Appreciating an employee for the remarkable tasks they accomplish holds immense value. Highlighting a colleague, staff member, instructor, superior, or team associate is an excellent approach to express gratitude for their dedication. A minor act can elevate spirits, enhance engagement, and foster a sense of awesomeness among individuals. Transform your entire office or educational setting’s atmosphere and foster a constructive workplace by establishing an employee shout out board.

What Exactly is a Shout Out?

Simply put, a shout out is when you offer your team members recognition in a public manner. Specifically mentioning a coworker and explaining to others why you highly value their contributions is a fantastic method to express acknowledgement. Displaying appreciation for a staff member is significantly impactful when you can inform everyone why you’re giving them a shout out. Perhaps they have:

  • Assisted in a project
  • Earned rave reviews from a client or customer
  • Gone above and beyond to be courteous
  • Showcased innovative thinking
  • Outperformed expectations
  • A birthday or an anniversary
  • A newborn, marriage, or crucial milestone

Expressing gratitude is undoubtedly valued, but enabling others to acknowledge their team colleagues is a superb habit within the workplace.

Explore an Employee Shout Out board.

Acknowledge your team with a shout out

Transition to a swift, effective, and pleasant method to recognize employees.

Establish a shout out board

When and Where Should a Shout Out Be Given?

employee showing appreciation in the hall

Offering a shout out is fitting anytime and anywhere at the workplace. From the classroom to the meeting room, showing recognition knows no limits. 

The most favorable aspect of shout outs is their cost-free and universal nature. Employees can acknowledge fellow workers, students can appreciate teachers, and staff can recognize peers. 

When everyone participates in shout outs, it cultivates a culture of gratitude that continues to thrive. Due to the encouraging and affirming work environment, individuals feel comfortable voicing their thoughts, providing support, and saying “job well done” more frequently. Leadership can also leverage positive reinforcement to build momentum.

Advantages of Expressing Appreciation in the Workplace

Being appreciated feels rewarding. When you receive acknowledgment for your successes and efforts, it raises your spirits and inspires you to maintain excellent performance. Experiencing gratitude amplifies your drive, motivating you to commit to delivering your utmost abilities at work. Establishing a gratitude-rich environment influences team dynamics positively.

According to research conducted by the American Psychological Association, 93% of workers “who reported feeling appreciated said they are motivated to give their best at work, and 88% indicated feeling engaged.” Moreover, only 21% intend to seek new opportunities in the coming year.

Often, recognition is presumed to be praise from a supervisor, manager, or higher-ups in the workplace. However, peer-to-peer recognition holds equal, if not greater importance. Acknowledging the efforts of your peers strengthens relationships within your team, fostering better collaboration. Practicing gratitude in peer interactions and management interactions aids in lowering turnover while minimizing undesirable attrition.

Understanding the Shout Out Board

An exceptional method to demonstrate gratitude and workplace appreciation is by designing a board where each employee can publicly thank a coworker. Here are some board ideas:

Various Shout Out Board Styles

1. Inkspired Gifts

Birthday group card filled with notes

An Inkspired Gifts is the ultimate choice for offering your employees a platform to commend each other virtually. An Inkspired Gifts serves as a centralized online location where every team member can post a gratitude message for all to view. You can include images, clips, or gifs with your message too.

Recognizing your workforce through Inkspired Gifts can be executed in diverse ways. You may select a different employee each week or month and dedicate a board to celebrate their achievements. Alternatively, you can create a general board monthly for anyone to acknowledge whoever they wish and spread compassion. An Inkspired Gifts is perfect for recognizing birthdays, anniversaries, or other noteworthy events too.

If managing a large remotely working team, the employee recognition software is a fantastic option to encourage recognition. With endless shout outs, premium features, and sophisticated admin tools, it’s effortless and enjoyable to publish shout outs and even better to read all the shout outs given to colleagues—all on a singular platform.

Gain easy access to endless shout outs

Streamline your employee recognition through a robust platform tailored for enterprises.

Establish a shout out board

2. Announcement Board

If your team…

If your team members operate on-site, it’s a good idea to consider setting up a bulletin board for them to express appreciation by writing notes of acknowledgment and posting them. Supply index cards and pens beside the board, and place it in the break area. This way, anytime an employee takes a break, they can see the board, write a commendation, and read the ones others have contributed about colleagues’ hard work. A notable benefit of such a board is the ability to offer anonymous recognition. Should an employee wish to show appreciation without being disclosed, they can do so via a recognition board, making it an excellent choice.

A staff appreciation board offers a straightforward technique to express gratitude and enhance workplace morale. The board’s theme can be refreshed monthly, and then the appreciation card can be given to the recognized employee to keep. It will serve as a cherished keepsake and a reminder of the recognition received for their efforts.

3. Slack Channel

Develop a Slack channel specifically for recognitions and acknowledgments. Your staff will have a readily accessible space to appreciate a colleague, wish someone a happy birthday, or celebrate a work anniversary. Remote workers will appreciate this dedicated area for giving shout-outs.

Consider calling the channel ‘Employee Recognitions,’ ‘#Excellence,’ or ‘Team Appreciation.’ Choose an intuitive name so every employee understands its purpose. Add all team members to the channel so that they can see the appreciation posts, facilitating an environment of gratitude at the workplace.

Why Implement an Appreciation Board?

Employee receiving appreciation from the team

So, why should a company or educational institution dedicate time to establish an appreciation board? Because everyone deserves recognition and wants gratitude for their contributions. Providing a public space for highlighting achievements shows that you’re a manager or owner who values acknowledging your staff and fostering peer-to-peer acknowledgments.

Prioritize appreciations in your workplace by offering a dedicated space for it. You’ll observe a notable transformation in company culture, with employees understanding the significance of acknowledging their peers. Take the initial step and set up an appreciation board.

Provide the recognition platform they merit

Enable them to offer shout-outs, acknowledge hard work, and cultivate a culture of appreciation.

Initiate an appreciation board

Common Inquiries

What is a staff appreciation board?

An employee appreciation board serves as a method to exhibit gratitude and recognition for employees’ diligent efforts. It is also an excellent means to boost workplace morale. An Inkspired Gifts appreciation board provides a central location for coworkers to recognize each other. As part of your gratitude messages, consider including images, video clips, or GIFs.

How to establish a staff appreciation board?

To set up an appreciation board, click “Create an Inkspired Gifts” at the top of our webpage. Next, complete the required details, select a suitable board, and choose a background. Be the first to draft and pin a note to set an example for others. Once your message is visible, invite others to contribute by sharing a link or entering their email through the website.

What are some ideas for an employee appreciation board?

Recognizing employees is crucial to making them feel esteemed. Yet, deciding what to feature on an appreciation board can be challenging. Here are some suggestions:

  • Highlight significant accomplishments. Did the employee secure a new client? Exceed their objectives? Implement a constructive change in the organization? All these warrant celebration.
  • Acknowledge everyday contributions. This is the chance to appreciate an employee who is reliable, industrious, or performing other vital, routine tasks.
  • Celebrate the individual who regularly surpasses expectations. Recognize that team member who consistently goes above and beyond.
  • Express gratitude or offer a compliment. Sometimes, acknowledgment exists simply because an employee consistently strives to give their best.