Share your staff appreciation gifts with a thoughtful thank you note!

Share staff appreciation gifts that focus on gratitude and personal connection, not money.

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.
As HR becomes more strategic to business operations, cost-effective recognition is all the more vital to business success and a healthy workplace culture. The world’s top HR departments are already there. According to a new report by The Hackett Group, world-class HR departments are spending far less (and succeeding more) by choosing budget-friendly tactics.
Read on for examples of staff appreciation gifts that will fit any budget and still send a strong “Thank You” message.

8 Affordable Ideas for Staff Appreciation Gifts

Let’s take a closer look at The Hackett Group’s report on HR spending. Five “imperatives” for low-cost and high impact set apart the top HR departments:

  • Embrace “digital transformation”
  • Use analytics in decision-making
  • Ensure all resources are going to value projects rather than just “transactions”
  • Keep service customer-centric
  • “Reskill” the HR function

Employee recognition and gifts are “value projects” in this context — and the biggest mistake companies make is to treat them as impersonal transactions. Expensive gifts that “wow” have short-term ROI, like fireworks with lots of flash and boom. Meanwhile, affordable staff appreciation gifts that convey heartfelt gratitude have lasting impact on employee motivation, loyalty and happiness. They’re memorable.
What makes a gift memorable is why you chose it and how you share it. Be thoughtful, and always include a short note of thanks. Even alone, without a gift, a Thank You letter is a powerful way to recognize and appreciate employees!
Here are eight examples of affordable, popular staff appreciation gifts:
1. Movie or sports tickets
Share a gift employees can enjoy with friends and family! Movie passes or game tickets to college athletics or local sports teams are inexpensive yet they provide a fun experience for employees to enjoy and remember with those closest to them.
2. A free outdoor concert
Host a popular local band on-site, or give employees tickets to an outdoor summer concert series. Invite employees to sit together, and provide a picnic for everyone to share.
3. Lunch
Take your team out for lunch at a nearby restaurant. Leave work behind! Spend an hour or two simply enjoying each other’s company over lunch.
4. Team photo
This one’s from Quantum Workplace: “Gift everyone a small, framed photo of your office family. Give your employees a way to show off the team they’re proud to be a part of.”
5. Time off for workplace fun
Announce an afternoon off from work for fun and games. Board games, a treasure hunt, basketball, softball — it doesn’t matter what, as long as employees are into it and having a good time together. Play is key to creativity, so don’t think of this as wasted time!
6. Flowers
A bouquet is a classic way to brighten someone’s day. Especially in the middle of winter, a colorful display of flowers will raise everyone’s spirits.
7. Office treats to share
Brownies, fruit, cake, cookies or a veggie tray — homemade or store-bought, treats bring people to the break room and create a lively atmosphere. Don’t forget your Thank You note!
8. Gift Certificates for pizza, ice cream, pie and more!
EmployeeAppreciationDay-Pizza-2016gThankYou! Gift Certificates are an easy and convenient way to share treats with employees, especially remote or distributed workers. Recipients love the flexibility to shop at their favorite stores for the brands they like. Get gThankYou! Gift Certificates in values starting as low as $5, for everyone’s favorite treats:

Do Your Staff Appreciation Gifts Build Workplace Gratitude?

Gratitude is at the core of every great gift. And gratitude is transformative in the workplace!
Want to build gratitude in your workplace? Download gThankYou’s must-have free eBook, “Transform Your Workplace With Gratitude.”  It’s full of practical learning that you can start putting to use today. Learn from positive psychology and leadership experts how to build (and sustain!) a workplace culture of gratitude that attracts employees and customers.
About gThankYou, LLC
Turkey Gift Certificates and Turkey Or Ham Gift Certificates by gThankYou! are two of America’s favorite employee gifts and can be redeemed for any brand (Turkey or Turkey Or Ham), at virtually any grocery store in the U.S.
gThankYou, LLC provides company leaders with a variety of easy, meaningful and affordable ways to recognize and reward employees, holiday time or anytime. gThankYou! Certificates of Gratitude and our free Enclosure Cards are personalizable including incorporating your company logo. And, nearly all orders ship same day.
gThankYou, LLC (www.gthankyou.com) is based in Madison, Wisconsin. Contact: Rick Kiley, Chief ThankYou! Officer, gThankYou, LLC at info@gthankyou.com or 888-609-2234.
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“G” logo and “Certificates of Gratitude” are trademarks and “gThankYou” is a registered trademark of gThankYou, LLC.

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Gift Certificates

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How gThankYou Certificates Work

Step 1

Order Certificates

Choose the gThankYou Certificates you want and order them online or by telephone.

Step 2

Ship directly to your business

Your order is delivered by UPS. Nearly all orders ship the day received. Overnight shipping is available.

Step 3

Distribute to your employees

Personalize your gThankYou Certificates with Giver name or logo (both optional) and give them to employees.

Step 4

Redeem at any grocery store

Recipients redeem Certificates at major U.S. grocery stores and select the items they want.