Mid-Year Engagement and Recognition Check-in

A lot of strategic planning and budgeting happens at the end of the year, with certain elements deployed in January and February. Everyone enjoys buying their new year calendars when everything is fresh for a new start. However, many important plans, like those for employee engagement and recognition, need to be consistently reviewed. Here are some questions to ask yourself as a mid-year check-in to see if the right activities are happening and objectives are being met:

1. Do you recognize employees all year-round (not just around the holidays)? 
2. Do you regularly say thank you and acknowledge hard work after challenging times of year or projects?
3. Do you have a budget allocated to recognition gifts for milestones or achievements?
4. Does your organization celebrate special holidays or national months/weeks that are pertinent to the business? 
5. Do you ever think, “We should have planned something for our employees for that event/holiday?!”

Fear not! This is your friendly June reminder that it’s never too late in the year to implement low-key parties, contests, appreciation meals, team bonding or other engagement and recognition activities. It doesn’t need to be expensive, over-the-top, or cheesy, either. By simply taking the time to do a mid-year engagement & recognition check-in, you are proactively looking at opportunities to keep employees feeling valued and happy.

Begin Using Our Calendar Any Time!

Our FREE 2024 Day-to-Day Employee Appreciation Calendar is a great resource for ANY month at ANY time of the year to see what’s coming up and plan months ahead. It’s not intended to be used January 1 and it’s never too late to peruse for engagement and recognition ideas.

For example, here are some dates coming up that may be of interest to you!

NATIONAL ICE CREAM DAY (JULY 16) — Ice cream is the international language of summertime. Gift certificates for ice cream, popsicles and other frozen treats are always sure to be a hit!

NATIONAL FRIENDSHIP DAY (AUG 7) — Workplace friendships can be instrumental in fostering a healthy workplace culture. Stanford University researchers found that more communal organizations “are better at resolving work-family issues and foster long-term employment relations.” Do you make time and space for people to bond? Playing games, sharing meals and finding common ground through conversation can all be easily achieved with the right intention and opportunities.

EAT OUTSIDE DAY (AUG 31) — Yes, we’re fans of BBQs and picnics, but this day is special in its own way. Encourage people to step out of the office with brown bag lunches, food trucks, or a full al fresco dining experience. Allow friendships to flourish and enjoy the change of scenery.

WORLD GRATITUDE DAY (SEPT 21) — If you need another reason to celebrate gratitude — besides its profound effect on happiness, social engagement and motivation, here’s another: health! In stressful situations, grateful people demonstrate lower spikes in blood pressure. This resilience exists on a biological level; it explains why grateful people are able to bounce back from stress or hardships more quickly.

This is also MUCH MORE than a calendar!

This guide is also brimming with short and informative articles and resources that any leader can use. If you work with people and have any responsibility for engagement and recognition, or workplace culture, this is worth keeping on your desktop.

Download and start using it today!

Top photo by Aron Visuals on Unsplash