Everybody likes to know that they’ve done a great job from time to time. A letter of appreciation is a great way to make that acknowledgment and make it part of their permanent file. Here are five tips on writing a great letter to show your employees how valued they are.

1. Use Official Company Letterhead

While it may seem like a good idea to just send an email, putting a letter of appreciation on a letterhead makes it more official. Your employee will feel more valued that you took that time to put it on paper rather than just sending an email.

2. Follow Standard Letter Protocol

These letters can become part of their portfolio both to use with your company and in companies to come. So, while making it on official letterhead, be sure to follow protocol and have a block or modified block style writing. It should come with an official signature and never used a stamped version. Stamped signatures are impersonal and should be reserved for check writing and unimportant documents.

3. Make The Greeting Personal

While it may be tempting to put an employee number or something like “Dear Ms. Jones,” it is always better to start it with a direct greeting. Saying “Dear Trisha,” makes it seem that you have taken the time to recognize them as a person and not just another member of the team. Singling them out makes them feel good and allow them to feel like they have been directly recognized.

4. Spell Out Exactly What They Did

Some letters are about generalities, but this type of letter is not. Make sure that after you address them by name, you tell them exactly what they did that was so wonderful. If they had the highest productivity for the month, give them the numbers and facts. Most bosses will just look at this as a letter, but the employee may frame it and reference it on those days when they are feeling low or having a bad day.

5. Be Sincere

Letter writing has become nothing but formatted computing these days. Be sure to take time and tell them how valued they are. Don’t use a standard form that goes out to every employee, personalize it. Tell them something that you appreciate about them and let them know how much better the company is with them as a part of it. It takes just a few minutes to make a lasting impression on an employee. If the management shows how sincere they are, it will in return allow the employee to feel that they are part of the great things happening in the company.

Writing a letter just takes a few minutes, however, its affect can last for a long time. A company that appreciates their employees will have ones with long tenure. If the company has a high turnover rate, it may be time to start writing these kinds of letters and letting no good dead go unnoticed. It’s all about making someone feel appreciated.