Appreciation letter to employee for outstanding performance

Oyewole Folarin loves crafting letters and notes and helping others find the words they need for life's special moments.

Motivate your best employees to keep working hard by recognizing their contributions with thank you notes and emails.

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"Thank You For Your Hard Work!"

Saying thank you to an employee for their effort, hard work, dedication, or exceptional performance isn't just good office etiquette—it's something that all managers and CEOs should do regularly to boost morale, incentivize hard work, and improve employee retention. Remember that the continued success of any organization depends on the ongoing efforts of its employees. Effective employees who accept the responsibility of carrying out day-to-day operations while also going above and beyond to help a company achieve and exceed its goals deserve to be recognized and rewarded.

A simple letter of appreciation to a member of your staff for their efforts will help them feel encouraged and motivate them to keep putting in hard work. The more you communicate with employees about how their work contributes to company success, the more likely they are to stick around and keep giving you their best!

To get started, read over the tips and example messages in this guide. You can modify the ideas below with specific details or just comb through the provided sample messages for inspiration before crafting your own unique thank-you note.

How to Structure Your Note, Letter, or Email

If you want to thank a team member for going above and beyond but you're not sure where to begin, try to follow this general structure as you compose your note.

• Greet the employee and thank them generally for their hard work.
• Mention what they did well specifically. Help them understand exactly what you are actually thanking them for. Did they complete an important project? Did they pick up slack when another staff member quit or fell ill? Did they exceed a sales quota?
• Describe the impact their efforts had on your business’s health, growth, or success. Explain specifically how their excellent performance or extra efforts have helped the company succeed.
• Thank them again and let them know how much you value them as a team member before closing the note or letter.

A well-crafted thank-you note can keep hardworking employees motivated to continue their professional excellence.

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Appreciation Letters for Outstanding Performance

• Thank you for all your hard work and commitment. Your recent contributions to the Sawyer merger have been invaluable to our company. The way you motivate and lead team members by delegating tasks is impressive and has proven very valuable in keeping our operations running smoothly. I am pleased to inform you that we are now perfectly positioned to compete against other big players in our market, like Merreck and UniVest. Once again, thank you for being a dependable team player and working to help make our collective dream a reality. Well done!
• I am writing to you to let you know that the management team is extremely impressed with your recent work on the UpLevel project. You've dedicated years of service to this company, and your work exemplifies our core values and principles now more than ever. Thank you for all that you have done to help this company succeed over the years. Keep up the exemplary work!
• If anyone in this organization truly deserves a commendation, it is you. Thank you for really hustling these past two quarters to help us meet our projections. Your performance has been excellent, and your professionalism has done wonders for our newer clients’ perceptions of our brand. We really appreciate your hard work and commitment to timely project delivery.
• We would like to thank you for your recent contributions to our business’s growth. You really deserve this token of appreciation for all your hard work and the extra hours you've put in to help us achieve and exceed this quarter's revenue targets. Once again, we are truly appreciative of your service and continued commitment to our vision. Keep it up!
• I would like to thank you for greatly impressing our esteemed guests during the recent trade fair at the convention center. You left such a positive impression on the team from Newark that they signed a two-year contract. They're now our third biggest client! Once again, thank you so much for participating in the event and working hard to demonstrate our company's vision.
• I just wanted to thank you for bringing out the best in the team and always striving for excellence. I commend you for being so dependable and tactful when handling staff conflicts. The work you do here helps our team feel safe, supported, and motivated. Thanks again for going above and beyond to foster an environment in which we can all work happily and comfortably.
• If it weren’t for your innovative ideas and passion for the job, we wouldn’t have met and exceeded the Johnson group's expectations. Thank you once again for all the extra hours you spent to make sure our proposals made a great impression. We are proud to call a talented and dedicated employee like you our own. Thanks again for working with us.
• Each of the five years of service you have given this organization has been exceptional. It's been amazing having someone as committed as you on our team. You embody our vision and principles through your excellent work. We hope that you will continue to work with us, as you are an invaluable asset to this organization. Once again, thank you for everything you do, and here's to five more years!
• Thank you for all of your hard work! The board of directors was extremely impressed with your work on the software transition over the past five weeks. System migrations are always difficult, but you managed the project carefully and effectively, and we are now well-positioned to move forward with our client outreach strategy over the next several months. Thanks again, and keep up the fantastic work!
• Thank you for working with the design team to create a product that stands out from everything else available on the market. We are so impressed with the outcome of this project, and we can't wait to roll out the new design. Thank you for your creativity and for going the extra mile to help our small company succeed in such a big world.
• I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you for your efforts to inspire the team to work diligently and efficiently over the last six months to get us out of the red. You’re worth far more than this token of appreciation, but we thought it would be nice to get you a little something to say thanks for all your hard work and dedication. Thank you once again for setting an example for other team members and being an asset to this organization.

Employees who have met or exceeded expectations justifiably expect recognition from their team.

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More Sample Thank You Notes to Staff for a Job Well Done

• Your contributions to the FRD project have been extremely helpful. Our performance audit showed that the success of the project was due in no small part to your hard work and dedication. Thanks to your professionalism, organizational skills, and years of experience, we are far ahead of our competitors on the distribution front. Thank you for everything you do.
• Thank you for participating in the HVAC conference at the Burgundy Ballroom. Your presentation was excellent, and I think it definitely helped solidify our position as the first and the best when it comes to top-notch products, service, and delivery. We are so appreciative of your efforts and dedication to our cause. You are an invaluable employee at this company. Keep up the good work!
• What a terrifically talented person you are. The management team wanted to offer you this bonus in recognition of your years of dedicated service. Thank you for your efforts and your continued commitment to excellence. Your hard work and leadership have played a large part in the success of this team over the years. Well done!
• We are so lucky to have such talented staff on our team. Our branch's numbers last quarter were incredible, and we couldn't have achieved them without your amazing contributions. Thank you!
• We are so lucky to have an experienced employee like you who is always willing to troubleshoot when we run into roadblocks and put in extra hours when we've got tight project deadlines. Your example has inspired other team members to work tirelessly to achieve our goals. Thank you again for all your hard work and the great example you set for your colleagues.
• We would like you to know that the timing of the Coors project was perfect, and the results were even better than we expected. This token of appreciation is our small way of saying thank you for doing an excellent job. Here's to another successful project delivery!
• We are extremely satisfied with the sales report, and the management team cannot thank you enough for thinking outside the box to find creative ways for us to meet our revenue targets during the market lull. We'd be hard-pressed to find another team leader with your tenacity, so you'd better stick around! Thank you again for everything that you do to help the company succeed.
• I am writing to let you know that corporate was pleasantly surprised by your progress report on the Jones project. Thank you so much for your positivity and efficiency when it comes to meeting unrealistic deadlines. You've only been here a few months, but your work looks like that of a seasoned vet. Keep it up!
• I wanted to let you know how much we appreciate your professionalism and the leadership skills that you have demonstrated in your new role. You are an excellent manager, and your team's progress is impressive. Thank you again for all that you do.
• Thank you so much for your hard work and dedication. You relentlessly supervised the Sandoval project from beginning to end without so much as a hiccup. We received great feedback from the client, and we wanted to pass along our appreciation for a job well done. We value your commitment and thank you for your continued attention to detail. Cheers to you and your team!
• I am pleased to inform you that we always hear good things from corporate whenever you represent us at a trade event. Because of your expertise, professionalism, and commitment, we've made a great impression on prospective clients and others in the industry at all four conventions we attended this year. Thank you again for having a passion for the job.

Not recognizing an employee's exceptional work risks alienating them and disincentivizing future efforts.

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Additional Sample Appreciation Emails for Team Members

• I just wanted you to know how appreciative we are for all of those extra hours you spent on the Foreman account. We never thought we'd get results so soon after you became the project manager. You really went above and beyond to help this company reach its full potential. We are proud to have you on our team.
• Thanks again for your excellent performance at the Echelon Trade Fair in San Francisco. We are so lucky to have you representing our organization. You always make a great impression with your presentations, and no one is better than you at getting prospective clients excited about our product.
• Thank you so much for your wonderful presentation at the paper session. You went above and beyond to make it a relaxed-yet-engaging experience, and our clients seemed to really enjoy it. Thank you for making everyone feel comfortable and at ease during the event.
• After your interview, I knew without a doubt that you would be a great asset to whatever company you chose to work for. I'm glad you chose us. Thank you for your loyalty, hard work, and dedication to this organization over the past year. Here's to many more!
• Our progress report for the last quarter was far more robust than usual, and it was due in no small part to your spearheading of the content-migration project. Please accept this token as our small way of saying thanks. We recognize your efforts, and we thank you for doing everything you can to make this business succeed. We’re so lucky to have you on our team.
• Thank you for all of your careful work this week. Your passion for the job is exceptional and sets a great example for the newer members of our team. Thank you for always being here and keeping things running smoothly while I travel. We are so blessed to have an employee like you setting high standards for the rest of the staff. Keep up the good work!
• I would like to thank you so much for your help during the last customer party. You made everyone feel welcome and at ease, and we received a number of positive remarks from clients about how friendly, helpful, and professional you are. Well done!
• We are exceedingly satisfied with the results of your expansion project, and we feel it is worthy of special recognition. We cannot thank you enough for your vision and drive when it comes to spearheading new regional growth initiatives. Thank you again for your contributions to the company.
• The entire team has the utmost confidence in you. Your professionalism, leadership qualities, and passion for the job make you an incredible person to work with. Thanks for setting a great example for the team and showing the new hires the ropes. I don't know what we'll do if you ever decide to take a vacation!

Longer Thank You Letters for Employees

Here are two examples of longer-form, slightly more formal letters of appreciation that would be appropriate for an employee who made a major contribution or whose performance was outstanding.

First Example

Dear [name],

I am writing to thank you for being patient with us as we navigate this financial crisis and struggle to remain in business. Despite the pay cuts, you've consistently stood by us and put in extra hours to help our company achieve its goals. Your dedication and perseverance have helped us make the best of a bleak situation, and your tireless work has helped us become what we are today. Thank you once again for your commitment to this business and your invaluable contributions to our work. Let's ride this momentum so that our company can reach its full potential as we emerge from this recession.

Yours sincerely,

[Your full name]

Second Example

Dear [name],

It is my pleasure to inform you that the board is extremely satisfied with your excellent performance during the year's first quarter. You took risks and tried new things, and it clearly paid off. Your numbers have shown the team what is possible and done wonders when it comes to motivating the rest of the sales staff. You might not know this, but we are aware of your efforts, and we cannot thank you enough for all your hard work and commitment to this job. Thank you again for all of the amazing things you do to make [name of company] the best in the business.

Yours sincerely,

[Your full name]

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.

© 2018 Oyewole Folarin

Jigme on July 30, 2020:

Thanks. Well written