Everyone loves to be appreciated—especially in the workplace. Employee appreciation is thanking employees verbally or giving tangible gifts to award exceptional work and employee milestones. It’s an important business practice because it lets employees know they are valued, which encourages them to continue working hard for their company.
The purpose of employee appreciation gifts is to award and thank employees for their hard work and contributions to the company/organization. Rewarding employees for their hard work also helps companies because employees are happier, so they will work harder. Happy employees also help affect company culture.
While it is important to remember that thanking employees should not only happen on one day of the year, Employee Appreciation Day is coming up! Every year, the holiday falls on the first Friday of March. This year, that would be Friday, March 1, 2024.
If you’re looking for a gift to celebrate, we have some ideas to make this employee appreciation day a great one for your employees!
Types Of Employee Appreciation Gifts
There are a few different types of employee appreciation gifts, and each one as a range of prices. Depending on the size of your company or team, some of these might work better than others.
Tangible Gifts
Tangible gifts would include things like gift cards, merch or swag, tech gadgets, plants, or other types of gifts that can be given in person. Otherwise known as corporate gifts, these are great for companies who might have few employees or companies who can afford to have a large employee appreciation fund. Management can also use tangible gifts as employee appreciation on a smaller scale (just for teams instead of for the entire company).
Experience Gifts
Experience gifts are fantastic because they are memorable and enjoyable. These could be tickets to a show, a spa day, a cooking class, a paint night, or other fun experiences. Experience gifts are also fun for employees because they can choose to bring their significant other, friends, or family members.
Team Building
Team building exercises are a fun way to encourage team building and appreciation for employees! There are many different ways companies/management can approach team building. Companies can encourage team building, which can be done through experiences (escape rooms, axe throwing, paint night) or through education (book clubs, company workshops). Whatever your company decides, your team members will appreciate the effort made.
Recognition and Awards
Finally, a timeless way to show employees appreciation would be through recognition and awards. These could be specific awards such as the “exceptional listener” and “team player” awards. Companies can attach gift cards to these awards if they wish, but to ensure employees will appreciate the award, give ones that are personal and thoughtful. Including a small message highlighting an example of said award is a great way to ensure the award is well received.
5 Ways To Make A Memorable Employee Appreciation Gift
There are 5 ways employers can make an employee appreciation gift special for the employees. These include making gifts meaningful, relevant, specific, enjoyable, and timely. Following these five ideas is a great way to show your employees that you do value their hard work. Happy employees are engaged employees.
1. Meaningful
A simple way to make a gift meaningful is by including a message that highlights the employees hard work. Employers can also give a personal gift that the employee really wants. Employers can also make a gift meaningful by asking employees what they want, potentially through a survey.
2. Relevant
No one wants a gift that is outdated or one that won’t be used. An example of a nonrelevant gift would be a company mug. Sure, it’ll be used, but will they be excited about it? Will the employee feel appreciated? Gifts like that are great for onboarding but not employee appreciation. A relevant gift would be one that can be useful and exciting (maybe even trendy, like houseplants).
3. Specific
It can be challenging to get specific with employee appreciation gifts, especially on a large scale. However, employers can make efforts to be specific. Getting a specific gift could include personalizing company swag, giving employees gift cards to places they like, and giving gifts that employees need (updated office supplies, a day off, etc.). Companies can be specific and equitable by sending a personalized e-card with an employee appreciation gift.
4. Enjoyable
Employee appreciation gifts should be enjoyable for the employees. Going the extra mile to ensure employees are excited about their gifts will be appreciated.
Enjoyable gifts don’t always have to cost money, either! Giving employees an afternoon off, letting them work from anywhere, or giving a public shoutout are all great examples of enjoyable and free employee appreciation gifts.
5. Timely
Finally, employee appreciation gifts should be timely. If nothing else, plan to try and get your employees a gift on employee appreciation day (the first Friday of every March). If you’re looking to give a gifts or make a shoutout, look to after a big project or productive quarter.
Employers can also ensure that gifts are timely by being consistent. Getting a random gift here and there isn’t as meaningful as getting one annually or quarterly.
20 Best Employee Appreciation Gifts
It can be difficult to come up with the right employee appreciation ideas, so here are 20 fun employee appreciation day ideas for your company to use!
- Gift Cards
Gift cards are a classic and easy way to thank employees. To make it more meaningful, find out the employee’s favorite restaurant or drink spot.
With Kudoboard, you can give a gift card and the recipient can choose where they’d like to redeem it. They can choose from hundreds of national retailers, or donate the funds to charity.
- Customized Merch
Fun company swag can be a great way to thank employees! Instead of a simple mug, companies can invest in apparel or office supplies (usually in bulk.
- Tech Gadgets
Tech gadgets make awesome gifts! Bluetooth earbuds, a tile, or even some nice blue light glasses make for useful gifts.
- Spa Day
If you’re looking for a more relaxing gift, a spa day would be a wonderful treat, and your employees will definitely appreciate it! Companies could work out a deal with local hotels or spas to get reasonable prices.
- Plants
As a plant lover, I have always appreciated a plant as a gift. There are many types of low-maintenance plants that would be an excellent gift for employees!
- Digital Card (+Gift Card)
Sure, we already mentioned gift cards, but to make it more thoughtful, employers can use a Kudoboard with a gift card attached. Admins can load the funds using the corporate card, expense the funds, send the card out for leadership to sign, and then deliver on Employee Appreciation Day.
- Lunch On The House
Everyone loves a free lunch. Treating your employees to a catered lunch is a wonderful way to say thank you (and it can make a group employee appreciation gift).
Try to pick a local shop with lots of options to go the extra mile. Make sure you’re sensitive to allergies and dietary restrictions when selecting the menu.
- Day Off
For milestones and exceptionally hard work (after a big project or a productive quarter), a gift that all employees will enjoy is a day off work to spend time with family, engage in a hobby, or get caught up on sleep. The best part about this is it is free for companies (sort of), and makes a huge impact on the lives of employees.
- Work Anywhere Day
A middle ground alternative to a day off would be a “work from anywhere” day. Employees can choose to come to the office, work from home, or at a coffeeshop. Wherever they choose, this free gift that is thoughtful and gives employees a little more freedom than normal.
- Office Upgrades
Chances are, whether the employee works from home or in the office, they might need a few upgrades. These upgrades could include a new keyboard, desktop monitors, a nicer mouse, or new headphones. Companies could send out a survey to see the needs of employees and ensure that those needs are met.
- Tickets to an Event
Experiences are awesome gifts! Check out local shows (local theaters are so fun!) or possibly bigger shows nearby.
If the shows are booked, consider bringing the event to the office. Rent a projector and screen for a movie day in, or find a local band or DJ and have a concert in the office.
- Virtual Classes/Workshops
Investing in a site like Skillshare would also make for a fun gift. To make it more personal, let the employees choose what they would like to learn about.
While it’s tempting to keep these classes work-related, explore hobby based classes that simply bring joy. Appreciated employees deserve a break from the office.
- Massage
Similar to a spa day, a massage is a great way to show appreciation for your hardworking employees. Many massage companies offer punch passes or memberships and would probably work with companies.
You could also hire a massage therapist to come to office and book 15-minute “micro-massages” for employees. It’s a fun and relaxing way to break up the work day and show that you care.
- Team Building Experiences
A fun way to encourage team building and thank employees at the same time would be to plan an experience. Ideas could include ziplining, pottery painting, a paint night, axe throwing, or escape rooms.
These also don’t need to be in-person experiences. Thanks to online resources, there are many virtual team building experiences that translate the experiences onto the web. They’re great for distributed employees all over.
- Memberships
Memberships are a gift that keeps giving, instead of a one time experience or tangible gift. This could be a membership to a gym, massage membership, pedicure membership, and more.
- Public Shout Out
Giving employees a public shoutout to say thanks for their hard work is a fun way to show appreciation. This can be done on company screens shown throughout the building, with a company wide-email, or with a shout out Kudoboard!
- Chocolate
Who doesn’t love some yummy treats! A box of nice chocolates is a great way to show appreciation for the employees who have worked so hard for the company.
- Care Package
Care packages aren’t just for when you’re sick, there are many care packages that are curated for many occasions, including employee appreciation! Check out this fun employee morale package by Funky Chunky!.
- Gas Card
This may seem unusual, but a gas card is a great way to thank employees for coming in daily and working hard. No one wants to pay for gas, so this is a great and practical way to thank your employees that respects their commute.
- Color-Themed Gift Basket
Another fun idea would be to ask employees their favorite color and get them a small gift basket filled with color-themed items (bagged candy is often a single color, a fun cup/tumbler, gift card, etc.).
3 Ways To Encourage A Culture Of Appreciation
Companies should be encouraging a culture of appreciation, and this means doing a little more than simply giving a gift. There are three ways companies can do this:
1. Involve Employees
Involving employees in employee appreciation could look like having frequent surveys to find out interests, as well as things they would like to see as an appreciation gift. These surveys could also be used to find out what the company is doing well and what they could improve on as employers.
2. Peer to Peer Recognition
Just as employers should recognize their employees, co-workers should also recognize each other for their hard work. Having team members recognize each other’s hard work encourages a culture of appreciation instead of competition (though healthy competition could have a place in the workplace).
3. Consistency
Finally, consistency is incredibly important when it comes to employee recognition and appreciation. Companies that aren’t consistent can run into problems with disgruntled employees. For example, if someone gets appreciated and they don’t, it can cause interoffice friction. If it doesn’t happen often enough, employees may become unhappy and likely to leave. Consistent employers are fair employers, and that is important in establishing a culture of appreciation.
A company that works hard to create a culture of appreciation can expect to see positive results. According to CNBC, recognition is an excellent way to help employee retention. These results could include employee retention, increased employee engagement, and a more positive employee experience.
Employee Appreciation Gifts Made Easy
Employee appreciation is so important and essential in building a positive company culture. Companies with a consistent record of employee appreciation see many positive results, such as improved employee engagement, improved morale, and a positive company culture.
Companies have a few different options for employee recognition gifts, but it is essential for companies to remember to make gifts memorable, specific, enjoyable, relevant, and timely. Companies can also make a habit of continually improving employee recognition by being consistent and involving employees. Mark your calendars, Employee Appreciation Day is on Friday March 1, 2024.
Employee appreciation gifts (and cards) done right
Create a group card, invite friends and coworkers to contribute, attach a gift card, and spread the appreciation
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