Secrets to Successful Employee Gift-Giving

Successful employee gift-giving is a skill and an art! A well planned, thoughtful holiday gift communicates you care and makes employees feel valued. But what you give and how you give it determines whether your employee gift-giving is a hit or a miss. Let’s take a look at holiday gifting best practices.

Understand employee Needs and Wants

A gift is only as valuable as the recipient perceives it to be, and with today’s increasingly diverse, multi-generational workforce, perception can vary widely. The most effective gifts show an understanding of recipients’ needs and wants.

For instance, Melany Gallant, blog manager at Halogen Software, has received a number of holiday gifts from employers over the years. As she details in “The Best Employee Gift EVER!” there have been hits and misses.

• Miss: A frozen turkey she had to pick up at a butcher with inconvenient hours located far from her home. On top of that, the turkey was too small for her family’s holiday dinner.
• Hit: A beautiful pewter ornament she still treasures—she loves  Christmas ornaments.
• Hit: An extra vacation day.
• Miss: A corporate-logo shirt that was too big for Gallant herself—and even for her husband.
• Hit: Wine, coffee, and chocolates—she happens to love those things.
• Miss: A Christmas music CD—she’s not a fan of such music.

As you can see, it can be challenging to purchase gifts all employees like.

Employee Gift-Giving Criteria

HR experts agree, to please every one of your employees, gifts should be:

• Within budget
• Free from religious overtones
• Suitable for everyone (not tied to dietary preferences or size)
• Not too personal nor too generic
• Egalitarian, so some employees don’t feel slighted
• Preferably enjoyable for the whole family
• Thoughtful and meaningful
• Memorable, something that becomes part of a family’s holiday stories

Holiday employee gifts should show you care and that you put thought into choosing gifts that will be appreciated by everyone. For example, the gift of a Holiday turkey is valued and appreciated by everyone, but not if you give them a frozen bird that’s too small for their family.

A simplicityHR post, “Holiday Gift Giving—What Employers Need to Consider,” suggests considering shared office gifts, like a holiday outing for all staff, or a party. What about a water park visit, an amusement park (an indoor one if you’re in a cold climate), or a group lunch or dinner? Easy to make any of these all-family events if desired.

Make it personal

Take advantage of the holiday gift-giving season to write a thoughtful note of thanks to those who are important to the success of your business. Whether it’s a holiday letter or hand-written personal notes on holiday cards, your sincere appreciation for employees is what matters most and is what’s memorable.

Deliver Gifts in Person, Whenever Possible

If you can, distribute your gifts to employees in person. Shake workers’ hands and say “thank you” to each and every one. You’ll do more to build connection and good will than any gift you give. Make your gift-giving a reason for a party and publicly remind employees why what they do is critical to the company’s success.

Most of all enjoy celebrating your workplace. You don’t need a big budget to make people excited to work for you and feel valued through your sincere and thoughtful appreciation.  Best wishes for a happy, fun and successful holiday season!
For more professional insights into building workplace community through meaningful, easy employee recognition, click below to download our free e-Book, “The Ultimate Guide to Employee Gift-Giving.”

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 888-970-6773.
Follow the Company Blog – “Celebrating Work”.
Join the Conversation @gThankYou 
“G” logo and “Certificates of Gratitude” are trademarks and “gThankYou” is a registered trademark of gThankYou, LLC.