How to Write Thank You Emails to Employees

thank you email to employees

As a boss, an employer of labor, one of the ways to bring out the best in your employees is to show appreciation for the good jobs that they do. Just like you have the right to issue queries and reprimand an employee when necessary, it is also important to send appreciation emails to employees who performed exceptionally well. It is equally vital to show appreciation to your all employees once in a while for just carrying out their normal duties. Email can be used to do this effectively by sending thank you emails to employees.

Why Send Appreciation Emails to Employees!

The power of appreciation may surprise you. Some employers erroneously believe that employees are to be driven hard to perform better or treated harshly or even threatened (with being fired) for them to perform optimally.

thank you email to employees

Human beings are naturally wired to do better in an environment that gratitude thrives. Especially when this gratitude is communicated directly from a senior person, whether verbally or through a letter or an email. Therefore, never neglect to send thank you emails to employees.

Let us do a practical test.

As a child, how did you feel when any of your parents or teachers genuinely said well done or thank you to you for doing something? I bet the next time that they asked you to do something else, you did it probably smiling. In fact, you might have done things for them before they even asked. If you have had this type of experience before, that means you can predict how your employees would respond to your show of gratitude. They will perform better.

Email is readily available at our disposal; we can use it to make this habit a regular practice.

Although showing gratitude to employees is not a guarantee against disloyalty and other vices, it is worth practicing. Most normal thinking employees respond well to this posture when adopted by their employers. You have nothing to lose when you send thank you emails to employees. It does not stop you from reprimanding, querying or even outright firing them if it comes to it.

Tips for Writing Appreciation Emails to Employees

Use an Appropriate Tone to Appreciate Your Employees

The tone of this email should be informal. You may consider a semi-formal tone in some cases. However, an informal tone will drive the point home. The employee will feel more connected to you and the company because an informal email would sound more personal and less official. The employee will feel more like a part of the company, like someone that really matters to the success of the organization.

Use Appropriate Subject Lines to Appreciate Your Employees

Your subject line in the thank you email should be short and clear. Simply, “Thank You” is an ideal example. You may use others like “Well Done Mike!” or “You’re Deeply Appreciated”. As mentioned above, keep it informal.

Appreciate Your Employees Professionally

Yes, it is informal, but it should still be “professionally informal”. This means that you are to use appropriate language, proper grammar, avoid typographical errors, and avoid unnecessary comments or inappropriate jokes.

Be Concise When You Appreciate Your Employees

You do not have to write a thesis of what the employee has done. You may want to mention the specific outstanding thing(s) he or she has done to warrant the thank you email. Or in the case of a general thank you email for doing one’s duty, just mention the fact that the employee is highly valued and appreciated as a member of the staff of the company.

Be Early When You Appreciate Your Employees

When an employee does something remarkable that requires your appreciation, do not delay in showing your gratitude. Send a thank-you email to your employee early when the event is still fresh. By doing this, your thank you email will register better in the mind of the employee. However, it is better that you send the email late than never. So if you forgot and suddenly remember after a long while, still do go ahead and send that thank you email to the deserving employee.

Email Sample 1: Writing Appreciation Emails to Employees [for Good Presentation]

Subject Line: Thank You Joey!

Hello Joey,

Thank you so much for the effort you put in yesterday during the presentation. You proved to me that you were not only eloquent but also dependable and resourceful. You were able to make do with the little resources at your disposal to produce an excellent presentation to our clients.

The entire team from Jay & Jay Global were greatly impressed. They’ve promised to make their next order from us!

The board has decided to give you a bonus this month for your effort. I need you to know that you’re valuable to this company.  

Thanks once again.

Regards,

Bill

Email Sample 2: Writing Appreciation Emails to Employees [for Hardwork]

Subject Line: Great Job, Collins!

Hi Collins,

Wow! You did great this morning! I am deeply grateful for the exceptional effort you put in ensuring that the office equipment were properly moved into the new complex.

I noticed your zeal, coordination and sheer dedication in ensuring that nothing got broken or missing. You also inspired other employees to join in this effort.

Thanks for being so passionate about the company. You’re of immense value to me and the company.

I will like to take you and the entire team for lunch tomorrow afternoon, the bill is on me.

Thanks again.

Best wishes,

Chloe

Email Sample 3: Writing Appreciation Emails to Employees [for Daily Tasks]

Subject Line: Thank You

 Dear Susan,

I just want to say thank you for the numerous efforts you have put into the organization. You and the rest of the team have been pivotal to our growth and success.

I’m glad to have you as a member of my staff and I place great value on you and the work you do.

Please keep up the good work.

Best regards,

Jim

Email Sample 4: Writing Appreciation Emails to Employees [Better Late than Never]

Subject Line: Thanks!

Dear Judith,

You did excellently well three months ago during Hannah’s maternity leave. Though it’s coming late, I still want to say a big thank you to you for the extra hours you worked during this period.  

You worked so hard without complaining, and you never defaulted in your duties. I’m grateful that you’re on my team.

Your hard work is not unnoticed and your commitment is not overlooked. You’re of great value to me and the firm.

Thanks again.

Cheers,

Angelina  

Conclusion

When writing appreciation emails to your employees, you are actually contributing to the productivity and growth of your company. It is not a matter to be taken lightly. It goes a long way in winning the loyalty of your employees. You need their genuine loyalty in order to offer quality and excellent products or services to your customers.

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