Sheldon Yellen, CEO of BELFOR Holdings, Inc., hand writes 7,400 birthday cards every year—one for each employee. When asked why he does this, Yellen said, “Focusing only on profit and forgetting that a company’s most important asset is its people will ultimately stifle a company’s growth.”
Yellen believes that taking the time to show employees you care is always a good investment, both on a human and a financial level. According to Officevibe®, companies with engaged employees see 2.5 times more revenue than companies with disengaged employees. We’ve compiled a list of five reasons to show your employees how important they are to your company. Each reason has been paired with corporate gift ideas for employees.
Celebrate a work anniversary
According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), waiting five years to recognize work anniversaries means you’re probably waiting about four years too long. For example, millennials will often stay with a company for only 2.3 years. And by 2020, millennials will make up 50 percent of the workforce.
A work anniversary—no matter how many years you’re celebrating—doesn’t always have to be commemorated with plaques and pins. Consider writing your employee a personal note paired with a box of truffles.
Don’t forget to take a picture to share on your company’s social media accounts!
Celebrate your employees’ lives outside the office
Employees especially appreciate when you remember what is happening in their lives outside the office. What better way to show someone you care than to acknowledge some of their major life events! Send them off on their honeymoon with a beach cooler backpack , or congratulate them on a new baby with a branded rubber duck.
Beating sales goals and rewarding the hard work that goes into it
Most companies reward the people who bring in the most sales. But one company tried something a little different by tracking the number of “no” responses sales people received. The person who received the most “no’s” earned an incentive. The idea behind this: “No” responses get sales people closer to a yes, and incentives—even for “no’s”—are great motivators. Bragging rights can be a lot of fun, so give your salespeople some branded corporate gifts to show off in the office, whether it’s a trophy they can display or a wine and cheese kit to enjoy at home.
Celebrate the real green with the fake green
If your company is having a truly stellar fiscal year, celebrate in style and have a company-wide casino night. Have everyone dress up (or dress down!) and spend a fun evening playing cards and rolling dice. Or let everyone share in the fun—make it a board-game night with employees and their families.
Send everyone home with their own set of branded playing cards to remind them of their high-stakes evening. And send your big winner home with a 7-in-1 game set of their own.
Appreciate them for no reason at all
When it comes to appreciating people, sometimes the best reason is just to make them smile. Have a co-worker or a manager put together a list of reasons he or she cares about a specific employee. Then give that employee a fun cell phone holder or an umbrella that says thanks for being an important part of the team.
In the end, it’s all about people
Ultimately, there are thousands of ways to show your employees how much you value them. A kind word, a well-timed note or branded corporate gifts can help employees know that you’re happy they are part of your company. We hope this list of corporate gift ideas for employees helps you find fun new ways to appreciate your staff.