25 Employee Recognition Gift Ideas to Show Your Appreciation

Because the global pandemic has forced so many people to work from home, recognizing employees has become more critical than ever. Being appreciated is an essential part of life, and everyone seeks appreciation in their personal, social, and work relationships. 

This is because human beings are social creatures who constantly need to feel like they fit in.  

Showing appreciation for your employees can help to reduce the employee turnover rate of your business, boost morale and productivity, and improve the company's public image. No one wants to do business with a company that ill-treats its employees. 

Here are 25 employee recognition gifts to show your employees that you care. 

Why You Should Invest in Employee Appreciation Gifts

Appreciating your employees is critical to fostering a culture of trust and mutual respect. Employee recognition through gift-giving are gestures that promote a positive work environment. Gifts can be given on birthdays, work events, promotions, or holidays. Here are some of the reasons why it is so important to show appreciation for your employees. 

Reduce Staff Turnover

According to the Society for Human Resource Management, the mean cost to hire an employee is approximately $4,129, and the average time to fill an available position is 42 days. High employee turnover negatively impacts the company and may also affect the rest of the staff by increasing their volume of work until the position has been filled. 

Recognizing and rewarding your workers is a meaningful way to express gratitude for their efforts. You create a positive work culture that rewards loyalty to the organization, its goals, and values, and demonstrates that it appreciates employee dedication and performance. 

Improve Your Company’s Image

Company reviews are becoming commonplace, with employees rating their employers, and giving potential customers and clients insight into the business. The truth is that no one wants to do business with a company that doesn't treat its employees with respect. 

While appreciation gifts alone are not enough to improve ratings, they can help to keep employees happy and improve the overall appeal of the business, which helps to maintain a positive work culture that attracts clients and customers. 

Boost Morale

People who are happy are more productive. It is essential to express gratitude verbally to your staff to let them know how much you value them and the work that they do. A well-deserved compliment on work well done is always gratefully received. Inviting feedback demonstrates your appreciation for the value they bring to the team. 

Furthermore, a gift demonstrates that you took the time to select something that the employee might like. A simple corporate holiday gift or employee thank you gifts are a simple yet effective way to boost employee retention, which benefits both the employee and the employer. 

Keep Remote Workers

As the world has moved to a hybrid or work-from-home model, it may be more difficult to show appreciation for the remote worker. If you want to retain remote employees, sending a thoughtful gift to show your gratitude could remind them that they are still valuable members of the team. 

25 Employee Recognition Gifts Ideas for Your Business

Ergonomic Furniture

Nothing shows your employees that you care quite like ergonomic furniture. Those employee recognition gifts tell them that you are concerned whether they are working in a way that doesn’t cause their bodies harm, even if they aren’t in the office. 

Autonomous has an employee purchase program that lets your remote workers choose their furniture from the comfort of their own home. You are also eligible for discounts if you purchase furniture from Autonomous in bulk. 

Ergonomic furniture doesn't just show your employees you care. These items are also work from home essentials. Here are three ergonomic furniture gift ideas to help your employees work ergonomically. 

1. Standing Desks

A home office standing desk lets your employees alternate between sitting and standing with ease, so they maintain a more active lifestyle, improving their overall mood and productivity. Choose from a wide selection of Autonomous SmartDesks, like the popular SmartDesk Core and SmartDesk Corner. 

2. Ergonomic Chair

An ergonomic office chair is an essential office item and one of the valuable employee thank you gifts. It helps a worker maintain proper seated posture without causing pain to their lower back. Choose from Autonomous’ range of chairs to find one that isn’t just supportive but looks good too. The most popular ergonomic chairs are the ErgoChair Plus and the ErgoChair Pro. 

3. ErgoStool

A fun alternative to the traditional office chair is Autonomous’ ErgoStool. This fun item allows you to sit in different positions throughout the day, engaging core muscles, and promoting a more active lifestyle, making a great gift. 

Smart Accessories

Smart accessories make the ideal employee appreciation gifts because they can help your workers be more organized, productive, and happy. Here are a few accessory recognition gift ideas for employees. 

4. LED Desk Lamp

Here is another employee recognition gift for you. A great employee appreciation gift is an LED desk lamp. It ensures that your employee always has good lighting, preventing eye strain and preventing accidents caused by poor visibility. 

5. Monitor Arm

If your employees work with multiple monitors, monitor arms make fantastic gifts to ensure that the monitor is positioned at eye level, preventing strain to the eyes and neck muscles. 

6. Anti-fatigue Mat

Standing in the same spot on a solid floor for an extended time can easily cause stiffness and soreness in the soles of the feet. An anti-fatigue mat can help show your appreciation for employees and show that you care about their health, as these mats provide a soft surface to stand on, preventing pain. 

7. Balance Board

Balance boards are great tools to use with a standing desk. Your employees can get in a good workout while still getting work done with this thoughtful gift that promotes a more active lifestyle. 

8. Portable Charger

Technological advancements have digitized most business activities, and with many workers alternating between working from home and the office, many devices must be transported to and from the office. 

Sending portable chargers as employee recognition gifts could help your workers keep their devices charged while on the go. 

9. Foam Rollers

You cannot miss this idea for your employee recognition gifts. Another way to encourage employees to remain active (while boosts productivity and overall mood) is to present them with a foam roller as a gift. They provide variation to the traditional seated posture and can help relieve strain from the lower back and work muscles in the leg. 

10.  Ergonomic Computer Mouse

Help your employees ditch the cables and clutter they bring with an ergonomically designed, wireless mouse that would make a great addition to any employee's workstation. They would also be grateful that you took the time to account for ergonomics. 

11.  Wireless, Ergonomic Keyboard

This is another excellent gift idea to promote a clutter-free, ergonomic way of working. Ergonomic keyboards help workers position their hands correctly to don't put strain on the muscles of the hand and arm or the wrist joint. 

Organizational Tools

Organizational tools are functional employee recognition gifts that can help your staff keep their desks free of the mess and clutter that could be causing low productivity levels. 

12.  Desk Organizer

Desk organizers are helpful tools that help to keep the essential stationery and other tools on hand when inspiration strikes. Your employees should appreciate the gesture and put it on their desks as a constant reminder of your mutual respect. 

13.  Filing Cabinet

Help your remote workers stay organized with a handy filing cabinet to store their documents, office supplies, and tech equipment, a functional yet thoughtful gift. 

14.  Desk Drawer Organizer

Even though a work area may outwardly appear clutter-free, drawers in desks or filing cabinets that are messy can contribute to a cluttered workspace. Another good idea for an organizational tool is a desk drawer organizer. This tool helps to organize the office supplies stored in drawers, helping to keep the work area neat and organized.

15.  A Calendar or Day Planner

Help your employees stay on top of things with a day planner or a wall calendar to help them view events and to-dos quickly and easily. You can include company information, safety regulations, and other important information, so your workers have this information on hand. 

Stationery and Other Thoughtful Gifts

Stationery is always a good gift idea for employees. Be sure to add variety to the gifts you give, as sending the same notepad every year could become monotonous and defeat the purpose of employee recognition gifts. 

16.  Notebook and Pen

In a world where everything is done online, it may be hard to see the use of physically writing something down. However, studies have shown that writing something down can help to commit it to your memory. 

Jotting down essential thoughts also helps relieve the brain of its mental workload and can help to prioritize the tasks that need to be accomplished in a day. 

17.  Company Merchandise

Remote workers who conduct their business at home may enjoy some company merchandise as gifts to showcase their company to friends and family as a reminder that they are still a member of the team. 

18.  Books

Books are personal recognition gift ideas for employees. If you take the time to pick out a meaningful book as appreciation or award gifts for employees, it shows employees that they are worth your time and effort. 

19.  Stress Relievers

It may be a good idea to include a stress reliever to help workers deal with the pressures of a working environment. These items can help to soothe the mind and calm the nerves. Some examples are Zen Gardens, adult coloring books, stress balls, fidget spinners, and even a scalp massager. 

20.  Selfcare Package

Let your employees know that it is okay for them to take the time to focus on self-care by putting together a self-care package as employee recognition gifts. These can include soothing tea like chamomile, candles, body scrubs, diffusers, hand lotion, and bath salts. 

Offering Perks

Gifts need not be solely tangible objects. You can reward workers for a job well done by providing certain perks. Here are ideas for employee perks for small businesses. 

21.  Parking Spaces

Allowing employees to take convenient parking spaces closer to the office can make their lives easier and show your gratitude in a non-monetary form. 

22.  Appreciation Day

Rather than just sending award gifts for employees, it may be a good idea to host an appreciation day for your employee where you provide them with a meal to show your gratitude. This hospitality is a more personal way to convey your appreciation. 

23.  Fitness Sessions

A great way to get the blood pumping is by exercising. Allowing workers access to an exercise machine or implementing Zumba classes once a week for everyone in the workforce is a great way to show that you care. 

24.  Gift Cards

If you prefer to give your employees the freedom of choice, you can present them with gift cards as the award gifts for employees. Gift cards can also be used as incentives for good work. 

25.  Provide Tasty Treats in the Lunchroom

Who doesn't like the occasional treat? As a reminder of your appreciation and constant motivation to do good work, you can include snacks in the lunchroom, such as a box of donuts or pizza once a week. This is another way to show hospitality, which makes employees feel appreciated.

Final Thoughts

Whether or not a company makes the list of the best companies to work for, it can still be a great place to work. Even minor changes can positively impact the workplace atmosphere, boost morale, encourage employee loyalty, and generate positive buzz within the company. 

Make opportunities for your employees to interact with one another through appreciation days. Prepare awards and honors to present at your company event or staff meeting to commend employees for their exceptional efforts all year round. A good idea to find out what would make your employees happy is to conduct an employee benefit survey. 

Show your appreciation by choosing an employee recognition gift idea from this list to put a smile on your employees’ faces.