Sequined sweaters, cheerful music, and baked goods are filling offices across the country. There’s no denying it, the holidays are in full swing and you need to be prepared! As an employer, your actions during this time of year can make or break the overall morale of your employees. I recently read a great article by Mark Repkin at flatworlddesign.com discussing the top 5 mistakes of holiday employee gift giving. Mark had some great points that I will elaborate on to help you make the most of this season. Ending the year with employee recognition is the easiest way to secure a productive and successful new year!
The number one tip I can give you is this: DON’T do nothing! So your employees might plan a holiday party amongst themselves or even exchange gifts, get involved! Don’t assume that because your organization celebrates, they feel your appreciation. Throughout the year, it is easy to keep your gratitude to yourself, but if you skate through the holidays without so much as a “Thank you!” your employees will begin to think you aren’t on the same team. Take this opportunity to let each individual know that they are important to the organization.
So I have convinced you to give employee apreciation gifts for the holidays. What’s the next step? You are probably scheduling a meeting for a holiday gift committee. STOP! Wrong. Don’t waste time discussing and debating what and how to give the “perfect” gift to everyone. Companies spend countless man hours in meetings trying to make these decisions. Believe me, there is nothing worse than spending your lunch hour arguing with 15 other employees over which imprinted pin to order.
Ok, so the easiest thing to give is a gift card, right? Everyone needs extra cash…right? Wrong again. If you want to achieve anything with this gift, it’s to remind your employee of you. No, they won’t think of you when they are using the new windshield wiper blades they had to spend your gift card on. You will never be able to disguise their “value” as an employee when you hand them a specified sum of money. Either you will be spending too much or (most likely) too little, so the card may cause more resentment than anything else.
Rule of thumb: Never expose prices and never assume one size fits all. An ideal holiday gift is multidimensional, but that doesn’t mean expensive! Teaming up with an employee recognition program provider like Awards Network can make the process quick and painless, leaving you to simply enjoy the season and the reactions of your employees to their gifts.
Presentation is key. We have seen great response from even gifts as inexpensive as $25 when they are presented correctly. Give each recipient something personalized. Just seeing their name printed on a booklet can really mean the world to someone. Include a letter. Briefly list some of the successes of the year and thank them for their contributions. And last, but not least, offer options! Allow your recipients to choose their gift! The gift packets we custom design will include each of the above items as well as a catalog of numerous items sure to please anyone from the BBQ Connoisseur to the posh fashionista.
Remember, this is your opportunity to show your employees they are important to you and the organization. Their efforts contribute to the overall success of the company and as a result, you are giving them a token of your appreciation. With those goals in mind, give them the gift of choice! Here at Awards Network, we see year after year that giving in this way brings incredible ROI and contributes heavily to creating a healthy, happy work environment.