Under the umbrella-concept of “employee satisfaction,” many career and HR experts coin plenty of components: respect, recognition, employee engagement, payment, praise, opportunities for career advancement, etc. Some surveys show without any doubt that most employees declare job satisfaction when the interpersonal relationships, corporate culture, and working environment meet their needs and exceed their expectations. Others emphasize the importance of public feedback for a job well done in comparison to an unpublicized money bonus. A constant, however, in employee happiness surveys and studies is the employee reward and recognition systems the company implements.
Employee Reward Programs and Satisfactory Corporate Culture
As you probably guessed, a reward and recognition system has little to do with salaries. However, it has plenty to do with the money a company spends to show appreciation for the employees’ achievements, excellence, loyalty, etc. The first thing even a small company should do is understand the difference between employee reward and recognition, although many interchange the terms. While monetary, in essence, employee reward programs are there to motivate your co-workers and retain them.
One such example is corporate gifts for employees. The best and most memorable employee gifts are the ones that serve a specific purpose, belong to a corporate program, or celebrate essential moments. According to surveys, for most people, a job is more than a source of income. What matters more to modern employees is the full and public appreciation of the work done. Corporate gifts reward and recognize employees’ achievements and hard work, reinforce the praise of the employees’ performance, and mark holidays, company benchmarks, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.
In other words, raises and bonuses matter, but a well-thought “Thank You for Your Hard Work and Dedication” gift at the right time speaks volumes about how seriously you take your teammates.
Back to our discussion earlier on what makes an employee happy with the job, a 2019 Employee Engagement Report shows that company culture reigns supreme when it comes to job satisfaction. Nevertheless, what does a “satisfying corporate culture” mean? According to research, it is also a broad concept that includes reward and recognition programs as part of that culture, besides interpersonal relationships, well-designed career path programs for each employee, merit pay, performance appraisals, and so on.
All these factors combined lead to increased employee performance and motivation, as well as employee loyalty and retaining. Do we need to emphasize that employee satisfaction has a direct impact on your company customers’ satisfaction?
When it comes to keeping their people happy and productive, companies have plenty of methods at their disposal. Most companies take the events route: team buildings, workshops, seminars, conferences, etc. By all intents and purposes, these are substantial investments in your employees’ career growth and opportunities. Creating an environment where your employees learn and develop their strengths is one of the wisest ways to retain them and increase their loyalty.
However, recent studies show — as we mentioned above — that employees need a more personal approach from their employers beyond keeping things all-professional. One of these approaches involves breaking up the daily routines and grind by surprising your employees from time to time:
- bring coffee or treats to the office,
- organize a spontaneous lunch party,
- create a holiday of your own,
- offer corporate gifts,
- give them a few days off or flexible working hours, etc.
All of these are good ways to show your employees you appreciate them, as they deserve.
How to Choose the Best Corporate Gifts for Your Employees
We have established that offering mindful corporate gifts to employees is and should be a part of your corporate culture and your reward program. Gifts play a significant role as retention and reward tools, as they increase peoples’ positive opinions towards the employer, help them feel more connected to the organization as a whole, and contribute to the employees’ sense of allegiance towards the company. Some might think that corporate gifts are a sort of “buying out” appreciation and loyalty. Still, they are one of the many instruments you could use to promote a warm, open, and engaging working environment.
So, here are some tips on how to offer employees corporate gifts that genuinely mean you appreciate them for who they are and what they do so your company grows:
- While not feasible in multinational companies with thousands of employees, a good idea is to pick a personalized gift based on each co-worker’s background, personal preferences, hobbies, etc.
- If you have dozens of employees, you should pick gifts that transcend their personality and come with a universal appeal. However, giving the same item to all people in your staff might come off as lazy and insensitive. Here is where vouchers, shopping coupons, gift cards, and event tickets work best, especially during the holidays.
- It would help if you considered gifts that complement your peoples’ work and motivate them to work better. Wellness types of gifts show you have their health and wellbeing in mind.
- Personalize the gifts with cards that express your gratitude and praise for their work and achievements. A special touch is to make them multi-lingual if you work with people in different regions or countries.
- Offer them gifts that speak about and to your company values, mission, and vision. If you are in the sustainability sector, buy gifts from companies that meet your criteria from this point of view. If you support technological advancements and research, get your employees the latest gadgets that improve their life or work efficiency.
Bottom Line
Corporate gifts need your patience, time, and thinking. Ordering twenty mouse pads online and going about your day is not going to cut it if you want to implement a valid reward and recognition program. Ask specialists for their help and do your research, especially if you are a small business that wants to retain talent. Reading more on the subject and having career experts by your side will help you not only choose the best corporate gifts, but also create an environment where all employees feel appreciated, safe, and happy.
