised.
Personalised form of acknowledgement
Make sure the thank-you note is personalised and tailored to the individual. Avoid generalities and templated formulas. Try to refer to specific qualities or behaviours of the employee that you want to acknowledge.
End positively and emphasise the importance of relationships
End your thank-you note in a positive and open way for further business cooperation. You can express your hope for a continuation of a successful collaboration or encourage the employee to continue to be involved in przyszłe projects.
A text of thanks for your commitment to work can also be an opportunity to emphasise the importance of the relationship between the employee and the company. You can express your hope to continue building a positive relationship and mutual support.
How to write a thank-you note? - example
Below you will find a sample text of a thank-you note for cooperation:
"Dear [employee's name],
I wanted to thank you sincerely for your invaluable contribution to a recent project. Your commitment, creativity and professionalism were extremely valuable to the success of our team. We appreciate your work and contribution to the development of our company. I hope that we can continue our fruitful cooperation in przyszłości.
Yours sincerely, [your name and company name]."
Thanking employees not just when they leave - also on a daily basis
When is it appropriate to express gratitude to your employees for their contribution to the company? A sense of appreciation is an important motivational factor. Therefore, do not wait until an employee decides to leave the company.
Recognise employee engagement on a regular basis. Make it the standard rather than the exception. Show your employees that their work matters. By doing so, you will not only improve the atmosphere in the workplace, but also increase the commitment and loyalty of your team.
Lack of positive feedback and appreciation from superiors are among the main reasons for a decline in motivation among employees. Unfortunately, the negative perception that an employee is a machine to work and get paid for it still prevails in many companies. However, the success of a company largely depends on how employees are treated. Often, stumbles are quickly noticed, while the diligence and innovation of employees go unnoticed. This leads to a loss of enthusiasm for work, a drop in productivity and even to employees leaving the company. That is why it is worth thanking employees not only at the end of the relationship, but especially when they are still part of the team.
So if your company is struggling with high employee turnover, the solution may be simpler than you think - all you need to do is regularly thank them for their work. This could be, for example, a letter of praise - such a gesture is still rare in Polish companies, and it will certainly be appreciated.
Training to assist in the process of appreciating subordinates
If you don't know what you can change in the way you run your business, specialist managerial training courses will help you. You are particularly welcome to attend training courses:
- Simple rules and techniques for providing feedback - which is an online course where you will learn what we believe are the best techniques for giving feedback, which we have tested time and time again and use on a daily basis.
- Closer to the needs of managers - be closer to your colleagues' needs and understand how they really work and what they expect.Â
Summary
Remember that a sincere thank-you note can have a huge impact on the motivation and engagement of your employees, so try to give it regularly and with heart. If you do this, we guarantee that they will return the favour with commitment and loyalty.
