Authentic Appreciation–Thank You Messages for Coworkers That Really Work

There are only several thousand guides on how to make feedback constructive, not catastrophic. We’re all absolutely quaking over the prospect of hurting someone’s feelings and immediately being branded a Big Meanie™️. 

Valid. But why don’t we dedicate more of this worry toward phrasing genuine appreciation? We’ll lose sleep finding the right way to tell someone their spreadsheet was slop but put little effort into communicating the impact of their wins. 

It is easier to be nice, but that’s not what authentic appreciation is truly about. Sit tight as we discuss why it’s worth putting more effort into appreciation. We’ll explore why what you’re currently doing isn’t working and how to craft effective thank-you messages for coworkers and employees.

Why authentic employee appreciation takes more effort

Organizations have difficulty with authentic employee appreciation because they confuse it with recognition. Both are important, but they’re not the same. Authentic appreciation will address an individual’s qualities, not just their actions.

Here we have a message recognizing an employee:

“Awesome job this week! You met that deadline with ease. Thanks for all of your great work.”

Now, an authentic appreciation message to an employee:

“Maya, your passion and persistence under pressure saved the day. It’s a real honor to work with you.”

Again, there’s nothing wrong with the first message. Messages of recognition like that should be shared as often as necessary. But in other circumstances, the appreciation message is warranted and much more meaningful. 

The appreciation message highlights particular personal qualities and emphasizes the value the individual adds to the workplace. The attention to detail is part of why sincere thank you messages to coworkers and staff require a bit more effort than everyday recognition.

What is a good employee appreciation message?

Now that we’re clear on what they are, let’s talk about the essential attributes of sincere employee appreciation messages.

1. Be on time

Just like with recognition, appreciation should happen as soon as possible. In the above example, both are given the same week. However, you can do this on the same day. Here’s an example of an appreciation message emailed directly after a meeting:

“Ryan, I need to thank you for asking such insightful questions during the morning meeting. Your thoughtfulness opened up a discussion that’s incredibly helpful to your coworkers and allowed me to share some ideas that are really important to me.”

2. Be specific

Recognition is specific, but appreciation zooms in even more. In the example we just saw, we don’t stop at thanking Ryan for participating in the meeting. We name the qualities that made that participation so impactful and share the positive results of that.

3. Be yourself

Does trying to connect with staff on a meaningful level sound awkward? If sharing compliments and niceties doesn’t come naturally to you, you may be at an advantage. That’s because people who are more reserved are often more observant. 

“Samira, thank you for staying late to troubleshoot that software issue. I’m glad there was someone with your competence around. The next morning would have been a disaster if not for you.” 

See? Nothing is nauseating or over-the-top here. Just the truth. Authentic appreciation is just honesty and detail. You don’t have to deliver it the way you imagine a bubblier, more open person would.

Reasons why some appreciation messages to employees ring hollow (and how to fix that)

Employee engagement is at some of its lowest levels ever. Fewer than half of employees feel their employer cares about them as a person. 

Written or verbal, public or private, here’s why some appreciation efforts don’t do much for employee satisfaction or company culture.

1. It’s compulsory

A company implements a recognition program. Everyone–from leadership down to entry-level employees–is now required to recognize everyone. In these conditions, it’s easy for appreciation to look like it’s part of your recognition quota.

Solution: Building a wider culture of recognition and giving employees the tools to adopt peer-to-peer recognition is a better strategy. When that appreciation message from a manager, CEO, or coworker comes through, it stands out and is genuine. 

2. It’s generic 

Give a whole team the same message of appreciation, and it immediately loses a lot of its impact. Imagine being the person who pushed themselves hard making up for someone else’s, um, more laissez-faire approach. 

Solution: In many cases, it’s appropriate to recognize the team and appreciate the individual. That way, people continue to put in effort; they know you see it. The specificity of authentic appreciation will always keep it from being generic.

3. It's delivered by someone with whom they have limited interaction

Employees indeed find appreciation more memorable when it comes from leadership. However, if that manager or lead never interacts with or supervises the recipient, how likely are they to believe it?

Solution: Cite your source! Tell them who’s kept them up to date or sang their praises. Mention any material or data you’ve reviewed that backs up the good word going around. This keeps it from seeming obligatory.

4. The behavior doesn’t match the sentiment

Employees and coworkers may not accept praise as genuine when it comes from someone who’s usually a harsh critic. The same goes for people who aren’t being themselves when offering appreciation and are just saying what they think they should.

Solution: Leaders set an example for everyone in an organization. Appreciation will never yield the outcomes we’re striving for without leaders who consistently model it. Those emulating others when expressing appreciation need to remember that detail and truth matter more than cuddly vibes. 

5. It only involves tangible or monetary rewards

Making tangible rewards an everyday incentive will never make employees trust a company or feel as valuable as being appreciated does. If you dedicate yourself to a job daily, what gives you more long-term satisfaction–being assured that you’re an asset or a gift card to a steakhouse? 

Solution: Offer recognition and appreciation without gifts or money at least as often as you do include those things. Also, rewards should be tailored to the recipient’s needs and interests. See our list of ways to recognize employees without money.

Thank you messages for coworkers and employees

To bring this all together, let’s look at more occasions and examples of real appreciation. Here, you’ll find peer-to-peer examples as well as appreciation messages to employees.

For exceptional performance

“Hey Ari, I just wanted to take a moment and say how impressive that presentation was. The attention to detail and the way you broke down the information was just what everyone needed to see. We see and appreciate the time and effort you must have put into that.”

“Jenna, your manager just showed me some client feedback. I must say it feels awesome to know we have someone with your great attitude and expertise representing the company and knocking it out of the park like that.”

To thank a coworker for their support

“I know I don’t say it enough, Kian, but you’re a great colleague to have. You’ve been really generous in helping me out, and I hope that you can rely on me if you ever need the same.”

“Thank you for having my back, Paige. I’ve been so stressed out, but your positivity and humor make it a lot easier to get through the tough days.”

For a successful collaboration or excellent teamwork

“This is what it’s all about, Charlotte. It seems like there’s no one you can’t work with and nothing you can’t do. You were the cornerstone of this team and should be really proud. I know I am!”

“Nick, thanks so much for accepting feedback and steering the team in the right direction. Your flexibility and willingness to adapt to changes in project scope are major factors in this collaboration’s success.”

Integrate gratitude into every workflow with HeyTaco 

Appreciation will always seem more authentic when it’s resting on a solid foundation of everyday recognition. HeyTaco fits like a glove inside Slack, Google Chat, and Microsoft Teams chats to make giving someone a shout-out as easy as pie. Except it’s a taco. 🌮

That way, your sincere messages of appreciation won’t seem like they appeared out of nowhere. It’s just another authentic expression of what it means to be valued and supported in the workplace. 

Try HeyTaco for free and challenge your organization to 30 days of positivity and gratitude.