Calling all Supervisors! DU’s National Student Employment Week (April 8 – 12) is quickly approaching! Would you like to show appreciation for your student employees, but tight on budget? We got you.
The Office of Student Employment has created free recognition certificate templates for you to award to your student employees! Show some appreciation for your Returning Leader, your Helping Hand, your Problem Solver, or your Crystal Clear Communicator– or edit them to create your own accolades!
Here are some other free or low-cost ideas for showing appreciation!
No Cost Ideas
- Send a thoughtful note or have everyone sign an e-card and send it to your student employee.
- Write them a LinkedIn recommendation and/or nominate them for a You Rock Award! There’s nothing like saying nice things while also making them look good to future employers.
- Host a professional development training for them during paid time, choosing from our (free!) menu of training topics. You can also cover time for them to go to an advising meeting, or attend a job fair to support their professional development.
- Help them set up an informational interview on campus with someone who could be of help to their professional development. Find more information here.
- Shout out your student employees on your department’s social media accounts, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok. Here are some great examples from Innovation Labs and Beans. (We’d love to see them too, so make sure to tag @ducareerservices!)
- Decorate office doors or bulletin boards with signs expressing appreciation to your student employees, and send us a picture at stuemp@du.edu!
Low Cost Ideas
- Stickers or pins
- Goodie bags and/or care packages (candy, trail mix, popcorn, pens, fidgets, etc.)
- Department or DU swag
- Coffee or tea mug
- Host a breakfast or lunch
Find more information about the gift policy here.
What ideas do you have? What are your student employees’ interests and what would they like? This is a good time for the Supervisory Questionnaire with the question “how do you like to be appreciated?” Can your department budget be used for anything purchased? With any and all ideas, please adhere to COVID safety guidelines, departmental funding guidelines, and the safety preferences of you and your student employees.
Bonus suggestion: Join us in honoring this year’s Student Employee & Supervisor of the Year! If you didn’t have a chance to nominate your student employees, consider nominating next year.
