Employee Appreciation: The Top 11 Personalized Gift Ideas for Office Staff

Employee Appreciation: The Top 11 Personalized Gift Ideas for Office Staff

75% of employees voluntarily leaving their jobs are leaving their bosses. Sure, leaving for better pay is another reason, but it’s not the biggest. What good is another few bucks an hour if the boss sucks?

Employees want a boss who cares about their success and failures. They don’t want a robot that only looks at numbers and quotas. The performance takes a hit when the job doesn’t feel rewarding.

So, reward your employees with some employee appreciation gifts. Stationary and office swag is cool, but if you need some ideas, you’re in the right place. We have some gift ideas for office staff and managers, too.

These are the 11 best personalized and unique gifts for employees who deserve recognition.

1. Custom Swag Bags

Bagmasters is a good example of an easy, effective, and unique company gift bags. Tote bags are a godsend for grocery shopping. Pair a set of sturdy bags with the multi-bag handles and you have yourself a one-tripper.

Employees will appreciate a practical gift that keeps on giving.

2. Chocolates

We’re not talking about a cheap Hershey’s candy bar or a generic variety bag. Get your top performers some artisan chocolate. You haven’t lived until you’ve had authentic chocolate from a chocolatier.

We recommend Belgium, Sweden, and Italy, for starters.

3. Desk Plants

Office spaces get stale and boring without some greenery. Even employees that protest taking care of a plant will appreciate this gift idea. Go to Home Depot or Walmart and pick up some cheap succulents.

These hearty indoor plants look awesome and don’t require much care. A little water every few weeks and they’ll brighten your day.

4. Tasting Tours

Think outside the standard gift boxes and gift cards. Take your start performers out on a visual and taste-testing tour. If you make it a group outing, you can further strengthen team bonds.

Wine and beer taste tours are better than just buying them a glass. They get to discover new flavors and have their fill for the day. Be their Willy Wonka for the day.

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5. Organizing Gifts

These gift ideas for office staff work best for your overachievers. Gifting journals, desk bins, sticky notes, calendars, and etc., is great. Try to make these either into gift baskets or a combination set.

Again, not everyone is going to feel the same way about receiving a pack of notecards. Gather intel before sending out these gifts.

6. Food Baskets

While this may not seem like the most original gift, food baskets are very personable. A basket full of random cheeses isn’t the most thoughtful idea. A basket with an employee’s favorite foods can be.

Try something outside cheeses and non-perishables. Go for some boxes of steaks and artisan cheeses. Look for premium meal delivery services if you want to gift foods.

7. Scented Gifts

Candles, cologne, and incense are underrated appreciation gifts. A quality candle can transform a room’s entire mood. A nice bottle of cologne can do the same for the person and others nearby.

These types of gifts are a bit unorthodox for employees to receive. The unexpected nature adds to their charm and makes employees feel special. Because scents are so personal, try to research what they like before giving.

If they are sensitive to strong perfumes, try essential oils as gifts instead.

8. Ties, Socks, Bows

Small accessories that can be incorporated into the dress code are ideal gifts. You can gift branded apparel, but they have to be hard-to-get. Don’t gift stuff that can be bought on the company store.

If you do pull something from the store, make sure it’s worth more than $20-30. Get some custom artwork done to personalize company-branded clothing.

9. Tumblers and Coffee Cups

A cup of Joe isn’t just any normal drink. This magical serum is responsible for some of the happiest and brightest workers. In fact, many have found coffee to be the best benefit later in the day.

The problem is that your morning Joe gets cold and reheating it ruins the flavor. Gift your employees with some insulated tumblers that can stay hot. This should also reduce the number of coffee spills in the office, too.

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10. A Yoga Mat

This might sound like a funny gift, but it’s great for everyone. Yoga is no longer a niche workout for suburban moms. Athletes and gym rats swear by yoga as a key exercise.

If your office space allows for it, suggest employees use their yoga mats outside their desk.

11. Immune-Boosters & Sanitizers

Staying germ-free is critical for a healthy workplace. Liberal use of hand sanitizers often leads to another hidden cost for employees. Gift them a set of sanitizers for travel and their desk.

Combine this with some immune-boosting supplements. This can be Vitamin C tabs, zinc pills, or natural cooking ingredients. Turmeric, ginger, and garlic are a few favorites for some natural panacea.

Selecting Gift Ideas for Office Staff

Remember to hand out these gifts in a fair and meaningful way. You can tell everyone how gifts will be rewarded or do it behind the scenes. If you hand out gifts based on performance, make sure they understand why.

Employees can often feel suspicious about favoritism, so we recommend more transparency. Gag gifts and things gifted outside of performance should be done off the clock. You should also try to work your way around to everyone for those types of gifts.

Consistent Rewards

The last thing you want to do is fall short on your gifts for office staff. Make sure you buy plenty to cover months at a time. Try to make the estimated value of each gift the same, too.

No, sanitation packs aren’t going to cost the same as a wine tasting tour. The gift needs to match the effort or the employee is going to feel undervalued. Have your accounting department crunch some numbers before gifting.

With retention becoming so vital in today’s economy, you have to put more thought into this. A personalized gift is very powerful. Employees who are stressed out need vacations and a boss who cares.

For more information about how stress and anxiety affect the workplace, click here. The Smart Health Shop has tons of great resources for you and your employees.