Offering great discounts to your customers is good practice, and it tends to improve customer loyalty as well as recommendations – so why not apply the same with your employees? Most brands today need to work extra hard when they want to retain their workers and reduce employee turnover. While it’s important to have your fundamentals taken care of, including salary, healthcare, and work-life balance, you should also find ways to go that extra mile.

In addition to improved retention, you can also expect your employees to be more productive, motivated, and engaged with your business for the long haul when they feel valued. Rewards and gifts should be a regular part of your employee engagement strategy, and they should by no means be templated or generic.

Go for experiences as your rewards

Not all rewards need to be physical or wrapped up in a nice little bow. In fact, more brands today are looking to diversify their gift programs for their employees by tapping into experience-based gift opportunities. While currently, the pandemic is still preventing most events and gatherings from taking place, you can find other opportunities that match the description. Be it a fitness class they can take from home, or tickets to an online event, there are ways to treat your employees without actually hauling a large box into the office.

Keep in mind that most people want to advance and evolve, both as professionals and as human beings. That means that classes are a brilliant reward opportunity! You can pay for a month or two of singing lessons with a prominent vocal coach, or let them take dance lessons at a local studio. Go beyond their profession, so that they know that you’ll support their personal as well as their professional goals.

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Learn about your employees’ hobbies and passions

Every person that works in your business has unique preferences and aspirations. Learning about what your employees enjoy outside of their work hours will help you decide on the best gift for them when the time is right. Many modern-day offices hide nature-lovers nowadays, those who cannot wait for another chance to go hiking, camping, or fishing.

This means you can make your gifts practical and long-lasting, and get your nature-loving employees a gift like durable Tekto Gear items such as knives that they can use for every adventure they embark on. Outdoorsy employees will cherish the gift and they’ll be extremely grateful for the fact that you care enough to hear them out and to learn about their personalities outside of work.

Combine practical and personal

In the spirit of the previous suggestion, all of your gifts and rewards, no matter if they are material or experiential, can have a purpose in addition to being personal. If an employee is going through a personal crisis and you want to help, you can offer counseling with a professional, or an all-expenses-paid getaway in a nearby cabin on a lake, or a nature reserve.

If an employee is recovering from an injury, you can help them by getting them a care package designed specifically for their needs. Be attentive to their needs as well as wants, and you’ll always be able to come up with a gift that is both meaningful and useful.

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Stay within your budget and get creative

Not all gifts and rewards need to be over-the-top and costly. You can actually make your employees happy with less effort and financial strain, only if you personalize your gifts and add a personalized note. For example, a mug, a t-shirt, or an umbrella with a goofy image or a slogan your employee loves can make their day, without you having to spend a fortune. You can get them a pass for a brand they love, be it a local coffee shop, or a relaxing massage in a local studio.

Consider your employees’ values

Most modern-day workers choose to work with companies that have specific goals as well as an authentic purpose they can relate to. They also have unique values based on which they’ll choose if your business is a good match for them for the long haul. So, are your employees eco-conscious? Do they cherish animal rights? What about education equality across the globe? Maybe they value your cultural and historic legacy, perhaps they are avid collectors, or they regularly spend time volunteering for a local organization.

When you’re preparing a gift for one of your employees, make sure to be mindful of their values. This is a great way to find a present, be it physical or experience-based, that will resonate with them and that will remind them why they’ve chosen to be part of your business to begin with. For example, a gift box from cruelty-free brands is a great way to give them something useful as well as value-driven.

Then again, you can also make a donation in their name, to an organization that you know they love and support. Add a personalized note to congratulate them on their latest achievement of milestones in life, and you’re good to go!

Wrapping up

Tokens of appreciation and personalized gifts can truly help build your relationships with your workers. Put in some extra effort into choosing the right gifts, and your employees will be grateful, more loyal, and appreciative of the bond you’re building.