The stakes are high with employee holiday gifts.
A lot of responsibility rests on your shoulders if you’re in charge of picking, ordering, and distributing gifts for employees during the holiday season. Pick the wrong gift, and it could end up on one of the many lists or YouTube videos mocking terrible workplace gifts. People don’t have much confidence in companies to nail it, either.
But YOU can get employee holiday gifts right with these simple steps.
Here’s the good news: if you’re reading this blog post, you’re already ahead because you care about giving great employee holiday gifts that they’ll appreciate. You also probably know that showing gratitude in the workplace — with a gift, card or simple “thank you” is one of the most reliable ways to build employee loyalty, boost productivity, and create a culture of enthusiasm and dedication.
What’s next? Don’t leave employee holiday gifts up to guesswork or chance! Follow our three-point plan for giving memorable employee holiday gifts that won’t embarrass anyone. Remember: gift-giving shouldn’t be a hassle or cause stress. Ideally, giving gifts should be just as fun as receiving them!
The 3 Steps to Great Employee Holiday Gifts
1. Pick a Crowd-Pleaser
When picking your gifts, keep these two words in mind: practical and meaningful. Your gift should meet both criteria. One or the other isn’t enough.
Socks may be practical, for example, but they’re not particularly meaningful and they certainly don’t send a message of value. The opposite is true, too: a gift can be personally meaningful (say, a piece of artwork) but won’t likely please everyone or work for large-scale gift-giving. It’s important to pick an employee holiday gift that’s meaningful and useful to everyone.
Food is a great choice, as are gift certificates for groceries or a meal out. People also love tickets for movies, sports, or other entertainment. Employees can enjoy these gifts with friends and family and they’re the kind of gifts that “give twice” (or more); first when the employee receives the gift, and again when the employee enjoys the gift’s benefits.
2. Include a Note of Thanks
A gift without a thank you card doesn’t say much. It could even send the message that your company is sharing gifts out of obligation. Your words should tell employees why you’re grateful for their hard work. The most effective employee appreciation comes from a company leader who understands the person’s role, commitment, achievements, and obstacles faced.
Need a little guidance for writing the perfect thank you note to accompany your gift? Download our free resource, “How to Write a Thanksgiving Thank You Letter to Employees”! It uses real-life examples to demonstrate best practices and inspire your own unique approach at the holidays or anytime. Side note: it’s not only for Thanksgiving!
3. Share Your Gift with Gratitude
Gifts are best shared in person, with a handshake and a smile from a supervisor, manager, or company leadership. The office holiday party is a good time to make this happen. If you’re sharing gifts with a remote workforce and can’t give in person, there are still ways to make gift-giving special. (Zoom gift-giving parties can be quite fun!)
Be wary of sharing gifts in ways that degrade the feeling of gratitude you are trying to communicate. Don’t give gifts that would be free to employees anyway. Don’t give “leftover” gifts that were intended for customers. Avoid anything inappropriate, overly clever, or awkward. And, please, don’t leave gifts in a big pile in the break room for employees to pick through.
Instead, remember that the whole point of employee holiday gifts is to celebrate! You’re celebrating hard work, innovation, teamwork, and business success together. Have fun, make it personal, and get in spirit of the season!
The Perfect Employee Holiday Gifts
Looking for the perfect employee holiday gifts to show your appreciation? Choose the centerpiece of employees’ holiday celebration – a turkey or a holiday ham.
The gift of a turkey or holiday ham is a meaningful yet affordable holiday gift. gThankYou’s “10 Reasons to Give Employees a Turkey for the Holidays” has all the details on why so many businesses give employees a holiday turkey and have been for generations. The gift of gThankYou Turkey Or Ham Certificates offers more choice for recipients to choose what’s best for their family holiday celebration.
What’s the perfect way to say thank you at the holidays? A gThankYou Turkey or Turkey Or Ham Gift Certificate and customized holiday gratitude card.
Learn More About gThankYou Certificates and Vouchers:
- Check out our Home Page
- See all our Gift Certificate Choices
- Learn more About gThankYou and FAQs
- See our FREE customizable Gratitude cards
- Reach us at 888-484-1658 or via info@gthankyou.com
Reach us at 888-484-1658 or via info@gthankyou.com
Top Photo by Matthias Cooper on Unsplash
