Offer Your Employees a Personalized Gift Experience

April 23, 2025, In Employee Engagement

An employee who feels valued and appreciated will often return the favor by going above and beyond the call of duty. Positive feedback, constant encouragement, and public and private recognition are instrumental in letting them know how much you respect their efforts. But when it comes to appreciation, recognition, and rewards, nothing beats a thoughtful, personalized gift experience. Just make sure to keep legal and cultural considerations in mind as well.

Why Offer a Personalized Gift Experience?

Personalized gifts work wonders at demonstrating to employees that their work is not taken for granted and that you value them personally. Employee gifts should not be seen as corporate gifts, as they are a great way of cementing the bond between your company and the employee and fostering a more harmonious workplace. Learn more about it here.

How Can You Offer a Personalized Gift Experience to Your Employees?

Personalized gifts come in many shapes and forms. From a corporate gift to a simple gift card. From a customized item bearing the employee’s initials to one tailored to their interests and tastes. It can be a handwritten note or video message, and it can celebrate a personal or professional milestone. They all go a long way in creating a culture of employee appreciation.

Get to Know Your Employees

The secret is in the details, so get to know your employees. An informal chat around a water cooler or taking them for lunch is a great way of discovering what makes them tick. A mentoring session is also a great way of gathering information.

Tailor Gifts to Job Roles

Tailoring gifts to job roles is a great way to foster a culture of employee recognition. However, although personalized safety gear would be a great gift for someone who works in construction, something more tech would be a nice fit for someone in the IT department.

Tailor Gifts to Personal Interests and Tastes

We all march to the beat of a different drum, and it’s different strokes for different folks. In other words, if your employee likes cooking, you could buy them a cookery book or get a reservation for them at a gourmet restaurant. If they’re into sports, how about tickets to a game or a biography of their favorite athlete? And if they love dogs, why not get them a beautiful accessory for their furry friend?

Offer Choices Through Gift Boutiques and Catalogues

Sometimes it isn’t always easy to hit the bullseye when it comes to personalized gifts for your employees. That’s why many employers choose to show their employee appreciation through a gift card or an online gift boutique that allows the employee to hand-pick exactly what they want. This solution often proves extremely convenient and flexible for both employer and employee.

Customize With Names or Initials

Nothing personalizes a corporate gift more than when it’s engraved with the employee’s name or initials. It makes it unique to them, elegant notebooks, stylish water bottles, fun phone cases, tech gadgets, travel accessories, or even gourmet kitchen tools.

Create Custom Gift Boxes

You can’t judge a book by its cover, but a custom gift box goes a long way to letting an employee know that a lot of thought has gone in into the gift of giving. From perfume and items of clothing to coffee makers and travel bags, nothing says employee appreciation like a well-thought-out gift box.

Include a Handwritten Note or Video Message

A video message or handwritten note takes the personalized gift experience to another level and shows you’ve really taken the time to ensure your employee’s gift experience is a genuine and sincere one.

Offer Experiential Gifts

For that employee that’s particularly hard to please, an experiential gift, such as a spa treatment or a day spent making pottery, lets them know you’ve thought long and hard about their personalized gift experience.

Use Personalized Packaging

If you wrap your employee gift with their favorite colour or design of paper, you’re guaranteed to make a big impression.

Empower Managers to Choose

As an employer, delegation is often the name of the game. As managers often have a closer working relationship with your employees, it is often wise to consult them on what would be the best gift to show employee recognition.

When to Offer a Personalized Gift to Your Employee

Timing is everything in life, and offering your employee a personalized gift experience is no exception. If you time it right and hit the sweet spot, you’ll give a gift they’ll remember for a lifetime.

Celebration of Personal and Professional Milestones

Birthdays, marriages, having a baby, and moving house are all personal milestones in your employee’s life that should be celebrated with a gift. However, professional milestones such as the completion of major projects and promotions are also worthy of employee recognition.

Team Achievements

Celebrating collective success with an employee gift for everyone on the team is a great way to celebrate unity and togetherness in the workplace and inspire them to greater heights.

During the Holidays

Using employee gifts to celebrate the diverse holidays they recognize shows that not only are you an inclusive and mindful employer, but one who recognizes different cultural and religious practices. For example, giving a Christian some candles at Christmas or a Muslim fresh flowers at Eid al-Fitr can go a long way.

The Gift of Giving Has Never Been Easier!

Offering your employees a personalized gift experience has never been easier or more effective. It truly is the gift that keeps on giving. So what are you waiting for? Give your employees a gift to remember today!

The Author

Sofia Rueda

Marketing Project Manager

An advocate and contributor to the employee wellness sector since 2018. Sofia became part of Altrum sharing in its commitment to inspire and celebrate individuals. Her dedication extends far beyond the workplace, as she strives to positively impact the well-being of employees through her expertise.

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