The Secret to Successful Employee Gifts

So you bought your employees gift certificates for a holiday turkey or ham, or maybe a pie or some ice cream. Don’t just stuff them in workplace mailboxes. The way you give employee gifts is even more important than what you give.

Make your gifts as meaningful as possible by distributing them personally, with a handshake, big smile and “thank you!”.   An employee who feels valued has better morale, productivity and loyalty.  Make sure your personal delivery conveys your sincere gratitude for employees’ hard work for you.
Recognition only has meaning when it comes from someone who benefits from employees’ performance: their managers.

• If you have human resources staff distribute your gift certificates, it’s impersonal and a poor use of resources.

• Human resources can order your gThankYou! gift certificates, but managers should deliver them personally, with a smile and a handshake.

• If that’s not possible, managers should write a personal note to include with each employee’s gift certificate.

Public recognition
Most employees appreciate public recognition, too. You could host a gathering with simple refreshments and call employees up to the front of the room, one by one, to receive their gift certificates along with your personal thanks — and maybe deliver a positive anecdote about the employee’s performance.
Writer Brock Boser’s article at online self-improvement community SelfGrowth.com, “Are Corporate Awards and Corporate Gifts Beneficial in the Workplace,” notes that a company’s success depends on its employees and their abilities. Gifts help you attract and retain talented employees. They also reassure employees that you appreciate their hard work and dedication. Boser writes:

 “These kind gestures will not only build your relationships but will help you build the company by utilizing its maximum potential.”

But the Seattle Post Intelligencer’s Workplace Wrangler blog, in an entry titled “Motivating Employees in the 21st Century,” cites author Daniel Pink’s  TED conference talk. Pink wrote the acclaimed “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.”

In his speech, Pink notes that “when it comes to motivation, there is a huge gap between what science knows and what companies do.”

So it’s not surprising that, as reported in Toronto’s Globe and Mail, a survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers and OfficeTeam shows that 33 percent of workers in North America believe their manager fails to recognize them.
Remember—the interaction between a manager and an employee is more important than the gift itself.  It’s an opportunity to show your sincere gratitude and build long-term trust and loyalty.

How does your workplace distribute employee gifts?

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 888-484-1658.
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