Appreciation Ideas, Gifts, and Rewards

At gThankYou, we like to think of ourselves as “gratitude experts.” We are strong believers in year-round employee appreciation but encourage an extra dose of thankfulness during the holidays. Here are some resources as you focus on holiday appreciation ideas.

Holiday Appreciation Ideas & Resources

Thank You Notes

Although we often publish our guide to thank you notes around Thanksgiving, it’s not too late to write a letter of gratitude in December. We encourage leaders to take the time to write something personal to those who make an impact on the business. It’s well-received and appreciated — and is a smart business move in a world where retention is key. Read more here: Put the “Thanks” into Your Thanksgiving Letter or Write a Holiday Thank You Note to Remember. (more…)

Looking for a team bonding activity that gets people talking, laughing and learning together? Share stories that inspire teacher appreciation! Stories about the teachers we appreciate are a window into our own values and aspirations, and telling and listening to these stories with coworkers helps us connect and builds a culture of gratitude. A broad interpretation of “teacher” can include anyone whose knowledge and influence had a lasting impact. (more…)

 

2-4-6-8 – Who do we appreciate? Our hardworking employees!!

Just in time for the holidays, gThankYou has released our Big List of Employee Appreciation Gift Ideas! This book is perfect all year for inspiration for ways to support and recognize the people who make your business work. Best yet, it’s FREE to download and share with colleagues.

Still looking for the perfect holiday workplace gift? Check it out! Although here’s our suggestion!

The eBook is broken down into categories and lists so it’s easy to read, get inspired and apply. It’s the perfect go-to resource as you brainstorm and think through employee appreciation planning now and in the coming year. (more…)

Believe it or not, the holidays are just around the corner. Planning ahead is key to avoid scrambling and making the season more hectic than enjoyable. The good news is that we have the tools to help you succeed! Our new holiday appreciation planning checklist can be used year-round, offering ideas for ways to celebrate your employees.

This time of year, we highly recommend ordering your Turkey Gift Certificates and free Enclosure Cards NOW so you can cross it off your to-do list.

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When It Comes to Employee Perks, Trendy Is Out.

What kind of employee perks are you offering?
A study from Oregon State University, cited in HR Dive, has found that at least one trendy workplace “extra” probably isn’t doing recruiters much good: Companies that tout in-office happy hours and other opportunities to drink alcohol can turn off certain job candidates.
And those candidates who are fine having drinks on the company tab don’t care enough for it to make a real difference in whether they take the job. So unless there’s good reason for drinking to be a significant part of your corporate culture, there’s little benefit to plugging alcohol among your employee perks. (more…)

Employee Incentives Aren’t Just a Nice Extra Anymore

Do you take employee incentives seriously? Or do you just treat them as a “nice to have”? More and more research demonstrates that successful companies will do the former.
In a recent blog post, the employee recognition experts at Achievers summarize how the conventional wisdom on employee incentives has evolved over the last century-plus. When research first began on employee incentives, workers were typically paid for what they produced, rather than the time they spent on the job. In fact: “When the innovation of pay by the hour or day was introduced, it was controversial. A widespread fear existed that if you paid workers only according to the time they spent, that they would ‘take it easy’ and not try as hard.” (more…)

How Do You Show Appreciation for Administrative Staff?

Google “administrative staff appreciation ideas” and you’ll get over a million results. But most of those million-plus ideas are pretty much the same: a mug or a tchotchke or candy, or maybe a cute, funny card.
If you’d like to do something different for an administrative staffer — something that will truly make them feel valued — we’ve got a great suggestion. Best of all, it’s inexpensive and it doesn’t take long. You can even do it today, to celebrate International Receptionists’ Day. (And if you missed National Administrative Professionals Day on April 25, this is your opportunity to make it up!)
Here you go — one of the best administrative staff appreciation ideas out there, and it’s just two simple steps.
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If you have children and work outside the home, then you know you owe teachers a debt of gratitude. These dedicated professionals choose to spend their time with dozens of kids every day — not just taking care of them, but also preparing them to become informed, thoughtful, and well-behaved members of their communities. As anyone who’s ever wrangled even a handful of kids at a time knows, that’s exhausting and too often underappreciated work. But do you know how to really thank a teacher?
Today is National Teacher Day, and this is also Teacher Appreciation Week. To mark these important occasions, here are some ideas about what makes hardworking educators feel valued — straight from teachers themselves.
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Are you scrambling for last-minute ideas to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day, or are you looking for ideas to appreciate your team throughout the year? Either way, we have you covered. While a big appreciation dinner is a treat for employees, it’s not the only way to show gratitude for their hard work. Everyday expressions of gratitude can be just as meaningful. Simple gestures such as saying thank you can foster a culture of gratitude, where appreciation is shared frequently and effortlessly. Research has shown that 78% of employees would work harder if their efforts were better appreciated.

Here are 10 employee appreciation ideas that you can execute on the fly:

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Employee Appreciation Day is always the first Friday of March.
Why celebrate it? Jared Weitz, founder and CEO of United Capital Source LLC, puts it bluntly this week in a Forbes column on why employee appreciation should be a top priority.
“If you aren’t making a conscious effort to let employees know how much you appreciate them, your employees are not performing to the best of their ability,” he writes. (more…)

Targeted techniques for engaging Millennial or Gen Z employees are helpful but don’t fully reflect the reality — the need for employee appreciation for a multigenerational workforce.
“If you walk into any office or firm, on any given day, you’ll find Baby Boomers on the cusp of retirement working side by side with Generation Xers staking out new leadership roles and Millennials eager to make their mark,” writes columnist Deanna Arteaga.
Ensuring that your employee appreciation accounts for all ages and generations helps foster a workplace-wide culture of gratitude. (more…)

Time.
It’s one of the main reasons managers give for not thanking employees.
I just don’t have the time.
That’s a shame, because in the long run a robust employee appreciation program actually saves time. Employees who feel appreciated are more productive, and retention goes up.
This is especially true at the holidays, when time is at a premium.
Don’t let a time crunch keep your company from having a great holiday turkey gift program! Begin your planning now.
gThankYou makes it easy to share the gift of a Thanksgiving Turkey with Gift Certificates for any brand, any preparation of whole turkey, redeemable nationally at major grocery stores. (more…)

Every generation in the workplace appreciates employee Thank You gifts, and Generation Z is no exception — in fact, showing appreciation is even more crucial to engaging these young people.
Several characteristics are emerging in the generation born after 1995: they have high expectations, they’re practical and they’re in a position to influence the workplace for years.
The oldest members of Generation Z are graduating college now, so this is the year “Generation Z starts flooding workplaces,” according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and it’s happening “at the same time that there is a tight labor force.”
Like Millennials, the Generation Z cohort cares about the environment and wants to have a passion for work. (more…)

You don’t have to break the budget to show heartfelt receptionist appreciation!
National Receptionists Day is always the second Wednesday in May.
First launched in 1991, National Receptionists Day celebrates the role of professional receptionists. It’s a day set aside to recognize and appreciate all the work that receptionists do to help organizations run smoothly.
Why receptionists? They’re the face of your company. Receptionists are usually the first (and sometimes only) company representative your customers or clients interact with. Often, they’re the first to explain your company’s products or services, or hear feedback. (more…)

Surprise your staff with employee appreciation gifts from gThankYou to celebrate Easter and the joys of spring!
gThankYou Gift Certificates make it easy, affordable and meaningful to thank employees at the holidays or anytime.
Available in a range of values from $5 to $30, gThankYou Gift Certificates allow recipients to choose any Brand of merchandise from virtually any chain Grocery Store in the U.S.
Your employees will appreciate the freedom to choose the brands they like, when and where they would like to shop. (more…)

The new year will be here before you know it! Staff appreciation gifts for the New Year are the perfect way to celebrate the successes of the prior year and get energized for what’s ahead.
New Year’s is widely celebrated and non-religious, making it a good choice for a workplace celebration.
“Focus on thanking employees for a successful year and encouraging the same enthusiasm and dedication to the company for the approaching New Year,” according to the SHRM article “HR Pros: Make Year-End Celebrations Inclusive.” (more…)

Staff appreciation gifts that send a meaningful message of thanks don’t need to break your budget!
In fact, budget-friendly staff appreciation gifts are more effective than even expensive bonuses because the focus is on your gratitude and on a thoughtful gift that has personal significance.
“Bringing unengaged and detached employees back to the pack doesn’t have to be a pricey undertaking,” according to the employee feedback experts at Quantum Workforce. (more…)

One word sums up trends in employee appreciation today: flexibility.
It goes beyond allowing flexible hours or working from home. The flexible approach to employee appreciation is agile, personalized and focused on finding common ground.
“Modern workforce management demands flexibility — a solution that can adapt easily to changing and varied needs while maintaining its core structure,” according to a recent HR Dive post by SumTotal senior product marketer Melissa Albanes. (more…)

Employee appreciation gift certificates are the perfect way to thank your staff — and gThankYou has one for every occasion!
From on-the-spot recognition to workplace wellness incentives to milestone celebrations, and from New Year’s to 4th of July to Thanksgiving, we’ve got you covered. gThankYou offers nine types of grocery store Gift Certificates in a variety of values to meet your company’s specific needs and budget.
U.S. employee engagement is slowly rising but remains dismally low, according to the latest Gallup report. Two-thirds of Americans remain unengaged in their jobs, and experts agree that employers need to do a better job of recognizing employees and rewarding excellence. (more…)

Deciding how to celebrate Easter with your employees? Consider the cultural, non-religious aspects of this springtime holiday that make it a fun occasion for everyone!
A workplace Easter celebration is still a great idea, regardless of employees’ religious affiliations, because it marks the beginning of spring and the sense of renewal and gratitude that accompany the new season. (more…)