Happy Employees Make Great Employees
If you own your own business, you already know that your employees are your biggest asset. Without them, it would be impossible for your business to flourish. Therefore, it’s essential to show them that you appreciate them. It is a nice gesture that will boost their morale and make them more productive. And this, in turn, is great for your business.
So, how do you show your appreciation? There are many way you can do this, but celebrating work anniversaries is one of the best. So here are some of the best work anniversary gift ideas for employees.
Make a plan
Before you start buying gifts for all your employees, you should make a plan. Celebrating your employees’ work anniversaries every year might be too expensive for your company budget. Other big events may deserve celebrating throughout the year as well.
For example, if one of your employees closes an important business deal, you should consider rewarding them with something even if it is a day off or a gift card to a local restaurant or coffee shop.
Therefore, to avoid overspending, you should determine which work anniversaries you want to celebrate.
For example, the 1st anniversary is significant because it will make your employees feel special and incentivize them to stay on longer. Afterwards, you can celebrate the third and fifth-year anniversaries, as they represent important milestones. You can then celebrate every five years to show gratitude to senior employees.
You should also plan your gift budget accordingly. For example, you can’t get someone who has been working for you for one year the same gift as you get for someone who has been working there for ten years. If you do this, the senior employee won’t feel appreciated or motivated. This doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot for the senior employee. Just get them something unique.
Some of the best work anniversary gift ideas for employees
Once you determine the important milestones you want to celebrate with your employees, you can start thinking about the gifts. Depending on your budget, you can choose from a wide range of options. So, consider some of the following best work anniversary gift ideas for employees.
And don’t think of these options just as work anniversary gifts. You can use them to show your appreciation in other circumstances as well. For example, let’s say you’re moving your company to a bigger space or a different location. When planning this move, you need to identify a key employee that can help you coordinate the other employees during the move. If everything goes well, you should give that person a gift to show gratitude.
Personalized coffee mug
If you want to start small, you can always get your employees a coffee mug. You could buy one that is personalized with their name or choose a less expensive fun or beautiful mug and fill it with a few coffees, cocoas, or teas (depending on their preference) along with a cookie or other snack item.
While this might not seem like a lot, it’s very efficient. Just think about it, almost everyone drinks coffee or tea at the office. Therefore, the gift is practical. But when you also personalize it with a message, it becomes special. This will show that person that you care enough to get them something more personal.
Gift Baskets and Boxes
One of the best work anniversary gift ideas for employees is a gift basket or box filled with an assortment of goodies that the employee would enjoy. This option is great because it gives you much more flexibility as you add some company swag, a gift certificate, or just a fun gift item to it. And with a little imagination, you can create one within any budget.
For example, you can choose a small cookie basket to celebrate an employee’s 1st anniversary. It would be inexpensive but unique. And then, you can add anything from food and drinks to small gifts for more important milestones.
Thus, you can customize the gift baskets any way you want, depending on your budget and the type of celebration.
Care Packages
Just like gift baskets, care packages offer you a lot of flexibility. The difference is that care packages can be more personal. It would be best if you opted for these once you get to know a person better. The reason for this is that care packages should contain things that the recipient likes. For example, you can personalize the care packages with spa products, books, specific types of wine, etc.
To do this, you can’t just throw the things you like in there. So, make an effort to get to know your employees better over time and create a more personalized but thoughtful care package for those special occasions.
Spa Gift Certificates
This is a gift that is probably more appropriate for companies that have primarily female employees. I’m not trying to be sexist when I say this but a male boss who gives a spa type gift to a female employee make create the wrong impression. And if the recipient is male, he may not appreciate it.
We all know that jobs can get very stressful sometimes. And it can be hard to leave all the stress at work once you leave the office. So, if it is appropriate, a spa gift may be just the perfect gift. Apart from the care basket with spa products, you can also get them a gift certificate for a local spa.. A day of complete relaxation will not only benefit your employee but your business as well. When people are well-rested and more relaxed, they are more productive at work. Of course, since this is a bit more expensive, you should save it for important milestones.
Work Anniversary Party
There are many memorable and tasteful gifts that you can choose from, but you should also consider a party. Organizing work anniversary parties for employees will make them feel special and appreciated. Plus, it’s a good way for all the employees to get to know each other better. This, in turn, will help them work better as a team and be more productive at work.
It doesn’t have to be something big. You can finish the work day early and organize everything at the office. You can order some food, sweets, and drinks and play some music. This will boost everyone’s mood, including yours. You should keep this idea for special milestones, since having a party at the office every day is not that good for business.
Final thoughts
Just hiring highly-qualified employees is not enough for a successful business. You also have to keep them happy and show how much you appreciate them. This will help them stay motivated and will increase their productivity. One of the easiest ways to do this is to celebrate their work anniversaries, as well as any other important milestones. So, choose from some of the best work anniversary gift ideas for employees to make them feel appreciated.
For some more ideas for showing your appreciation for your employees, see these articles:
Ways to Reward Remote Employees
Welcome Gifts for New Employees
Farewell Gift Ideas for Departing Employees