Employee gifting — what’s different this year?
How COVID-19 impacted the workforce and what you can do to retain employees.
Against the backdrop of a global pandemic, businesses are trying to go about as usual. But these changes have fundamentally shifted our way of life and working styles. At this time, checking in on your employees and rewarding them for exceptional work in an uncertain environment is more important than ever to keep a healthy workforce.
Employee gifting is the practice of crediting thanks to your workers and rewarding them for their continued persistence in their roles. Not only do gifts make employees feel their efforts are being seen and appreciated, but also benefits your business by motivating them to work even harder. This practice can assist in retaining top talent.
Mental health and well-being
Rarely has the choice of leaving the house at any time been taken away for the majority of our generation. Once the choice is taken away, reality hits and you may all feel some sense of isolation being cut off from people who aren’t in your household. The added stress of unpredictable outcomes can affect the mental health and wellbeing of workers. Studies have indicated it’s imperative for leaders to concentrate on clear, honest communications and listen to employees to offer social support for building resilience.
Devoting time to fostering a strong workplace culture focused on generosity and support is still possible without physical office space by practicing employee gifting. Sending your employees a worthwhile gift may be a welcomed change to their new normal. Both givers and receivers of gifts benefit from the interaction as givers feel empowered and recipients feel cared about. How much time you took to think about what to give someone else is clearly seen through the gift you give. No matter the value or quality of the gift though, it’s the thought that counts. Gifting can help promote engagement and drive home the concept of feeling connected to the company despite working remotely.
Social events planned with in-person activities don’t have to be canceled just yet. Move those events online and incorporate gifts to enhance participant experiences. Budgets for in-person events and conferences can be redistributed to gifts sent to the doorstep of recipients.
For example, the annual holiday season party at the end of the year can link people together by mixing virtual and real-world aspects together. Plan the online schedule. Mail each employee a festive holiday season-themed box that’s not to be opened until the event. Then, on the day of the event, make the unboxing a fanfare as everyone opens their respective boxes to share what they received. The element of familiarity with an end-of-the-year celebration mixed with the novelty of a surprise package strikes a perfect balance to bridge the distance barrier.
Remote work — changing the dynamics of employee relationships
Office pantry chatter is replaced by online coffee catchups with the occasional background interruption as the overlap between work and home becomes increasingly commonplace. Although seemingly intrusive to the flow of meetings, these disturbances can bring people closer. Unexpected visitors who show up on the screen can be a welcomed break from hours of calls and let co-workers get to know each other in a different way to continue the conversation.
“Remote work has caused a relaxation in the traditional rules of professional presentation and resulted in a virtual workplace that is not only more flexible, but also more humane” — Erica Pimentel
Responsibilities usually hidden from the office environment are spotlighted on video calls for people to empathize with as they often share the same obligations. The difficulties of balancing childcare duties while managing a full-time job are brought to the forefront with remote work. The bits and pieces of personal life demonstrate camaraderie by strengthening the bonds between colleagues. An unspoken mutual understanding is communicated, resulting in flexibility for planning around deadlines and adjusting working hours. During these uncertain times, people should put themselves in each other’s positions and be compassionate when it comes to making work commitments.
Employee recognition is essential for business longevity
With these changes affecting the workforce, recognizing employee contributions, and appreciating their adaptability is more important than ever. Low employee engagement and satisfaction are top contributors to why excellent talent leave companies. Prevent high turnover and costly rehires during these turbulent times by displaying gratitude to workers who are burning the midnight oil for you with thoughtful gifts.
Impactful employee gifting is more than just picking a one-size-fits-all item with a company logo attached to it. Successful gifts are highly personalized and sent at the right time while following company guidelines. Personalization ranges from picking a practical gift to handwriting a card with a tailored note. The goal is to express the time and consideration put into the gift, so small details can’t be overlooked. Timing is also effective in conveying a powerful message that an employee’s work is acknowledged all year round, not just during specific times or events.
Hire a corporate gifting service to save time and money
Although this might sound time-consuming and daunting, especially if there are hundreds of employees needing gifts, there are services specializing in scalable personalized gifting for business. Cost-effective and timely, these services help deliver your sincerity to your whole team.
For instance, Giftpack AI offers a unique service that takes care of all aspects of corporate gifting needs from gift selection to shipping it to the recipient. Giftpack takes the guesswork out of gifting by using artificial intelligence technology to find the most suitable gift for the recipient out of a pool of more than 5 million options. Don’t just take our word for it. We’ve compiled a list of the top 5 corporate gifting platforms in 2020 for you to choose which works best for your needs.
A productive workforce results in fast company growth and outstanding performance. Don’t underestimate the power of a gift in boosting employee morale and uplifting motivation. Happy workers translate into closing more sales deals, completed projects before deadlines, and overall productivity enhancement. Although employee gifting might look different as people are receiving gifts individually at home, the same benefits still exist.
