Corporate Holiday Gifts—Everything Enterprises Need to Know

The holiday season is fast approaching, and with it comes the challenge of choosing the perfect employee gifts. Aside from being a mere formality, giving corporate gifts is a unique opportunity to strengthen ties with your teams and show your appreciation. In this article, we’ll explore the importance of corporate gifts, current trends, and how to implement a winning strategy for your holiday gifts.

The Importance of Corporate Gifts

Employee gifts play a crucial role in corporate culture and job satisfaction. Here are some revealing figures, published in a Newswire press release:

• 57% of employees say that receiving a gift from their employer is a sign of recognition and gratitude.
• 78% of employees say they are more motivated at work after receiving a meaningful gift.
• Companies with formalized gift programs are 46% more likely to achieve their business objectives.

Specifically for holiday gifts:

• 82% of employees would like to receive a gift from their employer during the holidays.
• 75% of employees say they are more motivated at work for three months or more after receiving a holiday gift.

These statistics underline the positive impact that well-chosen gifts can have on employee motivation and commitment.

When to Plan Holiday Gifts?

Good planning is essential to a successful holiday gift program.

1. First meeting of the organizing committee: Ideally, schedule this meeting before the summer vacation to define the gift budget for employees, managers, or teams. This allows you to plan effectively and align your efforts, ensuring consistency and avoiding disparities between departments.
2. Gift selection and ordering: Usually in between August and September, this period allows you to select and order gifts with maximum flexibility. Engaging in interdepartmental discussions during this period ensures cohesive actions and strengthens the employer’s brand image.
3. Order from supplier: August and September are the ideal months to order your gifts, giving you plenty of time to personalize your products and create a memorable experience.

In October, it’s still possible to design something special, but some options, particularly in terms of personalization, may no longer be available depending on the supplier.

Last-minute solutions are still available in November and December. For example, you can opt for a package where employees choose their gifts, so you can benefit from complete management and personalized gifts, even at the end of the year.

The Benefits of Early Planning:

• Greater product choice: A wider variety of gifts available to suit your teams’ preferences.
• Optimal personalization: By planning ahead, you have more time to personalize gifts and employee experience, reinforcing the impact of your recognition gesture.
• Guaranteed delivery: Planning ensures that gifts are delivered on time, eliminating last-minute stress.

Budgeting For Your Holiday gifts

Budgeting is a crucial component of your corporate gift strategy. The SHRM recommends allocating approximately 1% of your annual payroll budget to employee recognition, including year-of-service awards, swag, and events.

For year-end gifts, a study by Tremendous reveals that $50 to $100 per employee is generally sufficient to guarantee satisfaction. However, effective recognition depends not only on the budget allocated but also on thoughtful selection, personalization, and how the gift is given.

The study also points out that 51% of employees prefer to receive a gift directly from their manager, compared with only 4% who prefer to receive it from HR. Therefore, consider allocating part of your budget for managers to offer more personal gifts.

Lastly, be mindful of Quebec and Canadian tax rules to avoid unexpected tax implications for your employees.

Gift Trends For 2024

To ensure you make a lasting impression, here are the top corporate gift trends to follow in 2024:

• Experiential gifts: Offering packages and experiences to be enjoyed with family or friends, such as gourmet outings or weekend getaways, creates lasting memories and strengthens personal bonds.
• Gifts from local or minority-owned shops: Supporting local or minority businesses demonstrates your company’s commitment to social and economic causes.
• Eco-responsible gifts: Sustainable products or products made from recycled materials align your gifts with important environmental values.
• Gifts aligned with your values: Choosing gifts that reflect your company’s values (sustainability, innovation) reinforces the coherence between your mission and your recognition.
• Branded monochrome gifts: Although only 2% of employees appreciate receiving swag, opting for customizable boxes like those from Shop moi ça can combine visibility and originality.

Gift-Giving: Maximizing the Impact on Your Employer Brand

The way you offer gifts is as crucial as the gifts themselves. Consider these strategies:

• Adapt your approach depending on whether the delivery takes place at an event or remotely.
• Use technology to facilitate delivery and create spin-offs.
• Encourage sharing on social networks.
• After the event, conduct an employee survey to assess their satisfaction regarding the entire gifting process.

Beyond the Holiday Season

Don’t forget that employee recognition is a year-round process. Back-to-school season is also an excellent opportunity to review and modernize your overall recognition program, including years of service, retirements, and life events, for the upcoming year. The ultimate goal is to build a recognition culture that not only retains your employees but also engages them meaningfully daily.

Conclusion

Corporate holiday gifts are more than just a tradition. They are a powerful way to strengthen employee engagement, improve job satisfaction, and contribute to a positive company culture. By planning carefully, choosing meaningful gifts, and creating a personalized experience, you can turn your holiday gift program into a real asset for your enterprise.

Remember: it’s never too early to start planning your holiday gifts. By planning and following the tips in this article, you’ll be well on your way to creating a memorable experience for your employees this year.

Altrum & Shop moi ça : a natural partnership

The partnership between Altrum and Shop moi ça reflects shared values: customer satisfaction, commitment to quality, support for Quebec artisans, recognition, and the creation of personalized gift experiences. Shop moi ça is recognized for its expertise in sending over 60,000 corporate gift boxes each year, while Altrum offers companies turnkey recognition management—from gift selection to delivery, both in Canada and the United States. Together, they can offer their customers a unique, fully personalized gift experience.