Why should you care about showing employee appreciation? Employees who feel appreciated are more engaged and productive, which naturally increases profit. To be specific, employee happiness can increase sales by a staggering 37%!

And don’t let being a large company stop you. There are many employee appreciation ideas for large companies that are both simple, sustainable, and effective. 

If you’re interested in raising your employees' happiness and increasing business growth, use our list of employee appreciation ideas to make your employees happy.

How To Customize Employee Appreciation Efforts To Suit Your Workforce

Employees are all different. Companies also have different work cultures, workforces, and budgets. To prevent the appreciation efforts from feeling empty and “mass-produced”, and to account for all their differences, consider employee preferences and other accommodations. 

The best way to do this is to gather employee information. 

Utilize employee surveys, personality tests, questionnaires, and the like to gather information on your employees’ likes and dislikes, disabilities, and other preferences. You can even get employees involved in the process and let them vote on the options they like most. 

Use the gathered data to create an overview of your employees’ tastes, preferences, and capabilities that you can use as a guide when implementing any activities or gifts. 

When deciding on your employee appreciation efforts, you can now easily narrow down the ideas to what will suit your employees best. Factor out ideas that exclude employees with disabilities or special accommodations and consider the financials and logistics of the ideas your employees lean toward. 

Narrow down the appreciation ideas that are inclusive and respectful to all employees, and account for your workforce’s restrictions and capabilities.

23 Employee Appreciation Ideas For Large Companies

Are you ready to wow your employees and show them how much you appreciate them? Great! Here are the best employee appreciation ideas for large companies:

1. Celebrate Birthdays 

Being at work can make birthdays feel a little dull, so a great way to show your employees appreciation and make their day special is through birthday wishes. 

Whether you choose to announce their birthday, give them a small gift, or write a short letter, it’s sure to brighten up their day and show them that you care.

With PerkUp, you can automate gifts and messages for employee birthdays so that you never miss a single one. 

2. Celebrate Work Anniversaries

Having high employee retention offers many amazing business benefits, from lower hiring costs to maintaining a highly skilled workforce. But to keep your employees loyal, you must show them how important they are to the company. 

A great way to do this is to celebrate work anniversaries. In a large company, celebrating every anniversary can be overwhelming. Instead, celebrate employee milestones like 2 years, 5 years, and 10 years. For employees that have stayed loyal for longer than a decade, pull out all the stops and gift them something big, like a vacation to their dream destination. 

Remembering work anniversaries in a large company with thousands of employees can be difficult. Luckily, PerkUp lets you automate gifting for work anniversaries so that you don’t have to worry about missing a single one.  

3. Dole Out Company Swag

Company-branded swag makes employees feel like they belong with the company. It connects and unites employees and makes them feel like they're all part of a team. 

So to show your appreciation for your workforce, gift them some company swag items they will love. You can use a service like PerkUp to create awesome company swag and deliver it straight to your office or remote employees. 

To make the swag more special, you can get them involved in the design process and have them send in ideas or vote on the best company logo design to use on the swag.

4. Get A Food Or Coffee Truck 

Both exciting and fun, a food or coffee truck is a cost-effective way to spice up a normal work day for your employees. You can hire a local food or coffee truck service and stipulate your budget and the items you want to offer on the menu. 

Go a step further and see if you can set up customized banners and food labels. A great example is a ‘Thank You’ banner, which you can hang from the front of the truck. Your employees will appreciate the message and the snacks! 

5. Spend A Day With Puppies 

In case it wasn’t obvious, dogs make us happier. Our bodies produce more of the “cuddle hormone” oxytocin around dogs, even if the interaction is only a few minutes.

Make your employees (literally) happier by letting them bring their dogs into the office. If that’s not possible because of animal allergies or logistics, take your employees on an outing to a puppy cafe, volunteer center, or the like. However, make sure to book ahead of time for large groups. 

Give them enough time to absorb all the feel-good hormones they can handle as a way to show your appreciation. 

6. Give Them A Day Off 

Employee appreciation ideas for large companies don’t have to be limited to gifts or outings. Sometimes, showing employee appreciation is as simple as a day off work. 

Very few things compare to a day of rest. So, gift your employees a day off work as a show of appreciation. Keep it for employees who’ve shown exceptional skill or had a major impact on a project. It’ll double as an incentive for other employees to up their game. 

7. Pay For Catering At Work 

No matter the industry you’re in, work fluctuates throughout the year. Some seasons are slow, and others have intense deadlines that force employees to work quickly. If the hard work isn’t acknowledged, it can be extremely demoralizing and impact the quality of the work.

To show your employees that you recognize the hard work they’re doing, order catering for the office. Work with a local corporate food catering service, which is specifically designed to cater to large groups in business settings. 

Let your employees take a break to enjoy the good food, and make sure they know you’re thankful for the work they do. 

8. Work From Home Opportunity

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in the work-from-home movement, with many organizations choosing to stay fully remote even after the worst was over. While this isn’t an option for every company or the wants of every employee, offering a hybrid workweek can be a great show of appreciation for more introverted employees or those who need a more flexible schedule.

9. Shoutout Accomplishments 

Shoutouts are one of the easiest and most effective employee appreciation ideas for large companies. 

Shoutout employees’ accomplishments and make them public. Don’t be shy about sharing accomplishments on social media and around the office. Upload a nice photo with a congratulatory message on the company message boards and social accounts. 

10. Gift Greenery 

Greenery, even something like a small houseplant, can have a positive impact on our mental health. In an office where your goal is to make your employees happy and show your appreciation, greenery makes a surprisingly fitting gift. 

Distribute plants around the office. They don’t need to be big. Small desk plants will work just fine. Work with a local nursery on a large order discount and for safe plant delivery straight to the office. It will help the office mood, and greenery is a great way to liven up an indoor space

11. Volunteer Together 

Is there anything that feels as good as a volunteer session? Through a good deed, you can take your employees on a trip outside the office and help a local community project of their choosing. It will be a good bonding experience, and letting your employees pick the project will make them feel heard and empowered.

12. Fix Up The Workspace  

Work environments influence how employees feel at work. This is especially important in large companies, where it’s easy to overlook things that need to be fixed – even when employees are asking you to fix them. 

So listen to your employees' feedback about the workspace and take action. 

Ask your employees which equipment or appliances are giving them trouble and work your way down the list as a thank you for their hard work. Remodel the break room. Put the time and effort into creating the perfect break zone, one where they can rest, recharge, and return more productive than ever. 

Continue upgrading the workspace by fixing and replacing broken windows, worn-out furniture, and other office items. Creating a better work environment will make your employees happy and show them that the company values their comfort and feedback. 

13. Gift Cards 

Nothing says ‘Thank you’ as well as a traditional gift does. Unfortunately, choosing personalized gifts for all your employees can be overwhelming when you’re part of a large company. 

That’s why gift cards are so great! PerkUp gift cards let you load money and send gift cards all from one dashboard. The best part? PerkUp has a vast array of big brands to choose from, and you get to keep any unused funds. It’s a win-win.

14. Office DJ 

Office environments have a reputation for being stuffy, which is a sad reality for most employees. But it doesn’t need to be that way. 

Spice up the office environment and gamify achievements by setting up a sound system and giving the controls to the employees who did extra well during the week. For example, you can give star employees free rein to play their chosen playlist on Friday afternoons. 

15. Plan A Team Resort Visit 

For a big show of appreciation, like showing appreciation on National Employee Appreciation Day, plan a resort trip for your employees. 

Go to a local destination and have a good time filled with laughter, drinks, and good food. During the trip, when you’re having a relaxing team dinner, let your employees know how much you appreciate the work they do. 

For large companies, split the trips into smaller, more manageable team or department trips. Get quotes from multiple resorts and work with the one that is willing to offer large package discounts and maybe even a tour or two. 

16. Office Treats

Showing appreciation doesn’t always have to be a grand event. Sometimes, it can be as simple as bringing treats to the office. 

Luckily, dozens of online sweet and savory snack box subscriptions can be delivered straight to your office's front door. So, surprise your employees with an array of snacks to munch on while working, and do it for the heck of it. 

17. Reward Continued Learning 

One of the most prominent benefits of showing employee appreciation is retaining a highly skilled workforce. This becomes even more beneficial when you reward continued education. 
Award employees who continue learning with a gift and an announcement on the company message boards. Acknowledge their efforts and growth and encourage other employees to do the same. You can even incentivize them to continue learning with vouchers to online learning platforms like Udemy, Coursera, Squarespace, etc. 

18. Commute Stipend 

For many employees, commuting to work is a daily expense, especially if an employee is using public transport. Small expenses add up and can be demoralizing if you’re already working hard and paying a lot to do it.

Make your employees’ lives easier and show your appreciation with a commute stipend. You can reimburse employees for their monthly travels or provide a monthly or annual commute pass. 

You don’t have to pay for all their transportation. Even a little allowance will lighten the expense and decrease their stress. 

19. Give Them The Mic 

Peer-to-peer recognition has shown to be very beneficial. Unfortunately, unless you provide the stage, it’s hard to get the compliments flowing. 

Help your employees build a bond and cash in on the benefits of peer-to-peer recognition by giving your employees the mic. Let them share positive messages with their colleagues. 

Set up an online channel where employees and managers can share an appreciation for each other, recognize their colleagues’ achievements, and encourage them to do so. 

20. Watch A Movie Together 

Have a spontaneous movie day at work. Either set up a movie in a meeting room with a large TV or projector or take them on a trip to the cinema. Watch a cult classic, a new release, or a feel-good comedy. For an extra dose of fun, order snacks and drinks for everyone to enjoy. 

Because you’re a large company, let team leaders take charge of their subordinates. Create a schedule to ensure every team gets a chance. This will also ensure there are enough employees at the office to manage the company’s workload.

21. Wellness Allowance 

Employee well-being is critical, but self-care maintenance is difficult when you’re working a full-time job. By offering a wellness allowance, you show that the company cares about employee well-being and is willing to spend money to help employees stay happy and healthy. 

Offer employees a wellness allowance, like subscriptions to meditation apps like Calm and Headspace. You can also offer a stipend for gym memberships, local yoga classes, and other physical activities. 

22. Meditation Breakroom 

As mentioned above, mental well-being is super important. And sometimes, all an employee needs to improve their mood at work is a small but quiet break. Designate a nook in the building as a meditation breakroom, where employees can take a break and meditate if they want to. 

23. Year-End Gift Bags 

Celebrate the end of the year and the work your employees have done with a year-end gift bag. From essential items like company swag to delicious snacks, a gift bag is a great way to show your appreciation and send your employees off for the holidays. Work with services like PerkUp, local snack subscription services, and other large distributors for affordable gift options. 

Conclusion 

Showing employee appreciation has been linked to improved employee engagement and productivity, which in turn increases company profits. Appreciation is especially important in large companies, where it’s easy to feel like you get lost in the crowd. 

If you’re not sure where to start, don’t worry. These employee appreciation ideas for large companies offer a variety of ways for you to get your employees excited about working again. Consider them when putting together your employee rewards strategy so that you can show your employees you appreciate them. 

If you’re looking for a platform to automate and streamline your employee appreciation, check out PerkUp. Request a demo today or book a consultation with the PerkUp team.