Around this time, many businesses are narrowing down their end-of-year gift options and planning parties to celebrate a successful year. A lot of care and consideration is put into deciding which kind of gift to give that will appeal to most employees. However, the thought behind all of these gifts is still the same - showing appreciation. Every business wants to show their appreciation to their hardworking employees in one way or another, but they often come to us for ideas on the following:

What kind of gifts will have the biggest impact with our employees? 

To find out more, we interviewed several thought leaders to find out more about their most impactful corporate gift, and why it meant so much to them. Here’s what they had to say:

Tommy Wallis, Merchandiser at Pollock:

Chris Jensen, CEO at Namify:

“First, I think one of the most important elements of giving a gift is knowing something about the person you are giving it to. Our founder, Bryan Welton, knowing that I absolutely love woodworking and building things, would always listen to me and my conversations concerning woodworking. One evening I was watching some TV when an ad came on about the Fein Multimaster. It was definitely one of the best tools to have when it came to little at-home projects.

You could cut, sand, grind, strip paint, etc., I mean, this thing is the bomb. He had heard me talking about it, and actually gave it to me as a gift one year. He taught me a lot with that gift - he showed that he listened to me when I spoke, and that he cared about what I cared about. When I received it I realized it was more than a gift, it was an extension of his knowing who I was, and what I was passionate about.” 

Donna Woodcock, Print Buyer at Wizards of the Coast:

"My most meaningful corporate gift would have to be - after 20 years of service with Wizards of the Coast, I received $250 worth of gift cards, there were several vendors to choose from. Depending on the dollar value, I had the option to choose more than one card." 

Ashley King, Program Coordinator at Clark Public Utilities:

“It’s important that the gift be high quality and last, not break shortly after receiving. Loved the picnic blankets with fleece on one-side and water-resistant on the other because it was something I didn’t have and do use often. I’m super excited about the dry bags that I ordered for my volunteers because it’s something I use but I’ve never received as a giveaway. Gift certificates to a place you’ll use are always fantastic (outdoor stores, grocery stores, or Amazon in particular).

But the best gift I ever got was a gift certificate for a swanky massage when I was working for a film festival because it was money that I would never spend myself (I go for low-frill massages), but it was an indulgent and much appreciated gift.”

Brad Gasaway, VP of Marketing at Namify:

"Some of the more meaningful corporate gifts have been when my company thought about my family rather than myself. Here’s an example: We were getting ready for a management retreat, and my wife got a card in the mail. It as a 60 minute massage. It had nothing to do with me, but my wife was so excited, and it produced a lot of good feeling toward my job.

Another time was when we were preparing for a company retreat, and the company gifted big, rolling, duffel bags for my team and myself. When we traveled, we looked unified, and it drew a lot of positive attention. It was a really practical gift, and also showed that [the company] cared about the unity of the team." 

Discussion

Overall, this small sample shows that the more you get to know your employees and give a gift that means something to them - the more meaningful the gift will be. Whether it's geared toward one of their interests, their work ethic, their family, or their well-being, employees will always remember the gifts that resemble when employers dig deep into what they care about the most. 

The significance of these gifts lasts beyond the gift-giving season - it can leave an impression with employees that could potentially lead to higher rates of retention, increased productivity, and an improved outlook of the company in general. According to this recent article on employee recognition related to retention, companies that recognize their employees are more effective with improving employee engagement and have 31% less voluntary turnover. 

Special thanks to guests Tommy from Pollock, Donna from Wizards of the Coast, and Ashley from Clark Public Utilities for sharing their responses for this week's article. 

If you need ideas for your next corporate gift, follow us on Facebook or check out our corporate gift ideas page here:

We want to know what you think! Let us know in the comments:

Are corporate gifts a meaningful way to show appreciation to employees?

What is the most meaningful corporate gift you've ever received?