There may not be a silver bullet for employee retention or the talent shortage, but for some, employee appreciation comes close.

Employee appreciation can, according to various sources, decrease absenteeism, improve productivity, reduce turnover and improve customer satisfaction. And what it looks like is evolving. Better tech allows managers to closely monitor workers and, ideally, better understand their day-to-day needs — but strong appreciation programs, according to the stories below, may involve a mix of modern data science and traditional standbys, like appreciation events, bonuses and simple "thank you's."

These five stories, gathered especially for Employee Appreciation Day, provide a broad look at how employers are thinking about appreciation at a time when candidates hold most of the cards.