Making team members feel valued and appreciated goes a long way toward ensuring business success. In one survey, 37% of employees said more personal recognition would encourage them to produce better work.
Staff who feel recognized are five times less likely to leave and four times more likely to be engaged at work. Help your staff feel recognized for the hard work they do every day with sought-after appreciation gift and reward ideas for employees.
5 best employee recognition ideas
- Food gifts
- Time away from work
- Opportunities to provide feedback
- Celebratory gifts
- Praise from peers
1. Food gifts
Food is a crowd pleaser. Sweet or savory, snacks are the perfect way to bring people together. Sharing a snack or meal can strengthen relationships between team members too. Cheese and meat trays, Butter Popcorn Cone Bags and Chocolate Caramel Bites are employee appreciation giveaways that will make everyone feel satisfied. Surprise your team with some mid-day treats to show how much you value their hard work.
Or host a friendly challenge for staff members to see who can whip up the tastiest dish. From chili cook-offs to pie baking contests, a cook-off is sure to satisfy. Judges get an Oval Locking Lid Lunch Set and winners get a gift card to a favorite restaurant and a Bamboo Digital Kitchen Scale.
2. Time away from work
Taking time off work can reduce stress, keep burnout at bay and increase performance by up to 80%.
Does a staff member have a family reunion coming up? Did an unexpected invite pop up for a short vacation? Or is an employee who’s also an art enthusiast considering attending a nearby art fair?
One reward idea for employees is to let them take time off work to do things throughout the year that are outside of normal vacation hours. They’ll appreciate the break and retain fond memories of the workplace culture that allowed them to participate in something they value. Slip a “Free Time Off” coupon in a Greeting Card with Gift Card Holder. Place it on employees’ desks for a wonderful surprise. Or before they take off, hand them a Travel Waist Pack for essentials, whether they’re going on a day trip or vacationing for the entire weekend.
3. Opportunities to provide feedback
When employees feel heard, they feel valued. Ask for feedback in anonymous surveys and confidential one-on-one meetings. Topics of discussion may include leadership, how the employee feels in their role, career growth opportunities, collaboration or anything else important to the employee and your business. Organizations that encourage consistent staff feedback enjoy almost 15% lower turnover rates, making it one of the best employee recognition ideas.
When asking for feedback, steer clear of yes or no questions so you can get more detailed, in-depth answers. Incentivize employees to provide feedback with a Thermal Knit Beanie with Cuff as a thank-you for participating. If you implement their feedback, recognize them by announcing it to the team and gifting an extra special thank-you gift like a fleece ¼ -zip pullover.
4. Celebratory gifts
Employee birthdays are certainly a reason to celebrate. But there are many other milestones worth recognizing. Did a team member run their first marathon? Give them a Running Shoe Soft Keychain. Did they just buy a house? A cushioned house jar opener is the perfect way to say congrats. Maybe they adopted a pet. A Dog Bone Pet Bag Dispenser will come in handy.
For more general gifts that help team members celebrate exciting milestones, a cotton bucket tote or Sound Machine with Qi® Wireless Charger are useful employee appreciation giveaways for all occasions. Every time they use their gift, they’ll be reminded how much their company appreciates them.
5. Praise from peers
Create frequent opportunities for your team to praise one another. Colleagues, coworkers and supervisors can congratulate each other for completing a project, graciously handling a sticky situation or simply being a good listener. Seventy-four percent of people who say their team receives praise also say they “have the feeling that what [they are] doing at work is valuable and useful.”
Hang Full Color Posters as “Praise Charts” where everyone can see them. List examples of compliments employees share with each other, from “Thank you for being so flexible” to “You always provide such great ideas.” Keep a box full of employee appreciation giveaways that supervisors can hand out as acknowledgments. For instance, an Adult Coloring Book To-Go Set or a camp travel mug.
Make your team feel valued
With these appreciation gift and , it’s easy to create a work environment where everyone feels valued and wants to remain all in—from the newest hire to the CEO.