Everybody needs to feel appreciated at work, and even your best-motivated employees need boosting their morale from time to time, or a clear sign of recognition for their efforts. Your employees have been working hard to accomplish your company’s goals and its vision, and the truth is, you don’t need a special occasion to praise them and show them how much you value their contribution.
Showing appreciation can take many different forms, may that be a bonus on the salary, a couple of days off, or public praise. Rewarding your employees for a job well done is also a great practice for keeping their motivation high and a sure way of creating a better workplace environment, the one which will make your business thrive.
Put Yourself in Their Shoes
If you want to gift your colleagues or show them your appraisal, put yourself in their shoes and find out what it is that you would appreciate. Most of them would be delighted with extra vacation days or a couple of days off after a really challenging phase at work, but your budget and workload may interfere. Since public praise is not everyone’s cup of tea, and words of appreciation are sometimes not enough, you should try harder and think of other ways to reward them.
Can it be a really great office party? Or a casual after-work dinner for your team? Organizing such gatherings is great for giving kudos for group efforts, and they bring enormous benefits to the quality of workplace relationships, so make them a habit after a group success.
Think Personal
When thinking about gifting your employees as a sign of appreciation, you need to make those gifts personal and show that you’re paying attention not only to their work performance but also to their personality.
Do you have a big Star Wars fan among your employees? It may not have the same effects as a day off, but an R2D2 mug with a funny message will definitely bring a smile on your colleague’s face whenever they are having their first-morning coffee at the office. A ticket for the concert of their favorite band or for a football game will send the same message and make them feel truly rewarded.
Think Labour-Saving
If you’re not sure about your employees’ interests, you can always think along the lines of their convenience at work, and find some cool gifts for your coworkers that they could use at work. Your gift can be something that will help them ease their stress on extremely hard days, or that they can really use in their office on a daily basis and make their job easier. And if you happen to know your employee well, even better, as by making your gift both useful and personal, it will truly feel like a reward.
Think Health
Gifts that promote and encourage the health of your employees are always a good idea, as they show how much you care for their well-being. It can be a day at the spa, a massage, a pass to fitness classes, or a Bodyworks Ball they can use at their workplace, whatever your employees might need to take care of themselves, and feel good.
Think Recognition
Sometimes, you just want your gift to look and feel like a statement of recognition. A beautifully designed plaque with a personalized message, which they can put on their desk, can be a great gift for your employee and a strong motivator for accomplishing their future tasks. Also, it would serve as a great reminder to all your other employees that your company is there for its employees, appreciating their efforts and ready to reward them.
Make gifting your employees a regular part of a continual appraisal of your employees’ efforts, and a step towards creating a trustful and empowering workplace environment, as that’s a surefire way of boosting their motivation, as well as your sales.
