Good HR practice: offering gifts to employees for the holidays
20/12/2018 by Hicham HMICHE
20/12/2018 by Hicham HMICHE
Some companies are in the habit of offering gifts to employees at the end of each year. Others questioned the usefulness of this practice. Far from being an obligation, offering gifts to employees for the holidays is nevertheless a significant gesture. How should this practice be interpreted and what types of gifts can be offered to employees?
Your company was able to add another year to its existence? This was not done by chance. It took the contribution of all your teams and each employee had to make an effort to carry out their missions successfully. Seen from this angle, offering gifts to employees for the holidays makes sense. This is an act of thanks. In addition, it is a way to improve the employer brand, i.e. the way employees perceive managers and the company.
The easiest way is to offer the same gift to everyone to put employees on an equal footing. In this way, no one will feel favoured or disadvantaged, which will reduce competitiveness in favour of cohesion. Instead, special attention will be given in the form of personalized messages, reflected on greeting cards. If you have few employees, feel free to write a different word for each of them. In the case of a large company, the wishes may differ according to the services. So it is the thank-you messages that will make all the difference. Otherwise, your employees will just feel like they are receiving ordinary gifts.
There are often employees who stand out better than others. And they are not systematically the same! Every year, there are those who strive to do better - and who succeed - but there are also those who face difficulties in achieving their objectives. The purpose of exceptional gifts is to reward deserving employees and motivate others to keep improving.
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Similarly, it is possible to offer gifts to employees for the Christmas and New Year as a retirement gift. This option applies mainly to employees who have spent a significant number of years in the company.
It is a good time to inform employees about these awards at the beginning of the year. The conditions of allocation should be clearly specified. This will motivate them to give their all to their tasks and if they are not "eligible" for gifts, they will not feel aggrieved.
It is not easy to satisfy everyone, especially if you decide to offer the same thing to all your staff. Here are some ideas to inspire you.
This type of gift is more than practical, because you don't really have to worry about what may or may not please your employees. All you have to do is define the budget allocated to each of them by working with your company's accounting departments. You then offer a gift certificate to each employee who can then offer themselves the gift of their choice.
However, it is not the best option to strengthen your relationships with your teams. It is an impersonal gift. Your employees could quickly conclude that you have taken the easy way out, that it is just a conventional gesture.
Remember that giving gifts to employees for the holidays is not just a question of price. The personalized greeting card makes sense. It is the word you write on it that will give value to the cheque and contribute to the pleasure of the employee who receives it.
Unless you know each of your employees well, it will be difficult for you to satisfy them all. The easiest way is to make a list that you will make available to them. There is no shortage of ideas:
For example, everyone can tick two or three options. It's up to you to create a surprise by offering one of the selected gifts.
Note that you can illustrate the list so that your employees know exactly what you are offering them. Just remember not to give any price information.
Giving gifts to employees for the holidays is not limited to wrapped packages and envelopes. An event that will bring all the teams together is also an excellent option. By organizing yourself in advance, you could devote a day of work to leisure. The system is simple: everyone comes to the office, but no one works. Play music, offer food and drink, set up a dance floor. Gifts from the most deserving employees could sit under a tree while waiting to be distributed.
You can also invite your teams to a restaurant. It is advisable to privatize the places or book to make sure that everyone can sit down. Two options are then available to you. The first is to let everyone order what they like. However, your employees may feel uncomfortable with the rates. Those with less scruples will not hesitate to order the most expensive food and drinks. The second is to order yourself -always in advance- making sure to diversify the dishes. Your employees will not know how much you have spent, but they will keep a very nice memory of these moments of conviviality.
A recreational day is also to be considered. Hiking, treetop trails, team treasure hunts, spa sessions, etc. The decision is yours!