The Christmas holidays signal the end of a long 12 months of hard work for you and your employees and hopefully, a chance to have a well-earned break! Plus, Christmas is the perfect time to say thanks and show appreciation for your employees’ efforts over the past 12 months as you can help end your employees’ year on a positive note. So, are some ideas on how you can reward your employees this Christmas and New Year and motivate them for another fruitful year in 2022.
Personalize rewards and incentives for individuals
One employee’s treasure is another employee’s trash. Large organizations are likely to have a diverse team and hence, their preferences too. Giving everyone the same gift can result in a lukewarm response to your rewards from the majority of your team.
A reward that’s tailored to an individual’s taste can have greater significance at less cost. Smart digital vouchers are a great tool in ensuring tailored rewards for your employees. Such offers allow your employees to choose a gift of their liking from a group of curated options from major brands.
Offer variety
The best way to ensure your incentives appeal to all is by offering a variety of rewards for your workforce to choose from. The demographics of your organisation should determine the direction in which you take your selection].
With a clear idea of the reward budget per employee, consider conducting a staff survey to identify how your teams wish to be rewarded. Combine open-ended questions with a selection of discounts or vouchers for retail, restaurants, or experience offers.
Make the rewards sharable with friends and family
Any reward you offer will pale in comparison to the time your employees spend with family and friends over the Christmas period. It is, however, possible to use your reward to facilitate and improve that time. Your employees will really appreciate it if you allow extra time off as a reward. This provides your hard-working employees precious time to spend with their family and friends over Christmas. Providing rewards that can be shared with loved ones also helps to boost your employer brand and spread the message further afield.
Take time out of the day to have some fun
Taking some time out during the working day to enjoy social activities can be really good for both employee morale and improving your company culture. Organising Christmas activities throughout the month, such as dress-up days, online quizzes or virtual Christmas Pictionary, have proven to be very popular with employees across all industries.
Say Thank You
You might decide that you’re going to provide Christmas gifts and treats for your employees as a reward for all of their hard work – but don’t forget to actually say thank you! The most important thing for employees when receiving a reward isn’t necessarily the financial gain or the entertainment value of what you’ve given them – it’s the feeling that they actually are valued by the business.
Reward and recognition shouldn’t be just limited to Christmas. While the festive season holds extra gift-giving clout, the downside is that rewards are often quickly forgotten. Incentivizing your people throughout the year will improve employee satisfaction and performance. Investing in an employee rewards and recognition platform can be an efficient solution to keep your employees engaged and motivated throughout the year.
