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Countless studies have shown that gratitude makes you happier. Grateful people experience significantly less stress, sleep better and feel healthier.
Gratitude is contagious too: when you show your appreciation to your employees, they become more grateful in turn. In short, grateful and appreciated employees are happier, more productive team members who are better protected against burnout and stress.
Now that so many of us are working from home because of Corona, it's more important than ever to strengthen the connection with your employees. Employees working from home can sometimes feel a bit cut off and miss the contact and vibe of the office. In our podcast with Inge Van Belle you can find out more about the importance of employee engagement during these challenging Corona times.
Giving a gift to your home workers is a perfect way to reconnect in a tangible way. By giving them an original gift, you can thank your staff for their efforts during these challenging times. But your office workers deserve a thank you too, because they're also experiencing plenty of stress and uncertainty.
A gift for your employees is more than just a material thing, it's a way to express your gratitude and make them feel appreciated. However you look at it, a gift can work wonders for the mental resilience and positivity of your employees. Want to make your staff truly happy? Then choose a gift that combines fun and functionality and gives an experience rather than yet another gadget that ends up in a corner. Because experiences create memories, and memories last.
We previously shared tips on our blog about home worker engagement to boost the engagement of your home workers. Now we'd like to help you concretely thank your staff for their much-appreciated efforts.
So here are 10 original gift ideas and experiences for you:
1. Personalised notebook with your company logo
A lovely way to feel more grateful is to write down each day what you were grateful for that day. With their new notebook, your employees can jot down their lovely words in style while keeping the connection with their employer.
2. A box packed with tasty, more nutritious snacks for your home workers and office workers alike
This way, you give them a delicious energy boost, at home or at the office, so they can dive back in with full drive. We know all about tasty, more nutritious snacks! There's bound to be a fitting box for your company among our snack boxes.
3. An inspiring post to thank your employees
Everyone likes to be put in the spotlight, and let's be honest, we all (secretly) love those thumbs-up and hearts on social media. Post a lovely, inspiring message on your social media channels to thank your employees. This creates a sense of engagement, and your post can be liked and shared by your employees, fans and the whole world! Sharing is caring!
4. Encourage mutual recognition and appreciation 💗
It's also important that employees thank and motivate each other to stay positive. Encourage this by offering fun activities: for example, have them send each other a funny postcard with a nice message. In our snack displays you'll also find plenty of tools and tips, or check out Bonus.ly, a handy platform for appreciation.
5. Weekly motivation call
Since Corona makes it hard to thank each other spontaneously and face-to-face, you could schedule a weekly motivation call and put someone different in the spotlight each week. Don't just focus on work performance, but also show appreciation for each other's personal achievements: someone who smashed a Strava run, a beautiful painting made by one of your team members...
6. Subscription to an online fitness programme
Employees who feel good in their skin and relaxed thanks to exercise automatically become happier and more productive. Now that going to the gym is a bit harder, your employees can train online. They can challenge and motivate each other, which can only benefit team spirit!
7. Quality headphones or trendy earbuds
This way, your employees can get through all those conference calls "from home" comfortably and in style. And when they want to zone out completely with their favourite playlist during a break, they can use their earbuds for their own private concert :)
8. Branded towel or sweatshirt
This way, your employees can feel connected too as they work up a sweat during a relaxing workout or refreshing run. Or when they simply want to chill in the garden, the park or on the beach (at a safe distance, of course) and drift off while lying on their towel.
9. Course or workshop
What's more valuable than investing in your employees' knowledge? Give your team members a spot in a relevant course for their personal or professional growth. This also shows them you believe in them. Want to offer them more informal, fun courses like smartphone photography or bullet journaling? Then take a look at Spotworkshops.be
10. A good old-fashioned book
Will you choose a relevant book your employees can learn from and grow with, or rather a relaxing novel so your team members can lose themselves in the story? You can't go wrong with a book! Give your employees a choice from a small selection of fiction and/or non-fiction (tastes differ, after all), because reading is trendier than ever!
Thank your staff for their efforts and feel healthier, happier, more relaxed and more content yourself as a result! Now that's a win-win!