Showing appreciation to your employees for their hard work is a great way to increase employee retention and build a top-notch employer brand. It's also the nice, humanly thing to do. With 2018 coming to a close, it's time to close out the year with a thoughtful 'thank you' to your greatest assets - your people.
Here are some ideas - they can be comprehensive, combined, a choice for employees or mix-and-match to get you started:
Show Them the Money
1. According to PayScale, 30 percent of businesses offer organization-wide bonuses, why not "wow" your employees this year with a year-end bonus?
2. Cash is always welcome, but it's not the most heartfelt gift. We doubt anyone would turn it down, though.
3. Gift cards are like cash, but demand the recipient do something they should enjoy. According to Wallet Hub, some popular brands include Walmart, Best Buy, Netflix, Costco, the Apple Store, Amazon and American Airlines, and don't forget local businesses, like restaurants and spas.
Bring Teams Together for Fun & Team Bonding
4. Rent a theater for family movie night.
5. Give them a taste of a local brewery with a tour.
6. Create a holiday floral arrangement at a local flower shop or nursery.
7. Do a charitable activity as a team, like helping a local food bank or organizing with Toys for Tots.
8. Take employees out to dinner as a team, with core work groups choosing their own restaurants.
9. Have a company party to say thank you.
Give a Popular 2018 Company Appreciation Gift
(See the full gift guide from ITA Group )
11. The new YETI backpack cooler.
12. The Bose Noise-Masking Sleepbuds.
13. A sought-after Instant Pot for the kitchen.
14. S’well Bottles, which are made by a company that gives back to communities in need.
Give Them an Experience
15. Discount or give individual or family passes to local attractions like theme parks, aquatic centers, ski resorts or museums.
16. Create a sharing program for season tickets to local sports events.
17. Offer a night in the best seats for a hot game or theater production.
Invest in Them
18. Hold an in-office market for employees who run DIY businesses on the side.
19. Reward employees with a cash bonus for completing required learning courses.
20. Offer a learning stipend for a course that will enhance their career, like learning Spanish or taking an online business course.
21. Make a financial contribution to their choice of retirement, health, wellness, tuition, or child care expenses.
Save Them Time
22. Live somewhere warm? Hire a crew of car washers to come in and tackle the parking lot before employees head out for the holidays.
23. Hire a brave soul to de-ice all the cars in the parking lot (if you're lucky enough to get a white Christmas snow).
24. Find a mobile pet-grooming service to visit willing employees' homes.
25. Arrange for a local house-cleaning service to visit willing employees' homes.
26. Offer an hour or two of office time for online gift ordering.
27. Bring in local food trucks (or just order lunch in) so they can work through lunch and head out early.
Give More Time Off
28. Show increased flexibility when it comes to employees needing time off. Remember, most workplaces aren't very active during this time, either (read Inc.com's salty thoughts on working the week before Christmas and New Years Day here).
29. Give an extra day off - or heck, the whole week. According to marketplace.org, only 15 percent of companies close during the holiday week. Sounds like a good differentiator.
30. Decrease hours the week before the holiday, so employees can head out and finish in-person shopping without towing kids or fighting crowds.
Reduce their Stress
31. Hire a masseuse to come into the office for quick, effective head and shoulder work.
32. Offer yoga sessions to get people breathing and moving - keys to combating holiday stress.
33. Invite a music therapist in for some stress-reducing jam sessions.
Give Back
34. Match charitable donations made by employees.
35. Make a donation to the employee's organization of choice in their name.
36. Create an intern program for employees' kids.
37. A Nice, Old Fashioned Handwritten Note.
The 'thank you' that always looks good. Here are keys to well-written one:
- Individualize it.
- Note a particular accomplishment.
- Don't be afraid to be sappy, if you mean it.
- Tell them they're valued.
- Thank them for their work.
- Welcome feedback.
