Getting Holiday Recognition Right: Creating Meaningful Moments That Bring Employees Together

The holiday season offers an opportunity to recognize the people who keep your business running and show appreciation for their contributions throughout the year.

Tray Ross, VP of growth at Corporate Traditions, shared how organizations can make holiday recognition more meaningful during a From Day One webinar, discussing how choice-based gifting can help companies show appreciation for the people behind their success.

So, how can employers create this holiday recognition that has both a personal feeling and one that’s impactful at scale?

Ross said there’s a four-question test that can be used to create the ideal holiday recognition plan for your team and includes the following questions: “Is it simple? Is it scalable? Is it personable? And can you scale it to where it’ll recognize all of the employees in every part of the business?”

“As you know, the holidays are the one time of year where the employees are expecting their company to show up, and unfortunately, we still get things wrong a lot of the time,” said Ross. “We do a one-size-fits-all, whether that’s swag items or maybe we do holiday pies for everybody, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but we get everybody a Costco pumpkin pie, and then there's 25% of your workforce that absolutely can’t stand pumpkin pie.”

“So, the whole goal is making sure that we provide more options,” said Ross. “Once employees have the option to be able to choose exactly what they want, they’re going to be more excited because they get what they want, and then we turn you into being the hero and guarantee to make sure that you stay on budget, which is always the most important thing in all of this.”

Holiday recognition can take many forms, from branded swag and catered meals to cash bonuses. The key is choosing something inclusive that workers actually want and that can reach everyone, including remote team members, without creating a logistical burden.

Corporate Traditions works to check all of these boxes. “One of the benefits of Corporate Traditions is that we make all of the gifting simple for you,” said Ross. “One of our flagship programs is an all-in-one gift certificate. So you can send these out to all of your employees, and then the employee can choose exactly what they want that guarantees you stay on budget.”

You’re giving workers something they actually want and will use, says Ross. Company-branded swag can be a nice gesture, but it may not be something people reach for regularly. “That’s what we’re trying to avoid,” said Ross. “It’s allowing employees to choose something that they want right off of their wish list instead of something that they’re never going to use.”

Team leaders should brainstorm holiday recognition ideas early while awaiting budget approval. Digital gift cards make distribution quick and easy, letting workers choose what they want while ensuring everyone feels appreciated for their contributions throughout the year.

Ross also said to remember to customize the gift and use the employee’s first name for personalization. “Just the sweetest sound in any language is a person’s first name,” said Ross. “So, the more that we can leverage someone’s first name, it’s going to add that personal note.”

Corporate Traditions offers various holiday recognition options, such as the Gift Card+, where employees can choose from gift cards of all types; GiftYouPick, which enables employees to choose physical gifts with a budget from a wish list off of their favorite online store and get them shipped right to their door; and turkey and grocery vouchers. “They’re all dollar for dollar, meaning if you had a budget of $25, you can get your employees a $25 Gift Card+ or GiftYouPick certificate, or a $25 valued grocery voucher.”

In the end, holiday recognition is about showing your employees that you are thankful for all that they do as part of the team. 

Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Corporate Traditions, for sponsoring this webinar. 

Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish.

(Photo by miniseries/iStock)