20 Examples of Feel Good Compliments You Can Give Your Employees
Introduction
Complimenting employees is crucial for team morale and company culture. Nobody wants to ever feel like their hard work is unnoticed. Compliments should be tailored to the individual and have a personal touch. If you know your employee loves coffee or a sports team, incorporate that into your compliment. The best kind of manager is the one who knows their employees and gives them the proper validation they deserve!
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20 Ways To Compliment Your Employees
“That was a great sales call, mind if I join the next one to learn how you do it?”
Mimicry is flattering. Let the employee know you want to learn their tactics. This is a confidence boost and compliment simultaneously.
“Hey X, great job this quarter, I’ve seen how hard you’ve been working and I appreciate it.”
Simple compliments go a long way, no employee wants to feel like their hard work goes unnoticed.
“You’ve been doing great work, would you like to join my team on this upcoming project I have?”
Inviting an employee to join their supervisor on a project is a big compliment; it also can motivate them.
“I’d like to give a shoutout to X, they’ve been working hard and have achieved new company milestones!”
Giving a shoutout at a team meeting is a quick, effective way to make an employee feel validated.
“Congratulations X, I’ve seen the great work you’ve been doing under my supervision, and trust that you’re now ready to work on this on your own.”
Depending on their role, allowing an employee to have more freedom demonstrates trust and confidence in their abilities.
“Wow X, you’ve continued to impress me with your success, would you be interested in taking on a bigger role?”
Rewarding employees with a bigger project demonstrates you trust their abilities and you appreciate their work.
“I saw the presentation you gave, would you mind sharing that with me? It was really great and I would love to use it myself!”
Mimicry is a huge compliment in itself! Letting the employee know you want to use their work demonstrates you’re impressed.
“ You’ve mastered this task, would you be interested in training your peers with your techniques? I feel you are most qualified and the trainees could learn a lot from you”
Rewarding employees with a leadership role helps them feel valued and impactful.
“Hi X, I wanted to reach out and let you know I see how hard you are working. As your manager, I appreciate this and our team/company thrives because of your work ethic. Thank you for all you do.”
Compliment the employee via email. While it is far less personal than in-person, it is a nice way to show appreciation if in-person is not an option.
“Great work X, I always see you working hard on this project. I cannot wait to see the final product.”
Compliment the employee on the process. Perhaps, they’ve been working on a big project for a few months. You don’t want employees to feel the ‘small’ things go unnoticed.
“X, I know you are a Seahawks fan so I wanted to offer you 2 tickets to the game next week as a thank you for all your hard work.”
A personal gift goes a long way when recognizing the employee.
“Congratulations X, our Sales (or any measurable impact) are up __% as a result of your great work on the latest campaign. Thanks for all the hard work, we couldn’t do it without you.”
Compliment the impact of the employee, highlighting their results demonstrates their hard work affects the company.
“Exceptional work X, I couldn’t have done it better myself.”
A short, simple but effective complement. Let the employee know their importance.
“Hi X, I’d like to invite you out to lunch to celebrate your success on your latest project. Your hard work doesn't go unnoticed!”
As long as it is appropriate, inviting employees to lunch is a great way to say thank you and spend time with them to show appreciation.
“Let's all give congratulations to X, they have achieved <insert company goal>. We are so proud of X and we are all happy to have you on our team!”
Call attention to the employee's success in a team meeting, so the rest of the team can celebrate them.
*handwritten note with a gift basket* “A thank you from <Company Name> for all your hard work.”
While a gift basket can seem impersonal, accompanying it with a handwritten note is a great way to say thanks to your employees.
“Hey X, I’m so impressed with the hours you have put into this project. Go ahead and let yourself have Friday off, you deserve it.”
Allowing your employee to take a day off if they are ahead of schedule is a great reward for certain instances.
“Congratulations X on your recent success, let's set up a meeting to go over these recent accomplishments and what you’d like to work on in the future!”
Compliment the employee by taking time out of your day to highlight their success. Invite the employee to give input on their future projects so they feel valued.
“ Hey X, I wanted to reach out and see how you are doing. I’ve seen how hard you’ve been working on your projects and want to show my appreciation.”
Calling an employee demonstrates you’re willing to take time out of the work day to acknowledge their hard work and is very personal.
*Leave a coffee/tea on their desk in the morning with a sticky note* “For all your hard work, Thank you! -Your Manager”
If your employee is a coffee or tea drinker providing them a small gift is a great way to say a personalized thank you.
Conclusion
The most important thing when complimenting your employees is to make it personal to them or their tasks. Employees want their hard work to be noticed and their effort to be appreciated. Complimenting your employees can vary from a team meeting shoutout to tickets to a sports game, the thing that matters is that you compliment them.
