Opinions expressed by Digital Journal contributors are their own.
Employee recognition can be a tricky thing to carry out. On one hand, you want your staff to feel appreciated and valued. However, you can’t break the bank doing this. In addition to the financial constraints, you’ll need to identify who’s being appreciated. Are you showing appreciation to everyone or is there a specific staff member that’s gone above and beyond the call of duty? This can change the type of give that you use to show appreciation.
Banquets, awards, and gifts with the company’s logo on them are nice, but they often feel impersonal and leave the recipient feeling less appreciated even if it was a costly gift because it’s not something that’s been catered to them.
Tap into your inner gift-giving talents and consider some of these unique gifts to show employee appreciation to your staff!
Shortened Work Day
Have your staff been pulling late nights or going above and beyond the job description? Show your appreciation by awarding a shortened work day. This is a great unique gift because it can be applied to an individual or your entire staff and you can allocate the shortened work day in whatever way works best for your recipient(s).
Food Truck
Food trucks are often a fun and exciting way to show appreciation to your team while also supporting a local business. Food trucks often offer their services and a limited menu or certain number of meals for a reasonable price. This can be a great way to offer an exciting and unique token of appreciation to your staff.
“Obviously this would be more of an all-staff appreciation event, but it’s always a hit,” says Stephanie Venn-Watson, CEO of Fatty15. “People can choose their own food, enjoy time with coworkers, and it’s less stuffy and typically less costly than a formal banquet. Invite your staff’s families to join in the celebration too if it’s in the budget and make an event out of it.”
Vacation Time
Extra time off is always a favorite form of employee appreciation. Recognize your MVPs with the unique gift of vacation time. People value time to relax, have fun with family, and go out and enjoy their favorite things in life. Providing them an extra day as a token of appreciation is an awesome unique appreciation gift.
“In the grand scheme of things, giving an employee an extra vacation day here and there as appreciation for going above and beyond is really not a big deal for us, but it’s huge to them,” says Omid Semino, CEO and Founder of Diamond Mansion. “Having an extra day that they can use whenever they desire is a great way to show your staff that you appreciate them and their extra effort. From a financial standpoint, if they’ve gone above and beyond their job description, they’ve probably saved you more money than what that one day without them will cost you.”
Self-Care Experiences
Show your staff you value them and their mental and physical health by providing self-care experiences as an appreciation gift. While you may be tempted to think these are only good for the women in your company, men are just as in need of a day to themselves and often enjoy a day of self-care too.
“Look into spas and therapeutic massage practices to see what type of packages and gift certificates they offer,” says Rachel Roff, Founder and CEO of Urban Skin Rx. “If they’ve been working really hard, they’re likely stressed and tense. A good massage or a day at the spa treating themselves to aromatherapy or a pedicure could be just what they need. Pair this with a gift card to a lunch spot near the spa and you’ve got a perfect self-care experience staff appreciation gift.”
Company Retreat or Event
Looking for something to show appreciation to your entire staff while also providing an experience to remember? Explore company retreat options. There are many options when it comes to company retreats, so don’t write this one off until you’ve explored the options that are out there for your team.
“A company retreat can be a great way to bring everyone together and allow them to have a good time together with family,” says Chris Bridges, CEO of VITAL. “A company retreat could be a weekend event at a camp or retreat center or it could be a day at a waterpark or baseball game. Providing your staff with a way to make memories with their families is a great unique gift to show employee appreciation. Company retreats don’t have to be boring weekends of professional development – they can just be about having fun and bonding with coworkers too.”
Funding Continuing Education or Certifications
This is a unique gift of employee appreciation that allows your staff to also develop some professional skills. The important part here is that you consult your employee to see what they’re interested in pursuing and not essentially adding a certification course to their plate that’s already full. Look at this as a way to benefit your company with better qualified staff as well!
“Do you have a staff member that’s gone above and beyond and has shown interest in continuing their education in some way? Look into providing support as a token of appreciation,” says Cesar Cruz, Co-Founder of Sebastian Cruz Couture. “Studies have shown that staff who feel as if they’ve been invested in are more likely to stick around and pursue advancements internally rather than looking for a job elsewhere.”
Upgraded Office Supplies
Show your staff that you appreciate them by providing them with nicer supplies for the office. Depending on your budget, this could be something like upgrading their chair, providing wireless headphones, or even giving them a new laptop to use. Making their day more comfortable and convenient is a great way to show employee appreciation in a unique way.
“Upgrading their equipment is a great way to show your staff that you appreciate them,” says Karim Hachem, VP of eCommerce at Maxine of Hollywood. “If equipment upgrades aren’t a possibility or your employee likes what they have, offer to fund an office makeover by letting them pick out new decor or furniture for their space instead.”
Tickets to an Event
Experiences are a great way to show your employees appreciation in a unique way. If you know your employees well enough to know what events they’d enjoy attending, you can buy them tickets to a concert, game, or other event that they’d enjoy. (You’ll also probably want to grab at least one other ticket to bring a significant other or friend too- these are usually things they’d want to attend with someone else).
“Buying event tickets for your employee that’s done extra work and shown initiative is a great way to provide a unique gift of appreciation,” says Shaunak Amin, CEO and Co-Founder of SwagMagic. “While this does require a certain level of knowledge about their preferences, it’s usually well worth the effort. An alternate route for your staff who might not be into big events is to buy them a spot in a creative or hobby class in your area. Some ideas for this could be pottery, painting, naturalist, or yoga classes.”
Charitable Donation in Their Name
For staff who are very passionate about a special cause, making a donation to an organization that’s close to their heart in their name can mean more than any physical gift you could give to them. Like some of the other items on this list, you’ll have to know your staff well enough to know what organization they’d want to donate to or if this is even an idea that would mean something to them.
“Some people have organizations that they love to donate to in order to make a difference,” says Lilian Chen, Co-Founder and COO of Bar None Games. “Often, you can find a creative way to donate in their name. Sponsoring a dog’s adoption fee at the local animal shelter, providing most needed supplies to a homeless shelter, or donating new clothing to a domestic violence shelter in their name can be an awesome way to show your appreciation to your staff member while also helping the community in a way that means a lot to them.”
Staff Fun Day
Like the retreat and food truck ideas, sometimes you just need a staff fun day. This can happen on-site or at a local park or it can look more like a retreat where you take your staff to an event. Whatever you decide, try to make it a day that they can leave the stress of work behind!
“A staff fun day is a great way to let your staff have a little fun,” says Matas Jakutis, CMO of Forcefield Digital. “The purpose of a fun day should be to allow them to have time to relax and destress, so try to do it on a work day and not on a day that they would normally have off. If the event has to happen on a weekend, consider giving them the day off on Friday to make up for it.”
Conclusion
Showing appreciation to your staff is an important part of running a successful organization. Whether you’re looking for a unique gift to give to one special employee who’s gone above and beyond their job description or you’re looking to boost morale for the whole team after a particularly taxing season, these unique gifts are a great way to show appreciation in a way that works for you and your staff.
