Employee Gift Ideas: Cultivating a Culture of Recognition

Employee gifts play an important role in every organization. They help reinforce recognition and foster cohesion among your team, building morale to create a positive workplace culture. When choosing gifts for your employees, there are lots of options available to you. From traditional awards to modern gadgets and life-changing experiences, good professional gifts really can make a difference.

This article presents lots of fantastic gift ideas, so you can find something that works for your people and business.

Why Employee Gifts Are Important

More than material objects, employee gifts recognize hard work and a job well done. From traditional gifts to experience-based initiatives and personalized programs, there are a lot of ways to show people how much you care. Regardless of what you offer, employee gifts help build a supportive work environment based on strong professional relationships.

According to a classic study by Nobel Laureate George Akerlof, summarized in Harvard Business Review, “gifts were far more motivating to short-term employees than unexpected cash bonuses, effectively paying for themselves by improving productivity.” As the ultimate non-material item, experience-based gifts definitely fall into this category.

Employee Gift Ideas: The Importance of Variety

Employee gifts should resonate with individual employees and the wider workplace. Each person on your team is unique, and they deserve a gift that aligns with their specific personality. As a CEO, Human Resources (HR) person or manager, one of the best things you can do for your people is to offer them a selection of gifts and give them the freedom to choose.

Traditional Gift Ideas

Over time, people have offered gifts as a way to show gratitude. Gift giving is a tradition in many cultures, and it’s been practiced since ancient times. Whether it’s marking an important occasion, showing respect to a special person, or expressing love to a family member, gifting is well and truly rooted in human history. Traditional gifts have a timeless appeal that works well in the modern workplace.

If you need inspiration for traditional gifts, the following examples show three proven ideas:

Employee gifts, especially the symbolic ones favored traditionally, can have a positive effect on employee morale and retention. According to a series of studies by the non-profit group What Works for Children’s Social Care, “symbolic awards—interventions such as congratulatory cards, public recognition, and certificates—can significantly increase intrinsic motivation, performance, and retention rates.”

Modern Gift Ideas

If you’re looking for gift ideas for employees, modern products can be perfect. While traditional gifts work great with baby boomers and some Gen Xers, modern gifts are often preferred by younger generations. While this category has a lot of scope, it generally refers to technology-related products or those based on modern designs and materials.

The following three examples highlight some great modern gift ideas:

Experience-Based Gift Ideas

Offering gifts to your employees doesn’t have to involve buying things. If you prefer, you can focus on experience-based gifts instead. There are lots of activities out there to choose from, including classes, sports, and festivals. Experience-based gifts are easy to personalize, as you can choose based on the employee’s favorite sporting teams, music genres, or hobbies.

The following three gift ideas highlight the power of experience:

The difference between material and experience gifts has been noted in academic studies. According to research from the Anahuac University, “Results showed that the consumption of experiential gifts was construed as more autonomy supportive than the consumption of their material counterparts, which then had a positive relationship with gratitude.”

Personalized Gift Ideas

Personalized gifts are tailored to particular employees and situations. Instead of gifting generic products to everyone, this approach is about selecting an item based on personality. Personalized gifts are well-considered, and they’re the perfect way to show how much you care. They can strengthen emotional bonds between an organization and its employees.

These personalized gift ideas suit most professional scenarios. They can be used to celebrate significant professional moments, including service anniversaries and team achievements. In this situation, engraved trophies and awards are a great option.

Here are 3 other personalized gifts ideas for your employees:

Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas

If you’re looking for a novel way to showcase the cultural values of your organization, eco gifts can be a great choice. Along with being popular among employees, eco-responsible products highlight your commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. This demonstrates an awareness of larger issues, and helps to orient your culture towards ethical and sustainable values.

Eco-friendly gifts cover lots of territory, including these great examples:

Grow Billion Tree, an organization focused on empowering individuals and organizations in climate change mitigation through tree planting and conservation efforts, emphasizes the importance of eco-friendly gifts. According to them, ‘By choosing eco-friendly gifts, you convey your company’s values to your clients, partners, and employees. This demonstrates that your business is not just about profit but also about making a positive impact on the environment and society.’ Furthermore, eco-friendly gifting is an effective strategy to ‘engage your employees in your sustainability initiatives.’ Research shows that ‘when your team feels that your organization shares their values, it can boost morale, employee satisfaction, and retention rates.

“Choice” Gift Ideas

In the world of employee gifts, personal choice is very important. A “choice” gift is something selected by the receiver, normally from a wide range of options. This unique approach to gifting works on several fronts. It reinforces appreciation, it shows how much you value individual preferences—and most importantly—people get to choose what they want.

The “choice” employee gift are a great way to show respect. However, there are a few rules to bear in mind:

• When choosing a selection of gifts, don’t leave anyone out. Include gifts for every generation, and take your time to think about gender and personal preferences.
• In some situations, it’s best to limit your choice to a particular type of gift or a specific theme. For example, people may choose between different gifts for a service anniversary, retirement or a moment in life to celebrate.
• This approach to gifting makes it easy to select items and experiences based on cost. You can set a budget for each scenario and allow employees to choose gifts within predefined limits. To see examples of how this idea can be implemented, take a look at Altrum’s Gifting Catalogue.

As mentioned by Patrick Dupuis, Account Manager and Recognition Expert at Altrum, in Employee Gifts: A simple and comprehensive guide, “Offering choice in gifts is [a way] to ensure that every present is greeted with enthusiasm and used with appreciation. By allowing employees to select [their own presents] from a variety of products and experiences, companies demonstrate a deep understanding of individual preferences as well as respect for their employees’ freedom of choice, reinforcing the emotional connection and positive impact of recognition within the team.”

The Impact of Gifts on Employees and Organizations

Employee gifts are a great way to show appreciation. The act of gifting strengthens bonds within your team, boosting morale and improving the working experience. Gifts offer benefits across your entire organization, from better performance to increased loyalty and higher retention rates. When you make smart gifting choices, you are recognizing your staff and showing them how much you care.

As Patrick Dupuis points out, “Offering thoughtful gifts to employees is more than just a gesture; it’s an investment in your team’s well-being and loyalty.” In today’s fast-moving and often impersonal world, this sentiment means more than ever before. Whatever items or experiences you choose, employee gifts have a real tangible impact. They foster individual employee motivation and engagement, and they influence cultural values throughout your entire organization.

The gift ideas for employees presented in this guide can have a positive impact on your team and workplace environment.