Reward your employees

Christmas and the end of the year is an important and often challenging time for employers. For many with seasonal products or who operate calendar financial years, maximising sales and profits before year end is the biggest challenge particularly when employees are starting to wind down to enjoy the festive season.

For most organisations there is also the challenge of creating a memorable Christmas party and providing end of year staff gifts and rewards to thank employees for their hard work, dedication and support over the past 12 months.  

Both the party and the reward have to engage and motivate a diverse group of people with a variety of tastes. So how exactly can an organisation best try to keep everyone happy with a Christmas reward? Here are our top three tips on how to give a reward to staff they like, at the right time during the festive period: 

Know your staff and personalise the gift
When giving staff a reward, they will always appreciate choice.  Gift cards have the enviable advantage of offering flexibility and allowing recipients to handpick a gift. But even then a gift card that is not appropriate to an individual will still be disappointing, so it’s important to try to choose one that reflects the tastes and interests of the recipient. 

It shows the employer has really thought about what they are giving and to who rather than a standard gift as ‘one size definitely doesn’t fit all’! For example, a member of staff that takes a great deal of pride in their home would very likely be thrilled with a gift card that allows them to further invest in their home and garden. Employers should understand what makes their employees tick and give an appropriate gift card.

Make a presentation and say thank you
To emphasise the message from the employer of “thank you for all your hard work this year” rewards should be handed out face to face in person by directors or managers to their staff. Leaving a gift in an in-tray or posting it is too impersonal. The important part is recognising everyone’s individual contribution, acknowledging their efforts among their peers and saying thank you.

Timing is everything
We are seeing an ongoing trend in the number of organisations staggering staff rewards either side of the end of the year. Part of the reward is given in December with the remainder in January as an added bonus when the January – post Christmas blues have set- in. After all what better way to start the New Year and helping staff focus over the coming months, which will not only extend the ‘feel good factor’ but help create a positive working atmosphere as teams come together again.

A reward or gift as a Christmas ‘present’ is often expected. Ensuring the choice, timing and communication are considered before embarking on a reward programme will help to maximise the prospects of it being well-received.

Caroline Mboijana, Managing Director,The Leadership Team (U)  [email protected]