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May 2016 • www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com 13 FEATURE Te efect of your "thank you" will be immediate and have a lasting impact. Appreciation from manage- ment boosts morale, enhances the workplace culture and plays a big role in employee retention. Here are ways — big and small — to acknowledge your accountants afer tax season: 1. LONG WEEKEND: Chances are, your accountants pulled eve- ning and weekend shifs in the thick of tax season. Give back some of that time in the form of a three- or four-day weekend by closing the ofce on a Friday and/or Monday. If that isn't feasible for your frm, take turns: have half the staf take one long weekend while the other half gets an extended break the following week. 2. GIFTS: You may already give bonuses for frmwide or indi- v idual performance. Do a litle more afer tax season as a way to directly tie your staf members' hard work with the reward. Small but thoughtful touches — such as gourmet chocolates sent to employees' home addresses, restau- rant gif cards with enough value to treat their family, or gif certifcates for a facial or massage — can mean a lot. Be sure to atach a brief, hand- writen thank-you note, too. 3. FACE-TO-FACE THANKS: Gifs and notes are nice, but there's nothing quite like being thanked personally. Draw up a list of employees, and divide the names among partners and senior management. Teir goal through- out the coming month would be to approach every worker on their list and ofer recognition for a job well done. For remote workers, pick up the phone or have a video chat. 4. PUBLIC RECOGNITION: Let ever yone at the frm — not just your accountants — know how much you appreciate their hard work. Some ideas: • On your frm's Facebook page or Instagram account, upload a group photo and thank employees for another great tax season. • Become a public radio sponsor, which ofen includes air time you could use to publicly acknowledge your employees. • Call up a local radio station and dedicate a song that recognizes your staf 's role during tax time. Make sure the staf tunes in so they hear the message. 5. FUNNY AWARDS: It's good to laugh afer a grueling tax season. Hold a contest in cat- egories, such as: • Funniest tax season story • Craziest deduction • Te most number of times you've had to redo a return to satisf y a client • Longest tax return Of course, keep all anecdotes anonymous. Present award certif- cates and humorous prizes during a staf meeting or party. 6. A WEEK OF THANKS: One day of recognition is good, but fve is even beter. Pick a week when most of your staf will be in the ofce, and make each day special. For example: • Monday: Bagels for breakfast • Tuesday: Mid-morning lates for all • Wednesday: Te boss springs for lunch. Go beyond the norm by ordering bento boxes or " hero" sandwiches, or bring to the work site a couple of popular food trucks. • Tursday: Frozen yogurt day for the afernoon break – make it fun by including all the toppings. • Friday: Happy hour – afer the work day is done (and keeping with the frm's policy), treat the team to festive hors d'oeuvres and drinks. Or go the non-food route by having a special activity or theme each day: • "Massage Monday" – Bring in a team of massage therapists to give shoulder and back massages throughout the day. • "Tuesday Tunes" – Hire a string orchestra to play in the lobby dur- ing lunch. • "Wellness Wednesday" – A fer a morning of work, everyone heads to a nearby gym for an afernoon of swimming, basketball, Zumba or yoga classes, or another fun group activity. • "Tot or Turtle Tursday" – Tis is the day to show of children or pets. Be prepared for lots of coos and cuddles, but workers probably won't get much done. (Tat can be OK for one day afer tax season!) • "Freebie Friday" – Order goodies branded with your company's logo and hand them out near the end of the day. Go beyond pens and mugs, and opt for popular gifs like feece jackets, hoodies, messenger bags, power banks for boosting mobile batery life or picnic blankets. To ensure you're ofering perks your staf will sincerely love, create an ad hoc employee fun commitee. Give them enough budget and free rein to be fun and creative. No mat- ter what you decide to do, remember there's no rule that says you have to spend money to thank staf. If you can swing it, though, above-and- beyond eforts go a long way toward creating a workplace environment where people want to do their best and give their all. Recognition After Tax Season: 6 Kudos Staff Will Love By Paul McDonald A nother tax season is over, and now you can catch your breath. As a manager for a public accounting frm, you may want to take of for a well-deserved vacation. But before you go, be sure to show your hardworking staf some recognition. Paul McDonald is senior executive director at interna- tional stafng frm Robert Half. He writes and speaks fequently on hiring , workplace and career management topics. Over the course of more than 30 years in the recruit- ing feld, McDonald has advised thousands of company leaders and job seekers on how to hire and get hired.