Have you ever received an awful corporate holiday gift? I have.
Years ago, I received cowboy boots as a Christmas bonus. Not subtle cowboy boots – brightly-colored, garish boots that would make even Porter Wagoner shudder.
Oh, did I mention they were women’s boots, and about five sizes too small?
That’s what counted as a special gift from a multi-million dollar marketing agency. I suppose my boss thought, “Hey, that guy’s from Oklahoma, and they’re really into boots there!”
I’ve never worn a pair of boots in my life, but I did have a newborn at home and lots of student loan debt to pay off. But hey, cowgirl boots!
They were useless, but I think I fared better than most of my coworkers. Among their gifts:
- A compound bow (the recipient didn’t hunt)
- A framed picture of an employee and his family (kinda creepy)
- An economy sized jug of cologne (to a female)
- A used (and not thoroughly cleaned) George Foreman Grill
- Nothing (received by three coworkers)
We were all confused and thought it might be a practical joke, but we were too afraid to ask our tyrannical boss, who seemed rather pleased with her offerings.
The employees appreciated the gesture, but in all honesty, the “gifts” did more damage than good. Did she know anything about us? Was the company going broke and could therefore only afford items from the local swap meet? Were they trying to run us off?
Reckless Kindness
We’ve been talking a lot about kindness and goodness lately. (If you follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook, you’ll see us sharing out some of our favorite quotes related to the topic, as well as some of the posts we’ve created here on the blog.)
We think kindness is an important, often-overlooked part of business. Heck, it’s important in any healthy relationship.
In an era where only 16% of employees are fully engaged and 25% are actively looking for employment elsewhere, it’s understandable that many companies see corporate holiday gifts as an opportunity to show some kindness to employees.
But as with any loyalty or engagement tactic, holiday gifts are most effective when they’re relevant and useful. The example I relayed above, while rather extreme, shows that good intentions will only count for so much.
Corporate gifts are an opportunity to earn some much-needed employee engagement and appreciation, when they’re done properly. They won’t make up for larger workplace shortcomings such as poor management or uninspiring benefits, but they can strengthen employee-employer relationships at a time when the employee needs all the help they can get.
What to Give
If you take a look at our collection of employee engagement statistics, you’ll see that what most people want from their employers is money.
- 70% reported that increasing salaries is the best way to boost employee retention (CareerBuilder)
- Over 66% say competitive compensation is the most important attribute of a job (Oxford Economics)
- 22% say compensation is the major factor determining happiness in the workplace (Spherion)
- Salary and “meaningful work” are the most important benefits potential employees look for (Millennial Branding/Beyond.com)
If a compensation bonus is feasible, then go for it. Employees will love it, and you don’t have to worry about trying to personalize the gift (adding a personal note of appreciation is a nice gesture, however).
But cash isn’t an option for many. In that case, look for something else that can help employees during the financially strenuous holiday season (gift cards, employee discount programs, etc). Even gifts with a “cool” factor to them can work – think tablets, Spotify accounts, and so on.
Giving something personal is a great idea – if the giver actually knows enough about the employees to give something that resonates. Offering “the guy from Oklahoma” boots is insulting because it shows the boss doesn’t know much about the employee.
Give Wisely
Holiday giving is a great way to show some kindness to employees, and when done right it can go a long way toward cementing an engaged relationship.
Just remember that relevance and utility are important components to include in any gift, otherwise there’s a risk of bitterness and confusion and a bunch of very confused, concerned employees.
Now, if any of you are in need of some outrageous cowgirl boots, please let me know.
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The post The Risks and Rewards of Corporate Holiday Gifts appeared first on The Access Loyalty Blog.
