Administrative professionals wear many hats throughout a day. From greeting visitors and processing paperwork to setting up travel logistics and answering emails, the hundreds of simple tasks that they accomplish are vital for making your office operations run efficiently. Now that Administrative Appreciation Day has come and gone, continue to show the admins in your office how thankful you are. Use these creative and thoughtful ideas to get inspired about how to let them know you notice all they do:

1. Jewelry. Forget flowers that die in days or meals that don’t matter tomorrow; give your administrative professionals long-lasting gifts they’ll treasure by giving them beautiful jewelry! From quality watches to beautiful rings, jewelry is a reward that never expires, affirming and rewarding your staff member for years to come.
2. Badges. Honor that loyal admin with public recognition — use a custom-designed “years of service” Badge ACcent to highlight long-time administrative support. Your employee will wear and display that highly visible honor every day, letting everyone know that you appreciate his or her work. As others recognize and comment on the Badge ACcent, your staff member gains a sense of accomplishment that’s hard to ignore.
3. Time. If there’s one thing your staff is sure to appreciate, it’s time off. Consider giving your assistants an extra personal day to use at their discretion, or, if it’s possible, tell all the admins to go home early on a Friday to show your appreciation.
4. Gift catalogs. When you want to give your staff members the kinds of gifts they’ll truly love, you don’t want to get them what you’d want; you want to get them what they’d want. Rather than a single gift, offer them a selection of gifts from which they can choose. When an admin gets to select something from a company gift catalog, he or she gets the pleasure of handpicking something that fits his or her tastes. You might want to consider implementing a “points banking” incentive program that will allow you to acknowledge more often and your co-worker to “build points” for the gift they really would like.
5. Personalized gifts. Another way to go above and beyond the typical rewards is with personalization. Whether it’s a handbag pattern, a stone color for a ring or something else, when employees put their stamp on an item, it becomes so much more meaningful.
6. Role reversal. For an admin gift no one will forget, take on the traditional admin tasks at the admin desk and let your staff members see you trying your hand at their daily efforts. Getting out of your comfort zone may take some courage, but it will go a long way toward showing your team you care. As a bonus, you may end up appreciating your staff members more than ever!

Whatever gift you choose for your staff members, be sure to give it alongside a heartfelt note of thanks. Taking the time to appreciate your admins means taking the time to call out and notice what they do. Make the most of Administrative Appreciation Day this year through some of the thoughtful gestures listed here!

Carl Martens is a resident catalyst for change at Award Concepts. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from DeVry University with a degree in Sales and Marketing. At Award Concepts, Carl is an advocate for his clients, working closely with them to develop and deliver their ideal recognition programs.