Beyond Bonuses—15+ Employee Appreciation Gift Ideas That Inspire
Introduction to Employee Appreciation Gifts
Employee appreciation gifts create an important opportunity within each organization to create a positive and productive culture. When the gifts become more than just token gestures, they can foster an environment where employees feel valued, motivated and connected to the organization. These gifts should be part of your broader strategy to create a supportive, engaged and productive workplace.
The importance of employee appreciation
In today's competitive job markets offering thoughtful appreciation can make a business stand out as a place they want to work. For many people it's not just about what the annual income is but they want to know about the entire benefit package.
Regular appreciation keeps employees invested in the company’s success, and improves employee engagement to the extent that they are more likely to go above and beyond in their roles.
Benefits of Employee Apprecation
Employee appreciation gifts offer a range of benefits that go beyond simple gestures, making a meaningful impact on both employees and the workplace. Here’s how:
- Boosts morale: Being recognized for their hard work can improve morale across the company.
- Reduces turnover: As morale and satisfaction increase, employees are more likely to stay with the company. Thus reducing turnover and improving retention rates.
- Reinforces company values: Thoughtful gifts can be used to reinforce your company values.
- Opens opportunities for communication: Employee appreciation gifts give you the opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with employees about how grateful you are for their work.
So what types of Employee Appreciation Gifts are out there?
Types of Personalized Gifts
Personalized gifts are an incredible way to show employees that you value their contributions and their individuality with a deeper level of thoughtfulness. These types of gifts also give you the opportunity to tailor the gifts to the employee’s unique preferences and achievements. Possibilities can include anything from personalized notebooks/journals to personalized home and lifestyle gifts, engraved drinkware to engraved office supplies, tech gadgets to personalized pet accessories; the options here are as endless as the options on Etsy.
Experience-Based Gifts
Experience-based gifts are a great way to provide something memorable and meaningful as an alternative to a traditional physical gift, offering an experience that aligns with their interests or passions. Here are several experience-based gift ideas:
- Team-Building: Look for experiences such as cooking classes, escape room adventures, outdoor team challenges (i.e. scavenger hunt, obstacle course, etc), activities that promote team bonding, physical activity and offer a sense of accomplishment.
- Learning and Development Opportunities: Ideas could include workshop or seminar tickets, conferences or trade show passes,or online course subscriptions. Invest in your employee’s professional growth, allow them to learn new things, network and stay ahead of industry trends. The opportunity to learn new skills on their own time can be both personally and professionally rewarding.
- Adventure and Travel-based: Some gifts include weekend getaway packages, adventure experiences (skydiving, bungee jumping, hot air balloon rides or scuba diving lessons to name a few), or travel vouchers or airline miles. An opportunity to explore new locations, spend time with family, friends or alone in mother nature or to experience adrenaline-filled activities are often memorable, exciting and sometimes uniquely thrilling.
- Creative and Artistic Experiences: Art classes (i.e. painting, pottery or photography), DIY craft workshops (i.e. candle making, jewelry making, etc.), or music or dance classes make for great experiences. These experiences offer employees an opportunity to express themselves and unwind through creativity, exploring their creative side and picking up a new skill.
- Entertainment: Find experiences such as concert or theater tickets, movie or sports game tickets, or amusement park or zoo passes.
Company-Branded Merchandise
Sometimes your favorite items are ones that you use everyday, and sometimes those items have your company’s logo on them. Company-branded merchandise can be anything from a pair of socks to BBQ tongs. Sometimes, companies will bulk order swag for employees for holidays or a company party. However, companies will often setup a swag store where employees have access to a wide variety of branded merchandise that they can choose from. Common company-branded merchandise includes:
- Water Bottles: Whether it’s a Stanley or a Hydrojug, water bottles are a hit with most employees. Plus, keeping everyone hydrated can help with your wellness goals.
- Backpacks: For in-office or hybrid employees, backpacks are a great option. Having a good backpack can make traveling to and from the office a bit easier.
- Hoodies/Sweatshirts/Shirts: Who doesn’t love a new wardrobe? Especially if your company is paying for it. Some stylish looking clothes that your employees love to wear can go a long way. Plus it’s a little free advertising for you too.
- Blankets: Blankets can be a perfect employee appreciation gift for the home or the office. Now you have an extra blanket for your movie night or to keep your feet warm because Dwight keeps turning the AC on in the middle of March.
- Journals: Journals can be a great way to encourage employees to work on mindfulness, gratitude, or just to keep regular notes on items.
- Yoga Mats/Fitness Equipment: For companies that have a specific focus around wellness and healthy initiatives, fitness equipment can be a great way to reinforce your values and help employees reach their goals.
Gift Cards and Vouchers
Gift cards can be a great way to show employees that they’re appreciated. However, it’s important to remember that not everyone loves the same gift card. While Janet in Accounting may love the Baskin Robbins gift card, Jim in Sales may hate it (dang lactose intolerance). You may need to gather that information ahead of time and store it in their employee profiles in your HRIS (or a spreadsheet if you’re old school). Or, you use a rewards catalog where they can redeem their points for whatever (or wherever) they like.
Wellness and Self-Care Gifts
Wellness gifts can show employees that not only do you appreciate the work they do while they’re on the clock, you care about their life when they’re off the clock. These gifts promote well-being and show that you care about their physical and mental health.
- Spa or massage gift certificates - Great opportunity for employees to disconnect and relax.
- Yoga, fitness, or meditation classes: These classes are a great way to decompress and recharge your batteries.
- Mindfulness and mental health retreats: These are a great option for helping your employees take care of their mental health..
- Aromatherapy Diffuser Set - Aromatherapy can be a great way to unlock the senses, reduce stress, and reset your internal dialogue.
Technology and Gadgets
Who doesn’t love the latest tech gizmos and doodads? Tech related employee appreciation gifts can be fun and practical for employees. You might want to look into:
- Portable power banks - There’s nothing worse than having to be on the go and your phone or laptop dying - especially when you need them. Power Banks are a great way to have that extra charge when your phone is dying.
- Earbuds and headphones - Most everyone loves a good pair of headphones. Whether they’re over the ear or earbuds, they make a great gift for employees.
- Waterproof portable speaker - These can be great for employees in their home, or if they want to take them to the beach, on the boat, or wherever they go.
- Digital picture frames - Digital picture frames are becoming a hot ticket item. Employees can load them up with their photos and instead of one picture like an analog frame, they can hold hundreds of pictures that will automatically cycle through during the day.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Gifts
When choosing gifts it’s important to keep IRS rules in mind. Most gifts you give to employees are considered taxable income, which means they might be treated like regular compensation. Also, you’ll want to keep these four (4) things in mind.
- Budget Constraints
While it would be AMAZING to give EVERY employee an all expenses paid vacation to their dream destination, that’s probably not feasible. You’ll want to work with your finance team, CEO, or executive sponsor to set a clear budget and know how much you can spend.
- Employee Preferences
You’ll want to keep employee preferences in mind as you’re selecting your gifts. While some may LOVE a membership to a “wine of the month” club, those that don’t drink won’t find much value in your gift. Knowing what employees would like and what their preferences are can help with that.
- Cultural Sensitivity
Any gift that you’re considering purchasing, you’ll want to pause and do a quick gut check. Ask yourself, “Is there anyone that might be offended if they got this?” It probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to get a second opinion on it as well. While an insensitive gift might not be given with ill-will, it can leave a bad taste in someone’s mouth and feelings that need to be mended.
- Occasion and Timing
Take into account the occasion and timing of the gifts. While it may be super awesome to get a Valentines Day gift from the company, it might be super weird if it comes at Halloween.
Creative Ideas for Employee Appreciation Gifts
Not every gift has to be t-shirts and water bottles though. Being creative with your employee appreciation gifts can be a fun, unique way to show employees that they’re cared about.
Virtual Work Environment Gifts
For remote or hybrid employees, you can look for gifts to help with their home office setup (think noise-cancelling headphones, blue-light blocking glasses, or a new office chair). Maybe they’ll appreciate a personalized Cameo from their favorite celebrity cheering them on.
DIY and Handmade Gifts
Sometimes budgets are tight and gifts need to be DIY or handmade by your staff. Even with a tight budget, most employees understand as long as you're upfront with them. Remember - It’s the thought that counts.
- Wood cutting boards: A personalized cutting board can make a great addition to your kitchen.
- Homemade scented candles: With a little bit of wax and some lavender or vanilla oils, you can make some amazing smelling candles that your employees will love.
- Handmade ornaments: You can commemorate the great times you’ve had with a handmade ornament. Maybe it’s a company-wide joke or hitting a major milestone as a team, but just make sure that it tugs at the heart.
- Personalized recipe book: For smaller teams who love baking, grilling, or cooking, a personalized cookbook could be a great option. Collect everyone’s favorite recipes and put them into a book and give employees their own copy.
Strategies for Distributing Gifts
Once you’ve determined your employee appreciation gift, it’s time to actually get them to team members. Here are three helpful strategies to make sure people feel connected and valued.
Recognizing Individual Achievements
Every employee wants to be seen and recognized, and adding some personalization to it can be a valuable way to connect with employees. When recognizing individuals some good rules of engagement are to add a handwritten note to the gift when you deliver it to them. Preferably, you should look for opportunities to deliver it to them one-on-one and you can tell them directly how much you appreciate their contributions.
Group Distribution and Team Celebrations
Delivering gifts to departments or the entire company can amplify excitement and create a buzz that energizes teams. The most common times for group distribution are during team meetings or company all-hands events. For special occasions, you might call a dedicated meeting or host an event to share the big news and distribute gifts. Nectar’s Internal Communications tool makes this coordination seamless, allowing you to schedule announcements, share event details, and ensure all employees are informed and engaged.
Leveraging Technology for Remote Employees
While remote work has different advantages than in-office employees, one of the main drawbacks is feeling the same sense of connection with coworkers that their in-office employees have. Technology can help bridge the gap. Here are some helpful ideas to help your remote employees feel more connected:
- Themed/Personalized boxes: Companies can have employees choose a list of pre-built gift boxes, or let employees choose which items they want and create their own personalized boxes.
- Gift cards: If you’re wanting a less labor-intensive option, you can offer gift cards for your employees or different subscription options. Maybe they really want a Spotify subscription to tune out their noise desk mate.
- Unboxing event: If you’ve shipped boxes to employees ahead of time, give them a heads up and tell them not to open it just yet. Then as you’re doing your all-hands meeting or one-on-one, you can open it up together. Let your remote employees share in the excitement as they see the gift at the same time as other employees.
Measuring the Impact of Employee Gifts
When giving an employee appreciation gift, you’ll want to make sure that it’s having a tangible impact on employee morale. This will help you understand if your gift was a home run or a flop.
Surveys and Feedback
Surveys can be a great way to measure employee happiness and sentiment. Pulse surveys (regular short surveys) can go out on a monthly basis and quickly gather if sentiment is up or down. Word of caution: Try not to deliver your annual/semi-annual eNPS or engagement surveys at the same time as an employee gift. This will throw off numbers and may make it look like things are going better than they are.
Employee Engagement Metrics
Regular employee engagement surveys help you identify if your employees are disengaged—an essential exercise, as 64% of employees shared that their work experience is impacted when their peers are disengaged at work. Depending on the time of survey that you’re running, you’ll want to watch metrics like:
- eNPS
- Engagement rates
- Participation/Recognition rates
- Survey completion percentages
- Performance ratings
- Retention rates
Long-Term Effects on Morale and Productivity
When employees feel genuinely appreciated through thoughtful gifts, it boosts their morale and strengthens their connection to the company. They’re more engaged, motivated, and willing to go the extra mile, which makes your job as an HR professional easier.
A happier, more connected team means less turnover, fewer headaches, and a stronger, more productive culture. By showing your employees they matter, you’re not just improving their experience—you’re building a company people love to work for, and that’s a win for everyone.
Employee appreciation gifts are powerful tools for boosting morale, fostering loyalty, and strengthening connections within your team. Thoughtful gifting shows employees they’re valued, creating a positive workplace culture that drives engagement, productivity, and long-term success.
Encouragement to Prioritize Employee Appreciation
Prioritizing employee appreciation isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a key investment in your team’s happiness and your company’s success. When employees feel valued, they’re more engaged, productive, and loyal, creating a positive ripple effect throughout your organization. Taking the time to show genuine appreciation fosters a stronger culture, boosts morale, and helps your company stand out as a place where people love to work.
Desirae Serdar is a freelance writer specializing in technology, HR, and people management. With a passion for helping organizations create better workplaces, she explores topics that empower companies to build engaged and motivated teams. When she’s not writing, Desirae enjoys unwinding at the beach with her toes in the sand and a good book in hand.