Now that Halloween and the elections are over we can all take a deep breath and start focusing on the important topic of employee gifting. With the economy in a downturn and businesses working to limit expenses, employee gifting can become a chore rather than a true expression of appreciation. The important thing to remind our clients as they approach employee gifting is that it is a key component to a complete campaign.
Last week we spoke in-depth about complete campaigns and how promo can play a big role in them. Employees are often an untapped gold mine of people who deeply connect and care about a business and the “why” behind it. If the goal of a complete campaign is to broadcast your “why” and connect on a deeper level, doesn’t it make sense that employee gifting should have the same goal?
Let’s look at it from the employee’s point of view. They come into work everyday in snow, rain, sunshine or even hurricanes. They work diligently on making customers happy and carrying out tasks that keep everything moving. In the beginning of their career they were excited to work for you, and connected to the work you were doing as a company. As time went on, your employees forgot the real mission and got lost in the details of day-to-day tasks and meetings. They have stopped communicating the “why” of your brand and are now more focused on their job title.
Through strategic and thoughtful employee gifting we remind employees of our company’s “why” and show them the bigger impact of their work. Strategic and thoughtful does not mean expensive—it just means there has to be intention and purpose behind the gift you plan on giving.
Here are some questions to help your clients decided on employee gifts that will complete their campaign and broadcast their “why”.
- Why do employees want to work for you?
- What are employees saying about your corporate culture?
- Is this in line with what you want them to be saying?
- If it is, what gifts will further emphasize your culture. If not, how can you remind your employees of your culture?
- How can you add a custom or personal touch that is more than just a logo?
