Giving employee gifts is common practice for recognizing outstanding achievement, celebrating service, or appreciating an individual’s unique contribution. While the gift item itself is very important, how the gift is presented to the employee is an important indicator of whether or not your gift will be well received. After all, you’ve spent time looking for the perfect gift and money buying it. You want it to be effective! Follow these four gift giving tips to make sure your gift hits the mark!

Presentation is everything when it comes to giving employee gifts! The gift wrapping is the first thing the employee sees, so it makes a valuable first impression of the gift experience. A gift presented in a gift bag or wrapped in decorative paper shows the recipient that you gave extra attention to detail when choosing the gift.   

It’s common courtesy to include a thank you card or gift tag when giving a gift. Your employee gifts should also have a note that acknowledges the reason for the gift. Be specific! Instead of jotting down a quick “thanks!” and your name, add a sentence or two describing what action the employee took that you deserved recognition.

In addition to the card you include with employee gifts, make a personal comment with the recipients. Verbally acknowledging the gift and your appreciation will make 

Whether you’re giving employee Christmas gifts, celebrating birthdays, or honoring years of service, make the gift giving event special for the recipient. Make an effort to treat your employee to lunch and present the gift at the restaurant. You could also make the gift presentation in a meeting to give the employee public recognition. However you decide to give employee gifts, try to make the employee feel special to get the most motivation out of your gift!