How to Write A Thank You Note For A Job Well Done (With Examples)

Appreciating your employees for exceptional work they’ve done is an excellent strategy for improving company morale.

It may seem like a small gesture, but taking the time to write a note to an employee for a job well done makes them feel good. It validates that their hard work did not go unnoticed and motivates them to continue their efforts towards success.

We will go over how to write a thank you note for a job well done, provide examples, as well tips to help create the best thank you note.

Key Takeaways:

• Sending a Thank you note for a job well done to your employees can help encourage them to improve on their work, it helps promote positive behaviors, and it increases their job satisfaction.

• You should be straight forward when writing your thank you note and not tip-toe around the subject.

• Your letter should be filled with encouragement and positivity to let them know that you are happy with their job well done.

• The letter should be send at soon as possible so you are not leaving an employee wondering if their work was up to par.

How to Write a Thank You Note for a Job Well Done

Your business needs the work of your employees to function. If your staff feels unappreciated or unacknowledged for their efforts, it can harm your productivity and employee happiness.

One simple way to express your gratitude for their work on a specific project or overall performance is by writing a thank you note. Sending out a thank you note to employees for their strong work can profit your company by boosting employee satisfaction.

To write a thank you note to an employee for a job well done that makes them feel valued and motivated, read through the following steps:

1. Decide if you want to send the note through email or post. Even though professional communication often takes place over the internet today, you still have the option to hand-write a formal letter. A handwritten note may be a more meaningful and personal approach for your employees to feel the extent of your appreciation.

   However, a thank-you email may make more sense for your business relationships. Writing a letter by post can be too formal for many industries.

   As long as you articulate your thoughts and gratitude for their work, they will receive it well, whether you choose to send an email or letter.

2. Open with a professional greeting and proper format. You should write your thank you note in a professional format with a concise subject line. Even though the topic is light-hearted, your note should still read as a professional interaction.

   Examples of subject lines for thank you notes include:

   • Congratulations on ____

   • Thank you for your hard work during _____

   • Appreciation for your exceptional performance in _____

   • Good Job

   Begin your thank you note email by addressing the employee directly with “Dear [their name],” and then continue into the details of your correspondence.

3. Be straightforward with your gratitude. There’s no need to tip-toe around the purpose of your email. The subject line will have already clued the reader into the fact that you’re contacting them with positive feedback. Let them know from the beginning that you’re reaching out to extend your appreciation.

   By the second or third sentence, your email’s goal should be clear, and you will be ready to move on to the specifics.

4. Be specific. You should be specific about what part of their performance stood out to you or the things they have done particularly well. Saying thank you ambiguously may leave your employee unsure of what exactly they’ve succeeded in and should continue doing.

   You want your thank you note to let them know what behaviors they should lean into so that their performance can continue to grow. A thank you without specifics doesn’t give the employee all the information they need to keep working to the best of their potential.

5. Express your gratitude again and professionally close. You should close your thank-you note by thanking the employee once more for their contributions. While you don’t want to go overboard on your appreciation, it should be apparent throughout the letter that you’ve noticed how hard they’ve been working and appreciate them.

   Once you’ve said enough thank you’s for their confidence to be at an all-time high, you should close your letter professionally.

   For example:

   Sincerely,

   Your Name

Examples Of Thank You Notes for a Job Well Done

1. Example #1

   Subject Line: Thank You for Your Work

   Angela Bates
   (525)-693-4117
   AngelaBates@MetropolitanPhoto.org
   Event Photography Associate

   Dear Angela,

   I just saw the recent prints you did for the wedding reception you shot on October 1st. I wanted to reach out and thank you personally for the incredible work you’ve done.

   Your photographs from that night were tasteful and unique. The clients were absolutely thrilled with the way they turned out, too. I look forward to seeing the event photography work you do for us in the future.

   Thank you again for your hard work and talent.

   Sincerely,

   Tom Smith

   (716)-836-5334
   TomSmith@MetropolitanPhoto.org
   Photography Team Coordinator

2. Example #2

   Subject Line: Congratulations on a Successful Campaign

   Mark Bass
   (836)-225-1176
   MBass@gmail.com
   Marketing Specialist

   Hello Mark,

   Congratulations on the success of your marketing campaign for the Williams Make-Up Co. Their profit margins have increased by nearly 2% in only the last month alone.

   When I put you in charge of developing and leading this campaign, I had full confidence in your ability to meet my expectations. After seeing the results of the work you’ve done, my expectations have been exceeded. You can look forward to succeeding in more of these leadership roles in the future.

   Congratulations, and thank you for all you do to drive our company towards success.

   Best Wishes,

   Alexandria Clark

   (353)-825-1297
   AlexandriaClark@gmail.com
   Senior Marketing Supervisor

3. Example #3

   Subject Line: Goob Job!

   Henry Banks
   (373)-282-3448
   HenryBanks@RehomeRealty.com
   Real Estate Agent

   Dear Henry,

   Congratulations on selling the 3 bedroom/2 bath home on Sterling Ave! That one has been on the market for months now, and nobody else has been able to pull it off.

   I really appreciate you putting in the extra time and effort to make sure this property got sold. I have noticed a significant improvement in your sales and interpersonal skills in the past few months, which I believe greatly contributed to this win.

   Thank you again for your excellent work, and I’m looking forward to seeing what else you do in the future.

   Sincerely,

   Jacob King

   (352)-347-9977
   JacobKing@RehomeRealty.com
   Real Estate Agent

What to Include in a Thank You Note for a Job Well Done

1. Encouragement. The purpose of sending a thank you note to your employee is to share your appreciation, but it’s also to encourage them to keep up the good work. You should include a statement that motivates them to continue their professional success in the organization and let them know precisely what they’ve done well.

2. A professional, saveable delivery. The way you choose to deliver your thank you note is essential. You should only send it through email or post. These methods can be saved in an employee’s file and incorporated into the review system.

   When you just mention your thanks in passing at the office or send a text of congratulations for a job well done, it can’t be recorded to reflect the employee’s overall performance. This can leave holes in promotion considerations when it comes time to evaluate their performance.

3. Positivity. Sending an email or letter of appreciation to an employee is supposed to be a positive experience for all parties included. You’re happy because they’re doing their work to your satisfaction. They feel good because they’re being recognized for the effort they put in. The overall tone should be one of positivity.

4. Sincerity. An employee wants to feel like your gratitude is coming from a genuine place. Sounding sarcastic or overloading on half-hearted compliments may not be the best way to go about it. Try to express your feelings in the most sincere way.

Tips for Writing a Thank You Note for a Job Well Done

1. Be concise. A thank you note doesn’t need to be lengthy and drawn out. In fact, it should be just the opposite. You should be direct and straightforward in your praise of the employee’s accomplishments.

2. Editing. Before sending any form of written professional correspondence, you must proofread to make edits for mistakes. This is true of thank you notes as well. A message with many typos or grammatical errors will seem careless and unprofessional.

3. Consult examples. You won’t want to copy examples of thank you notes word-for-word. However, they can be a useful tool in understanding what it should look like. You can get a good idea of how to format your email or letter by post by searching for examples in Google images. Once you have a strong understanding of the proper format, you can personalize the note for the intended employee and their accomplishments.

4. Consider your working relationship. A professional thank you note for a job well done does not necessarily have to come from a boss to an employee. It can be between coworkers or on behalf of a satisfied client. Before writing the letter, consider the details of your professional relationship with the person you’re thinking about reaching out to with gratitude.

5. Send it in a timely manner. It doesn’t make much sense for a supervisor to send out a thank you letter months after a team member’s achievements have taken place. You should try to send out a thank you or congratulations letter as early as possible. Leaving an employee wondering if their work was up to par and then coming in later with a brief thank you may demotivate them in the future.

More Alternative Phrases for Job Well Done

Sometimes, you don’t need to give your employee a full-fledged email to express your appreciation for their good work. Maybe they’re not the type that enjoys a lot of fanfare or perhaps they excel so often that you can’t possibly craft a thank-you email every day.

Don’t worry — these phrases work well in a short email or even in a passing phrase if you want to diversify your mode of compliments a bit:

1. Truly excellent work:

   • You continue to set the bar higher each time

   • You’re in a class of your own and we’re lucky to have you on the team

   • Your level of work acts as an example for everyone

   • Unbelievable work on the last project

   • No matter the circumstances, you find a way to pull through with excellent work

2. Collaboration:

   • You bring great energy to this team and we all appreciate it

   • We all feel very lucky to have you as a part of this team

   • This work environment wouldn’t be the same without you

   • You really brought our morale up on that last project

   • Thanks for working alongside our newer members and showing them the ropes

3. Dedication:

   • Does anybody work harder than you? Thanks for all the extra effort

   • Your hard work does not go unnoticed

   • The dedication you’ve shown recently is really paying off — keep it up

   • Thanks for always being there when you’re needed

   • We appreciate that you’re always so reliable

4. Innovation:

   • Your creativity is a force to be reckoned with

   • I don’t know where you get your ideas, but I don’t care so long as you keep bringing them forward

   • Your way of looking at things is a valuable asset for this team

   • I appreciate how you always bring a unique perspective to every conversation

   • The whole team appreciates having someone with your vision as a presence

Other Gestures to Show Appreciation for a Job Well Done

If you’re a supervisor, there are other ways to show appreciation for a job well done besides an email or note. Just be sure that you’re fair and transparent about how you award these little extras, or you might foster resentment in employees who aren’t recognized as often.

• Gift cards. Gift cards are a great gesture for an employee who goes above and beyond. Plus, you can show how much you know them by choosing a restaurant they like or a store they frequent.

• Gifts. Again, you have to be careful about how you dole these out, but if you keep things reasonable, it should be fine. Even something as small as a little desk plant or a new coffee mug can really make someone’s day.

• Training opportunities. We’re getting more into actual human resource management here, but it’s important to bring up. Employees who excel are often looking to push the boundaries of their knowledge and grow. Giving them a chance to do that by paying for training courses is an incredibly valuable way to thank them, for both the employee and your business.

Author

Sky Ariella

Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.