Whether giving is on your mind because of Employee Appreciation Day or you simply want to thank your team members, employee appreciation gifts are the way to go. From a simple heartfelt note to a personal vacation budget, the perfect gifts can express your gratitude much to the excitement of your staff.
Like any type of gift, the best employee appreciation gifts feel personal, unique, and special. They’re based on the recipient’s interests, so a cookie-cutter approach isn’t necessary.
Instead, create an employee appreciation program that features a mix of rewards, gifts, and experiences to suit individuals. Have a bank of ideas you can use as regular monthly or quarterly gifts, plus some surprise gifts you can send to individuals to honor personal achievements.
Employee recognition is a vital part of maintaining employee morale, so gift-giving to your entire team regularly is essential. Whether you’re praising a year with the company or even the completion of an onboarding program, budget-friendly options are a thoughtful addition.
Research shows that while 25% of workers have received praise in the last week, achieving a figure closer to 60% can lead to higher quality work and reduced absenteeism.
Create a company culture where showing appreciation is ubiquitous and strive to create moments of thanks in your everyday routine. Choose gifts that are:
It’s also important to consider your recipients’ “love language” regarding gifts. Some people prefer words of appreciation; others enjoy receiving physical gifts or experiences. Tailor your employee appreciation gifts to each team member to really create a meaningful exchange.
Looking for an incredible Employee Appreciation Day gift? Want to treat your team members to a memorable experience for their hard work? You’re in the right place. Celebrate your employees and let them know how grateful you are with these fun, meaningful employee appreciation gifts.
You want our employees to feel appreciated daily, but sometimes, you want to truly make an impact with an especially impressive gift. If you want to say thank you to someone in a big way, here are some of our favorite unique gift ideas to surprise them with.
We all know how valuable investing in well-being and self-care is, but many employees don’t take the initiative alone. Thankfully, a gift from someone else can nudge them in the right direction. Use Hoppier to send your employees a virtual card to spend with vendors like Spafinder, Classpass, Headspace, and more. You can even purchase virtual bulk gift cards to prepare you for every employee appreciation gift occasion. Oftentimes, the best employee is the stress-free, healthy one.
Most people have something they’d love to learn more about. Invest in your employees’ passions, interests, and future with the gift of extended learning, and you may see that gesture reflected in your staff’s new talents or zest for life.
Surprise your team members with a budget that they can spend on any learning experience, class, or course that interests them. Applied curiosity can turn mere interests into life-changing skills.
Work-life balance is an essential part of the modern office. The largest and most successful companies have upped their perks and stipends and even offered unlimited vacation days to account for the change in workplace dynamics.
Perfect as a work anniversary gift, you can increase the recipient’s per diem if they travel, offer extra vacation days, or include a gym membership. The more an employee learns to get away from the office, the more productive they’ll become when they’re in it.
Interest clubs are easy to set up and are a great way to unite people based on shared hobbies like reading, gaming, cooking, or crafting. Use some of your corporate gifting budget to provide drinks and snacks using a Hoppier card, or buy supplies like books, games, and ingredients.
Company retreats — when planned correctly — as a useful way to gather everyone in one place to share ideas, make progress, and get to know each other. But they’re also a rewarding employee appreciation gift — especially if you put the focus on wellness and personal growth.
Make time at your annual corporate retreat for moments of gratitude or host a dedicated mini retreat around these themes. Ask your team members which activities they’d most like to try, then plan a schedule that features sessions based on their interests and passions.
You could even make the planning of the whole event collaborative, giving your employees the gift of choice over locations, venues, restaurants, activities, and more.
Research shows that recognition from management matters, but peer-to-peer recognition can be even more impactful. Empower your team members with a small budget to spend on gifts for the people they work with.
Decide on a figure that fits your budget and surprise your employees with this new policy. Encourage them to send thank-you gifts — they don’t have to be too elaborate, even customized t-shirts, tote bags, keychains, or company swag will work. This is a great way to invest in your team and create a culture of gratitude and appreciation.
You don’t have to spend hundreds to let your employees know they’re doing an incredible job. At under $25 each, these employee appreciation gifts are perfect for a birthday, holiday, Christmas, or occasional treat.
Surprise your hardworking team members with a stainless steel tumbler, coffee mug, drinking glass, or water bottle that’s uniquely theirs. Personalize the item with their name, their favorite quote, or your company brand. Send it their way inside a gift box alongside a message of appreciation.
Show team members you care about the things they love with tickets to see their favorite sports team, music artist, or art exhibition — either in-person or online. This makes a particularly great gift for sports or culture lovers. Plus, it’s a thoughtful way to create a deeper bond with your team.
Give your employees the gift of something fun to liven up their home office space with personalized art. Ask them for their favorite song, movie, or location, and have some wall art, a desk-friendly photo block, or other desk accessories such as a custom mousepad to showcase it.
Fresh flowers and houseplants are always a winning gift idea for remote employees and onsite staff members, and they make great employee appreciation gifts too. Express gratitude for someone’s hard work, loyalty, or creativity by sending them beautiful flowers, succulents, or other plants from a local florist — or a letterbox arrangement they can style at home.
Appeal to the philanthropic side of your team members by making a charity donation in their name. Ask everyone for their favorite charity so you can make a surprise donation on their behalf, or offer it as an option they can choose for milestone moments.
A personalized gift basket or care package basket can make a person’s day, especially when catered to their tastes and interest. Take notes on which items, hobbies, snacks, and trends your employee appreciates the most, and craft a mini gift basket to send their way.
Give your employees the gift of ultimate coziness with a high-quality hoodie. Perfect for lazing, working, or running errands, a hoodie is the ultimate loungewear. Encourage them to unwind with a good book and a cup of tea — and send them these too, if you can.
You should always feel free to send a small gift for doing a great job. With these $15 and under employee appreciation gifts, you can express your gratitude without denting your budget.
A great way to make your small budget go further is to send mini versions of gifts to your employees. Put together a thoughtful gift set with mini treats like candles, lip balm, candy, and accessories that match the season.
A food truck visit works best and is more affordable if your team works from one location, but you could also put together a multi-stop tour if everyone’s in the same city. For remote workers, send them a Hoppier virtual credit card with a list of your recommended food vendors so they can order something delicious.
Make celebrating achievements part of your regular activities with a monthly staff appreciation award. This can be as lavish or laid-back as you like. Award your winner a physical trophy, a Hoppier virtual gift card for things like Amazon or Instacart, or simply the kudos of knowing they’re the current employee of the month award winner.
For an affordable yet sweet way to say thank you, stock up on your employee’s favorite snack or drink. This is a small yet mighty employee appreciation gift idea, as it’s a great way to put a smile on someone’s face. Stock up the fridge with their favorite soda, mail them a box of their most loved candy, or assemble a box of yummy sweet treats.
Treat your team members to a much-needed escape or a deeper understanding of the world around them with a physical book or audiobook credit. Ask them to put together a wishlist and surprise them with one of the books on their list, or use Hoppier to send them a virtual card to spend with Amazon’s Audible.
You can pick up some fun and quirky employee appreciation gifts for under $15, and one of our favorites is a desk place sign. Look for a ready-made design that matches your gift recipient’s personality and liven up their workspace.
Not every company has a huge budget for employee appreciation gifts and employee engagement ideas. But you don’t need a sizable budget to please your staff and offer recognition. Staff appreciation gifts are easy to achieve on a shoestring budget. As the saying goes, “It’s the thought that counts.”
Something that costs you nothing but can make a real impact is a handcrafted note of appreciation, thanks, or gratitude. Make your thank you note specific to an achievement or moment, and deliver it in a handwritten note, carefully crafted email, or digital card.
Add humor and fun to your workweek by designating a special holiday party or event to thank your employees. This builds relationships and creates a positive work-life balance, especially if you host a “bring your kids/pets to work” day or a family fun day to celebrate the warmer months. These themes translate well to remote work too, as you could host a remote picnic or pet introduction session on a video call.
If you’re a great baker, bringing homemade treats into the office is a lovely way to express your thanks. Freshly baked goods always make a wonderful thank-you gift, so if your budget is tight but you want to make your team members smile, this is a go-to employee appreciation gift idea.
For a simple yet impactful way to say thank you to your team, host a virtual office party. Invite everyone to join you for an hour or two to chat, play games, enjoy a drink, and bond over shared memories. Add another layer of thanks to your virtual party by sending a Hoppier card to your attendees, so they can order drinks or snacks for the virtual event.
Seeing positive comments, messages of thanks, and shoutouts in one place is a powerful way to inspire, motivate, and reward your team members. Create a digital or physical wall of gratitude to showcase messages of appreciation. This is one of those employee appreciation gift ideas anyone can introduce, even on a tight budget.
Candy doesn’t cost much, but it provides a definite “feel good” moment that comes with being surprised by your favorite goodies. Use this as a small way to thank someone for being an amazing coworker, sharing a great idea, or simply because you appreciate their company.
If your team members are on board, set up a group chat where you can send out your positive messages of appreciation and thanks. It’s a simple yet effective way to uplift moods and create happy energy for the day ahead.
Recognition within your company is great, but take your gratitude a step further. For these moments, consider a public mention like a piece in the company newsletter, a message on social media, or a call out at your next all-hands meeting. Check with your employee first though to see if they’d love this. If not, find an appreciation gift that they would like.
Although you don’t see them in person, remote employees are integral to the success of your company. Though the delivery method or product might change compared to onsite employees, these employee appreciation gifts should do the trick.
Treating your remote team members to dinner is a tall order, but you can help recreate something special for them with an at-home dining experience. Send them a Hoppier card and encourage them to order their favorite drinks and takeout to enjoy at home with friends or family members. Provide themes and tailor your card to certain cuisines, or keep it open and let them choose.
Say thank you to your amazing remote team members at scale by hosting an epic virtual happy hour in their honor. Choose a theme, plan some activities, and cover the drinks by sending your attendees a Hoppier card in advance. Hoppier is the only truly global partner for food and drink recognition programs, meaning your remote team can order food, drinks, and snacks wherever they are in the world.
When you work remotely, you’re home a lot — which also means you can quickly get tired of a cluttered space or a busy schedule. So give your team members an employee appreciation gift with real practical value with an at-home service gift certificate. Encourage your staff to spend this on cleaning, decluttering, childcare, personal assistance, vacation planning, or any area that’s a hassle to their personal or professional lives.
If you know your virtual team member has a favorite celebrity or online personality, treat them to a personalized video from them. Thanks to Cameo — which connects you with celebrities for personalized messages — you can create a one-of-a-kind gift.
Surprise your team members with some amazing new home office upgrades as a thoughtful way to express your appreciation. Let your budget guide you on this one; anything from a top-of-the-range ergonomic chair to a set of customized earbuds or a super fast charger are excellent gifts. The goal is to give a thank-you gift that’s not only meaningful but practical too.
Sending an employee appreciation gift to your remote workers doesn’t have to be expensive. A simple and thoughtful digital thank you card can go a long way. Use an online card service like Greenvelope to customize a design, then think of the perfect way to get your message across.
Work often takes your team members to new places — whether they’re part-time remote or not. If you have salespeople, event planners, or field marketers on the payroll, send them high-quality travel accessories to express your gratitude. Headphones, laptop bags, luggage tags, travel totes, and document wallets are a few travel must-haves that make a great investment for both parties. You make them feel appreciated, they use the gift, and you reap the benefits of a well-rested, happier employee.
Even though remote working has grown drastically in the past few years, remember engaging in-person experiences and office gifts are still favorites. Let the people around you know they’re appreciated with these fun, office-friendly employee recognition gift ideas.
Employee appreciation gifts don’t have to be grand to make a difference. Surprise your team members with lunch provided by you — and give them the choice of where they’d like it ordered from. This team gift is a great way to boost the mood every month or show appreciation for recent achievements.
Invite your team members to bring their family along for the day for a photoshoot and cover the cost of some of the images so they can keep the memories forever. This is a lovely way to celebrate your employees’ contributions, embrace their life outside work, and meet their wonderful families (and pets)!
Use your employee appreciation gift as the perfect excuse for a team-building moment with an in-person experience day. Head to an escape room, VR experience, or skydiving center to try something new and embrace teamwork while doing it. Poll your team members to find out what they’d be most interested in trying, and build your experience around that.
If you have the space and budget, creating a chill-out zone at your office is a great way to invest in your staff members’ well-being. Set up an area with comfy chairs, relaxing lighting, and plenty of books. Encourage people to use it whenever they like as a stress reliever and welcome break during their day. This office perk is an employee appreciation gift that goes long beyond your initial investment.
Keeping your office fridge stocked with soda and plenty of fresh fruit in the kitchen is always a winner, but a food-themed surprise also makes a great employee appreciation gift. Turn up with fresh coffee and donuts to say thank you for working hard or to brighten up a team meeting.
Transform your office for the day by hosting an incredible themed celebration in honor of your team members. Be inspired by the holidays, create a winter wonderland, and exchange holiday gifts. Or create your own staff appreciation week event and let your team choose the theme, decor, food, and activities.
If your office-based team tends to stay at their desks, encourage them to spend the day working from anywhere. Give your team members a flexible budget that they can spend on a coworking space, drinks in their favorite coffee shop, or a takeout lunch so they can work from home in comfort.
Sending thoughtful, personalized gifts at scale is often challenging for thriving businesses. It’s not always practical to create those individual employee engagement moments with everyone you want to show appreciation for. With Hoppier, you can retain that personal touch while managing employee recognition and corporate gift programs across your whole company.
Hoppier makes team appreciation quick and easy, no matter where your team is in the world. Using the global Hoppier platform, you can set up a new program and have a virtual gift card on its way to a special employee in moments.
Get started with your employee appreciation program in minutes. Create a new program, give it a catchy title, and add a fun emoji to match. Customize your virtual card design with your brand colors and company logo, so it matches your style perfectly.
Next, decide how your program will work. Set a budget for your virtual card and decide when the budget expires. Anything unspent after this time gets returned to you, which can be reinvested in a future employee appreciation gift. Narrow down your list of vendors to create a curated experience for your team members, or leave it open to choice.
Once you’re happy with your card, craft a thoughtful email to go alongside it. This is your opportunity to express what you’re thankful for, why you’re sending this gift, and your hope that they’ll be able to spend it on something they love. All that’s left then is to hit send.
Hoppier is wonderful for one-off thank-you gifts to individuals and employee appreciation gifts for your whole team. Send a Hoppier card to a super supportive employee to spend on anything they like, or create a more tailored experience with a themed Hoppier card for a team-wide virtual office party. Our platform gives you the perfect outlet for creativity regarding employee appreciation gift ideas. Get started with Hoppier today.
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
Our team will support you, to make your programs a success
Amazing customer service
Average 4 minute response times
International coverage
