60 Heartfelt Employee Appreciation Quotes to Say “Thank You”

Use these meaningful quotes for employees to show your true gratitude for your people.

Zig Ziglar said it best: “You never know when a moment and a few sincere words can have an impact on a life.”

This quote hits right at the heart of employee recognition. In fact, when asked in a recent survey, job seekers across the globe listed “appreciation for my work” as the number one attribute that is most important in a job.

But sometimes it’s difficult to find the words that fully express your genuine appreciation. That’s why we’ve created a comprehensive list of 60 inspirational employee appreciation quotes (sorted by subject) to help you pick the perfect words every time. You can insert any of them into an email, an employee review, or an eCard through your employee recognition program.

Employee appreciation quotes

Each occasion deserves a personalised thanks. Here are some common times to show recognition, with appropriate employee appreciation quotes for each.

Top Performance

1. I am constantly impressed by your performance. Thank you for your hard work!

2. Thank you for using your remarkable talents and skills to fuel our mutual efforts.

3. I’m amazed by how you maintain your performance while taking on even more work. You’re a superstar!

4. A reliable employee is the best gift a leader can ask for. Thank you for being someone I can rely on.

5. Your excellent performance is an inspiration to all. Keep up the great work!

6. Congratulations on your great victory! Only you could have pulled it off!

7. Keep working like this, and nothing will be able to stop you!

8. Your creative and innovative thinking has put you in a class all your own. No one else can compare.    

Recognition Tip: Consistent employee recognition builds strong teams and stronger company cultures. Find out the best ways to share employee appreciation from our guide.

Work Ethic

9. Your hard work and dedication is an example to everyone on our team! Thank you for being your best every day!

10. It’s a great relief for any leader to have a team member who manages themselves. Your effort is deeply, deeply appreciated.

11. I’m so grateful for all of your hard work. It definitely hasn’t gone unnoticed!

12. Only an exemplary employee inspires his boss on a daily basis. You are that employee. Thank you for setting such a great example for everyone in our company!

13. Your dedication to your work is helping lead us to success!

14. You never do just a good job when you can do a great one. Thank you for the time and effort you put into everything you do!

15. You are always responsible and strive to complete your work well and on time. It is very appreciated.

Recognition Tip: You can insert any of these quotes into an eCard for added personalization using an employee appreciation program like Culture Cloud Recognition from O.C. Tanner.    

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Teamwork and Collaboration

16. The perfect employee lifts others up instead of pushing them down. Thank you for being a positive influence!

17. I’m so grateful that you always take the time to help your coworkers. It’s really made our team come together.

18. Thank you for being such a team player. We wouldn’t be the same without you!

19. Your unique perspective adds so much to our team. We’re so grateful to have you with us!

20. Team members are always talking about your hard work and helpful attitude. Thank you for being such an amazing role model.  

Frequent, personalised recognition increases odds of employee engagement by 9x and great work by 13x.
— GLOBAL CULTURE REPORT, O.C. TANNER INSTITUTE

Project and Goal Completion

21. Your hard work and commitment helped us complete our project on time. I’m so grateful to have you with us!

22. Thank you for going above and beyond to help us achieve our goal. We wouldn’t have made it without you!

23. Your extraordinary attention to detail took this project to another level!

24. You did a fantastic job helping our team reach its goal. Thank you for setting such a fantastic example!

25. Our project wouldn’t have been the same without your invaluable insight and creativity!

26. Take pride in a job well done, because you are the reason we achieved our goals!

27. By taking one step at a time, you’ve proven that nothing can get in your way!

Wonderful Workplace Attitudes  

28. The office is a happier place with you in it. Thanks for the laughs!

29. I love that you always come to work with a bright smile and a fantastic attitude!

30. Your sense of humour makes coming to work an absolute delight. Thank you for keeping our spirits high!

31. You never fail to make everyone’s day better when you’re here!

32. I’ve noticed that you always make an effort to encourage your coworkers. Thank you for being such a positive force on our team!

33. It’s nice to have an employee who is always up for a challenge!

34. You take the “im” out of impossible!

35. I admire your dedication to always putting forth excellent work.  

Personal Successes

36. You’ve been crushing your personal goals lately. Awesome job!

37. I’m so happy that your dedication has paid off in a big way. Keep up the great work!

38. Your enthusiasm for developing your talents is truly inspirational.

39. Watching you strive to improve has been an inspiration for both me and the entire team. You’re amazing!

40. You’ve worked so hard to get where you are. Congratulations on your well-earned reward!

41. You’ve faced challenges and overcome many obstacles, but always have drive to keep going. Thank you for your incredible example of never giving up.

Work Anniversaries and Career Milestones

42. It’s been so great working with you this year. I look forward to many more years to come!

43. We’ve made it to another employee appreciation day—and it’s just another chance for us to express how grateful we are for your first-rate work!

44. From day one, your work has always been amazingly high-quality. So thrilled to have you with us!

45. I don’t know how we could have made it through this year without you! Happy workplace anniversary!

46. We’re blessed to still have you as part of our team. Here’s to a promising future in our organisation!

47. Your exemplary commitment over the years has been pivotal to this company’s success.

Recognition Tip: You can amplify any service milestone celebration through Culture Cloud Anniversaries by adding a Yearbook and custom award that honors an employee's contributions over time.

The Little Things  

48. The office kitchen is always spotless after you’ve been there! Thank you for keeping it so clean.

49. I’m so grateful that you’re not afraid to ask questions! It helps me be a better leader.

50. Your desk is so beautifully decorated! It always brightens my day whenever I walk by it.

51. I love that you make such insightful comments during meetings. It makes my job a lot easier!

52. Thank you for always being the first to clean up after game time (I won’t thank you for always beating me at Uno though!).

53. Volunteering to take on the fundraiser was the key to its success. Thank you for your dedication to the worthy cause!

54. You make coming to work a pleasure.

Appreciation Quotes for Recipients

If you happen to be the recipient of an appreciation award, it’s hard to know what to say in return. Here are some appreciation quotes that can help you convey what you want to say.

55. I can’t fully describe how much I appreciate being the recipient of such a prestigious award, but I am truly honored.

56. Be assured that I will continue to work in a way that will make you proud.

57. Thank you for supporting me in my efforts to succeed.

58. Thanks to my amazing team who helped me pull off this project. I couldn’t have done it without them.

59. Your mentorship has made all the difference in the way I approach my work.

60. Please accept my heartfelt gratitude. I look forward to another 10 years!

More Inspiration

Hopefully, these quotes have ignited your imagination and inspired you to use your words to appreciate your employees (and those who recognise you).

If you need more inspiration, here’s a step-by-step guide to giving employee appreciation and a list of fun and cost-friendly ways to recognise employees.

Consider Culture Cloud Recognition

The results of an effective employee recognition program are impressive—78% of employees are highly engaged when they feel strong recognition from their organisation (compared to 34% who get weak recognition).

Culture Cloud is O.C. Tanner’s powerfully effective employee recognition platform. This platform is inclusive to all employees, no matter who they are and where they work. Here’s what you can do with Culture Cloud Recognition:

• Spark participation with nudges and tips
• See great work go viral with social recognition
• Celebrate company milestones with group point deposits and custom awards
• Set team initiatives and accomplish them with aligned effort
• Celebrate life’s big events and meaningful moments
• Reward healthy habits using wellbeing incentives
• Foster face-to-face connections and co-creations that encourage ongoing progress
• Empower employees to give with a self-service budget tool
• Gather feedback to help benchmark, track, and adapt to employee sentiment

More than 3,000 companies all over the world trust Culture Cloud to help them attract and retain talent, strengthen teams, and build exceptional workplaces. Learn more at octanner.com.