Easy Staff Gifts: Thank Your Employees With Something Memorable

You may work alongside your employees every day, but that doesn’t mean you know a lot about their lives outside the office. Every employee is different. Does that mean you need to give each employee a different gift? If gift-giving gets too personalized, it can turn into a full-time job. Some occasions might call for staff gifts that are more distinct. But remember: Even gift giving in large quantities can be highly personalized. Follow these guidelines to deliver the best corporate gifts for employees.

Same Group? Same Gift.

When you’re giving gifts to a large group, give everyone the same gift — from your superstar employees down to the guy who just started last week. After all, your employees talk, so it’s smart to make everyone feel special. Of course, you should still reserve individualized gifts for stand out occasions like celebrating a top earner or a group that landed a sizeable piece of new business. But when it comes to group gifts, they should remain uniform. This helps build camaraderie among team members — a great way to make your business even better.

Thoughtful Gifts Mean More

The temptation to give promotional gifts runs high when giving to a group. They’re inexpensive, and you usually have them on hand. But because marketing swag isn’t seen as valuable, it could make your employees feel under-appreciated. Take staff gifts a step beyond what your employees expect. When you decide to give your employees gifts, it should be because you want to. Not because you feel obligated to do it.

Give Gifts When They’re Least Expected

There are many employee achievements that deserve recognition — but don’t forget about their lives outside of the office. By recognizing important personal milestones of your coworkers, your gifts will make a lasting, positive impact. To help yourself succeed, create a calendar to keep track of occasions and set alerts to remember important dates in employees’ lives. These could include:

• Birthdays
• Anniversaries (work or personal)
• An addition to the family

Of course, there are some occasions when your budget won’t support staff gifts. This is the perfect time to give employees a handwritten note or meet face-to-face to tell them how much their efforts matter. When you do this, employees feel more appreciated. They’re happier. And people are as much as 20% more productive when they’re happy.

Demonstrate Appreciation Differently

Giving thoughtfully means giving differently. The best corporate gifts for employees speak to someone personally make a better impression than gifts that are haphazardly distributed to everyone in the company. This isn’t to say you can’t give everyone simple staff gifts. For instance: With an Omaha Steaks Custom Certificate, your employees can choose from a handful of options that are pre-selected by you. Whether someone loves steak or only eats vegetarian entrees, you have their tastes covered. The gift of choice is as meaningful as the gift itself.