The Great Recognition: 18 Ways To Say
“Thank You for Your Work”
(And Reasons To Say It)

Across a multitude of contexts, saying “thank you” goes a long way. Particularly when looking to maximise the people power behind a workforce, thanking and celebrating employees’ contributions is fundamental. Because as we know, happy people create happy businesses.

Of course, when it comes to engagement and productivity at work, everyone is inspired and incentivised to deliver their full potential differently. Yet the power of effective recognition often goes overlooked –  and whilst saying “thank you” at work might seem like a simple favour, many employers struggle to do this effectively. Whether recognition comes from the C-Suite, a team leader, middle manager or another colleague, showing an employee their work is appreciated consistently and creatively is key to creating a workplace where all talent can thrive.

After all, employees who receive effective recognition are 20x more likely to be engaged at work, are nearly 5x more likely to understand what’s expected of them within their roles and are 56% less likely to seek a new role.

So, what are the ways in which employers can say “thank you” at work, and the reasons behind this? Here are 25 examples.

25 Reasons To Say “Thank You for Your Work”

We know employees are more than their job descriptions. And whilst it’s incredibly important to celebrate role-related performance and engagement, there are many other reasons to recognise and thank an employee’s wider contributions. Here are 25 reasons for when team leaders and managers can say thank you at work:

You could thank a colleague for:

  1. Giving their time, whether it’s helping on a project, lending an ear or  explaining something
  2. Leading by example for their peers
  3. Showing commitment through a difficult task or project
  4. Demonstrating and embodying the company’s core values
  5. Showing kindness or thoughtfulness to colleagues
  6. Injecting fun and creativity into the workplace
  7. Outwardly showing confidence in someone else’s own abilities which has helped them achieve something
  8. Being flexible and open-minded
  9. Giving others the opportunity to work on something outside of their normal remit
  10. A nice compliment that values those around them
  11. Swiftness and forward-thinking to combat a problem
  12. Sharing their honest opinions when others held back
  13. Working outside of what’s expected, or going above and beyond
  14. Getting great feedback from a colleague, customer or supplier that’s positively impacted the business
  15. Reaching a milestone at work, such as a service anniversary
  16. Achieving or getting close to their targets
  17. Showing personal support to you or your colleagues
  18. Providing helpful advice or feedback on products and processes
  19. Offering training or support to new or more junior colleagues
  20. Showing support in a challenging discussion with a customer or another colleague
  21. Doing something outside of their usual job remit
  22. Organising or supporting a social event for colleagues or customers
  23. Volunteering to help on a project without being asked
  24. Being organised or well-prepared
  25. Taking initiative to think outside the box

18  Ways To Thank Someone at Work

So, what can this look like in practice? Let’s explore some further examples of how this can be translated into meaningful and authentic recognition.

Thanking an employee

If there’s someone you directly manage or are more senior to in the business, here are some phrases to thank them for their contributions.

  1. “I just wanted to say thanks for sharing your honest thoughts and concerns with me about Project X. I found them hugely insightful.”
  2. “I know the team really appreciated yesterday’s virtual lunchtime social. I appreciate you put a lot of work into this outside of your usual day-to-day and wanted to thank you for bringing everyone together.”
  3. “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for the exceptional level of commitment you’ve put into Customer X recently – I know it’s been a challenging account to manage but you’ve gone above and beyond in enabling us to meet their expectations.”

Thanking your team

It’s important to recognise the collective effort and impact of employee groups and teams you manage or are senior to,, in addition to individuals.

  1.  “It’s great to lead and be part of such a creative and supportive team who truly exemplify our business vision and values. Thank you to everyone in Team X!”
  2. “A huge thank you to Team X for their work on Project Y recently – you’ve gone above and beyond and as a result exceeded your target by a stretch. Amazing work!”
  3. “I wanted to thank each and every person within Team X for collaborating closely to improve our overall shop floor experience. As a result, our customer satisfaction has improved dramatically – thank you so much.”

Thanking your entire workforce

For leaders at C-Suite or Director level within the business, it’s incredibly powerful to thank the collective success of the workforce as a whole.

  1. “During what has been a challenging yet rewarding year, I’d like to thank each and every person for the dedication and commitment to achieving great things.”
  2. “As we’ve introduced new products to the business, the entire team has shown bravery and innovation in launching these to our customers, which hasn’t gone unnoticed. Thank you!”
  3. “Navigating periods of change can often be disruptive and require resilience and support to one another. Thank you to everyone who has supported one another during this time – this really demonstrates how exceptional our workforce is!”

Thanking top performers

For those within your team or across the wider business who have gone above and beyond to achieve success.

  1. “We’re constantly impressed by your performance and consistent drive to achieve lasting impact. Thank you for always going above and beyond to ensure our team succeeds in everything we do.”
  2. “I wanted to acknowledge your role in making Project X such a success by leading with commitment, innovation and support for those around you. I see everything you do and appreciate your tremendous work. Thank you.”
  3. “We’re incredibly lucky to have you as part of our team. You bring proactively ensure everyone is brought together and set up to succeed as individuals and as a collective. Thank you for your excellent work.”

Thanking team players

Explore some of the ways in which you can actively recognise those who go above and beyond to support their colleagues and wider team.

  1. “It’s not always easy to lead a team who are based so far apart, however you make everyone feel valued for their work and like they belong in their role. This in turn empowers them to achieve great things wherever they are. Thank you for being an incredible team player and role model.”
  2. “A skill that’s often undervalued is understanding how your peers work best and finding ways to bring out their potential. Thank you for always taking the time and consideration to get to know your team and inspire their best.”
  3. “It’s incredibly important that each person feels supported in their role, regardless of their background. I want to thank you for accommodating flexibility across the wider team as and when they require it, to ensure they are able to be their best in- and outside of work.”

Thanking innovative employees

Celebrating examples of innovation and creativity across employees and teams you manage, or are more senior to.

  1. “Thank you for always bringing a fresh perspective and creativity to our team. Your ideas help us stay ahead of trends and challenge the status quo.”
  2. I really appreciate your skills in finding new and better ways for us to achieve our goals – thank you for remaining innovative and sharing your ideas.”
  3. “Your innovation has enabled us to scale our vision and tap into new opportunities – with creativity being one of our core values, you are a brilliant example of how this is best embodied in our team. Thank you!”

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Tips To Help You Say “Thank You” at Work

For recognition and appreciation to be most effective, the message needs to be personalised and delivered with meaning. Generic, tick-box approaches will lack impact and authenticity. So, how can saying thank you at work be done in the most powerful way?

Tailor the right tone

Start off by determining the tone of your message. If you’re thanking someone for giving you the opportunity to work on a new, exciting project you probably don’t want to use the same tone as you did with Auntie Maud and her show-stopping socks. Think about how you’d like your message to be received and the most appropriate way to deliver it based on your working relationship and the impact you’d like to make.

Be clear in your opening sentence

Your message should be clear from the start in that you’re openly recognising an employee, and what you’re thanking them for. Try to ensure “thank you” features at the start, so this is clear and the recipient is instantly aware of this outward recognition.

Outline why you’re saying thank you

Then you should go on to say why their contribution has been so powerful and why you as a team leader or manager appreciate this in your role. Include the impact this has had on the wider business, other colleagues and bring in key metrics where relevant, so the employee understands they are valued and seen in what they’ve achieved.

Be authentic

Finally, your message of thanks should feel sincere and authentic coming from you, and reflect genuine recognition for their efforts. Whilst you’re celebrating their performance at work, it’s important this comes across in a human way so that the message will be remembered and appreciated.

The Power of Employee Recognition

Recognition, when delivered well, is a crucial tool to empower employees to deliver their potential, feel a sense of belonging and inspired to achieve great things. At Rippl, we’re all about ensuring recognition is agile, human and dynamic in celebrating every angle of employees’ contributions.

That’s why we do recognition differently. Rippl’s platform enables managers and leaders to value their teams with personalised and instant recognitions, with the option to take recognition to the next level with instant rewards. Plus, we understand the power of peer-to-peer, which is why colleagues are able to celebrate one another too. Rippl recognitions celebrate everything from performance, to championing values and culture, to internal awards nominations and employee milestones. Because why be average when you can be more?

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Did you know, 44% of employees left their last role due to inadequate recognition? It’s never been more important to highlight the great stuff going on in your organisation each and every day with digital, instant recognition cards.

The Rippl Rewards platform can improve employee retention, happiness and output.

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Wondering how to elevate your engagement strategy? Looking for the latest HR software to maximise your people potential? Or just curious to find out more about Rippl?

You’ve come to the right place. Here you can explore all corners of Rippl and how we redefine the People experience through award-winning recognition, reward and benefits platform.

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See for yourself how Rippl can transform your employee engagement, improve employee retention, happiness and output.

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FAQs on Saying Thank You at Work

Whilst it’s incredibly important that senior members of team outwardly recognise the efforts and contributions of their teams, recognition is most effective when it’s multi-level. Employees should also be given the opportunity to thank and celebrate their peers to strengthen the business’ overall culture of recognition and champion an inclusive, empowered workplace.

Recognition and reward strategies look different in every business. Where possible, individual or group rewards should be distributed to celebrate exceptional performance or shared achievements. However, recognitions without rewards can be just as powerful in ensuring employees feel seen, heard and valued for what they do.

At Rippl, we believe in agile recognition that celebrates all angles of performance and contribution. Recognition shouldn’t remain exclusive to exceeded KPIs or targets, but should also value wider behaviours such as embodying company values, supporting other colleagues, developing in wider soft skills, birthdays and milestones, as well as internal awards.

Through your very own branded desktop and mobile app, Rippl places recognitions in employees pockets, alongside rewards and benefits to ensure your teams feel truly valued. All recognitions are personalised and can reflect your unique business values, and are shared on a dedicated social timeline with specific groups or across the whole business. Recognitions are enabled for both managers and peers to deliver in just a few clicks, for the organisation to react and comment in a community that connects and empowers everyone.

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