As the year ends, many business owners are thinking about the holidays. Some leaders might be planning end-of-the-year holiday specials and discounts for their customers. However, it’s just as important to have holiday employee appreciation.
Employee appreciation should be normal year-round, but it’s appropriate to make a special effort during the holidays.
Understanding the Importance of Employee Appreciation
Everyone working full-time, part-time, or seasonally looks forward to the holidays. Having time off to spend with family is a holiday ritual that many employees enjoy. However, this time can be difficult for many people, too. Those individuals who don’t have family or close friends nearby may find it depressing as the holidays approach. When business managers implement holiday employee appreciation events, it can mean a lot to struggling individuals.
In addition, investing in employee appreciation will bring benefits to the business in the following ways:
- Boosts staff morale
- Leads to greater retention/reduces employee turnover
- Encourages higher staff engagement
- Supports employee wellness
- Enhances your brand image through giving
Steps to Create an Effective Employee Appreciation Program
The following steps will help as you put an employee appreciation program in place:
Plan the Details
Before jumping into a holiday employee appreciation program, it’s important to plan ahead. If you do things haphazardly, it could fall apart. Be sure to make a list of ideas, prioritize the most important ideas, and solicit ideas from others.
Keep Things Flexible
Once you have the ideas in mind, begin checking calendars, venues, and availability. This is the time to be flexible, though. You can always modify a plan to make it work better for the entire office. Allow for some changes if needed.
Remember the Goal
As you’re planning and preparing, don’t forget the goal of employee appreciation is to have fun and make the staff feel valued. Don’t lose sight of that in the hectic rush of holiday activities.
Top Ideas to Show Gratitude During the Holidays
Now it’s time to explore some ideas you could implement for employee appreciation. The following list contains ideas to use as is or modify to fit your goals.
Decorate Together
Too often, either the manager or a small group of employees handle the decorations. Make it more memorable by including all the employees in the festivities. Most people enjoy decorating and the camaraderie that comes with it. You could solicit feedback about a holiday theme or decoration idea.
Holiday Party/Ugly Sweater Competition
Everyone enjoys a regular holiday party. It’s even better when the party is on a workday, so they get paid for having fun. Of course, you want to have plenty of food, music, and games at the party. It’s best to foot the bill for all the food unless you get a sense that employees would like to have a potluck to show off some of their special holiday cooking.
You can also throw in an ugly sweater competition. Those are always a hit around the holidays that can also break the ice and generate a lot of laughs.
Give Unique Gifts
Gift exchanges can be a good idea, but sometimes they don’t work well. Some people don’t know what to give their co-workers. Also, people are swamped with Christmas shopping for their families. That’s why it’s helpful if the manager provides the gifts. However, think outside the box. Instead of wrapping up that box of chocolates or a fruit basket, think about gifting an experience. Find out what your employees enjoy and give them tickets to an event, membership to something they’d use, or a self-care activity (think personal massage).
Experience a Seasonal Activity Together
Take the whole office to a fun seasonal event. Maybe there is a play or musical in the area that everyone would enjoy. These can provide opportunities for everyone to get to know each other better, bond with one another, and make some memories.
Learn More with Confie
Learn more ideas for making this holiday time inspirational. At Confie, we put employees and culture first, ensuring that we maintain a healthy work-life balance. Our insurance lines are leading in the industry. We’re always looking for talented agents to join our reach. Reach out online or just give us a call at 714-252-2500!
