Celebrating Employees: Why & How to Shout Out Your Team

A little recognition goes a long way

There are many more reasons for small businesses to show gratitude to their employees than good vibes alone.

Here’s why celebrating employees is especially important for small businesses and five ways to start doing it all year round.

Why small businesses celebrate employees

According to the SCORE Foundation, retaining and motivating employees is the third biggest challenge small business owners face. Replacing employees who depart is even harder; SCORE found hiring the right talent to be the number one challenge for small business owners.

Here’s the good news: Gallup Workplace found that properly celebrating employees can cut that issue nearly in half. Well-recognized employees were 45% less likely to depart from a business after a two-year window, according to Gallup’s research.

Taking the extra effort to appreciate your team—and not just on Employee Appreciation Day—can be a strategic business strategy.

5 ways to celebrate employees

Shout out accomplishments

It’s just as important to call out team member’s victories as their opportunities for improvement.

Note that different employees will prefer different kinds of recognition; some may feel energized and inspired when you make them the center of a big public shout out, while others may prefer a quiet, face-to-face “thank you.”

Stock breakroom favorites

If you keep snacks stocked for employees to enjoy during their breaks, why not let them help set the menu? You could even include notes saying who chose what, giving your employees an opportunity to get to know each other better by appreciating their tastes.

A Walmart Business account makes it quick and easy to shop a wide range of snackable options to please employees’ palates—and Walmart Business+ Spend Tracking can help you keep an eye on how much room you have left in the snack budget.

Remember big days

Seasonal events and big celebrations are fun, but they aren’t personal. Celebrate employees on big days that are important just for them to show they matter as individuals.

Consider giving employees some extra benefits during their birthday month (this could be a perfect tie-in with your curated snack menu). Take a moment on their anniversary with the company to recognize how they’ve helped out over the last year.

Make moments memorable

An email congratulating a team member on their pick as employee of the month feels good. A certificate of appreciation they can show off in their workspace feels even better. So does a set of business cards showing off their new job title.

In our digital-default world, marking moments with real-life decorations and displays helps drive home the real difference great employees make on your company. Walmart Business Print turns those ideas into a reality with high-quality templates and uploadable designs, all with free same day pickup from local stores and free shipping on orders over $35.

Bring them together

Have you had an especially good quarter? Or maybe you just feel like the team could use a break? This is a great opportunity to bring the team together outside of work for an impromptu celebration—all the better if you can clear out some time for the fun during normal business hours so everyone can fit it in their schedule.

Spending time together in a casual and social setting can also fight employee loneliness, which the Society for Human Research Management found is directly correlated to poor job performance and weaker feelings of emotional commitment to employers.

Do more for your team

Recognizing your employees’ hard work is important, but it shouldn't be a full-time job of its own. Create a Walmart Business account today, and you'll unlock access to low prices and a wide selection of products and features that help you give your team members the props they deserve.

You’ll unlock even more options when you sign up for your choice of three Walmart Business+ plans. With free shipping, no order minimum,¹ and free delivery from store,² $35 minimum, those little “just because” celebrations will be even easier to plan.

¹ Excludes most marketplace items. Freight & location surcharges may apply.

² Restrictions apply.