A healthy company culture is built on acknowledging everyone who made achieving those ROIs possible. Beyond base pay, leaders can inspire their team members to crush every deadline, meeting, and presentation with the help of a recognition program.

Almost 90% of HR leaders who instituted an employee incentive program saw a boost in company culture. They said it increased the spirit of competition in a healthy and sustainable manner and boosted employee retention. A thoughtful gift (along with a message of appreciation) can have a massive impact.

Corporate incentive gifts can work to really boost team-building. You can:

• Create a meaningful rewards program and inspire friendly competition with prizes for the “best employee.”
• Break up the workday grind with fun special occasions, wellness trips, and personalized gift ideas.

Whether it’s for the sake of staff appreciation, a work anniversary, or a special holiday, you can create a vibrant work-life while still boosting sales with corporate incentive gifts. Here are some of our favorite gift ideas!

Show Your Appreciation to Everyone

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The first step to fostering a vibrant company culture is staff appreciation. This doesn’t mean only appreciating your staff as a whole, but on an individual basis, where the most impact is made. Employees feel recognized when their hard work is uniquely rewarded.

To celebrate everyone, send out goodies on Employee Appreciation Day (the first Friday of March — coming March 1, 2024). To bring some competition to it, challenge employees to a certain number of sales or deals to earn an Employee of the Month Title (and accompanying award). Promote positivity and friendly competition from the whole team as they celebrate that person together or compete for next month’s perks.

With that said, employee recognition is about more than corporate gifting for high performers. It’s about recognizing that employee for what makes them a unique team member.

Think of some employee recognition ideas that highlight who that person is. eGift cards are great rewards that target specific interests and hobbies. Celebrate your employee as your company’s community member first and foremost.

Incentivize New Employees To Join the Team

Corporate gifting can be a wholesome way to entice new hires. It’d be rare to scroll through remote job posts on LinkedIn and not see “help furnishing work from home space.” In the WFH era, you can encourage prospective employees to come aboard with a virtual gift card to a top home goods supplier.

Speaking of recruiting, offer a bonus for employees who recommend a colleague to a position (upon that individual successfully onboarding). Why? Referred candidates are one of the best investments you can make. They’re 45% more likely to stay on after four years, with over 80% of employers preferring the work these new hires produce. Software like Greenhouse (that we use when hiring at Prezzee) can help employees internally refer professional colleagues.

If it’s not part of your recruitment efforts, you can also surprise new employees with some awesome incentives on their first days. Here are some of our favorite gift ideas for new hires:

• Company Swag. Free t-shirts, water bottles, mugs, coasters, or sweatshirts with the company logo are a great way to say welcome to the team.
• The Smart eGift Card. When you’ve just hired someone, it’s hard to get a sense of who they are personally. That’s why the Prezzee Smart eGift Card shines: The recipient can use it for whatever they want, including splitting it up amongst several of their favorite retailers. For an extra special touch, the new hire’s boss or CEO can personalize the Smart eGift Card with a welcome aboard message or video.

Celebrate Holidays and Milestones Together

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Celebrating holidays, company milestones, and work anniversaries with your team lifts spirits and strengthens morale. Special occasions give you a unique opportunity to show appreciation for your team and boost employee engagement.

Taking the Whole Team Out

Trips and activities can serve as top-notch holiday gifts, offering your whole team a unique holiday experience. Digital gift cards for travel expenses allow employees to take some much-needed R&R, but you can also use these gifts to encourage teams to celebrate and socialize outside of work.

Group activities boost your work culture, encouraging employees to communicate and collaborate more with those coworkers they’ve got to know outside of work. Employees also get to know their managers, directors, or other higher-ups on a more personal level.

Take Breaks To Celebrate Birthdays

When it comes to business, birthdays give a breath of fresh air, offering employees a break from the regular work pace.

Even if that break is to gather around and eat dessert, it helps morale for employees to celebrate with their coworkers. Not to mention, it’s a perfect opportunity to show gratitude with an employee recognition gift.

You could give them a personalized gift card, with your company logo included, for a favorite brand or store. Virtual gift cards are a top-tier way to get everyone excited for every single birthday. Sending out bulk gift cards for a dessert that everyone can share over a relaxed Zoom call has never — and will never — fail to elicit smiles.

Finish the day with a shout-out to that person on the company’s social media, celebrating them as a part of who you are as a company.

Employee Rewards: Think Outside the Gift Box

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We hope this guide has helped you brainstorm some ways to celebrate your team and show employee appreciation. At Prezzee, we believe corporate gifting is an opportunity to have fun and get to know your team, which is why we offer a plethora (over hundreds) of fun digital gift cards. Add a personal message, video, or company logo and send it through an email or text!

Some studies have shown that employee recognition and corporate gifting are becoming almost essential to most businesses following the pandemic. As our teams adapt to changing and even difficult times, it becomes critical to acknowledge those who are there with us.

Thanks for reading! Now go show some love to your team. Create a memorable work environment. And for more tips on how to do just that, follow Prezzee’s hub of articles!

Sources:

Research: A Little Recognition Can Provide a Big Morale Boost | Harvard Business Review

The $242 Billion Business of Corporate Gifting Pivoted From a Routine to a Priority in the Pandemic | Forbes

7 ways to build a healthy company culture | HRD America

What Are Employee Referral Programs? | The Balance