Employee appreciation is more important than ever – so it’s important to get it exactly right. In the age of social media, lackluster employee appreciation efforts can easily backfire and damage your employer image. To avoid this outcome, here are some meaningful employee appreciation ideas for large companies.
The type of employee appreciation activities and perks that might work at a small company – like the humble pizza party – can quickly turn into a meme when attempted by a multinational corporation.
Large companies that utilize meaningful and desirable employee appreciation gifts and perks – in addition to competitive compensation and advancement opportunities – can build a great employer brand. Meaningful employee recognition and appreciation initiatives also improve engagement and retention.
While creative employee appreciation ideas like puppy parties and food truck lunches can certainly be enjoyable, they aren’t always practical or feasible for large companies. They can also make employees with allergies and/or dietary restrictions feel left out of the fun.
The most effective employee appreciation ideas for large companies are those that have mass appeal and can be easily deployed throughout the company or in individual departments and/or divisions. Some widely appealing employee appreciation ideas that work well for corporations with 2,000+ employees include:
Employee Appreciation Gift Boxes
A memorable Employee Appreciation Day celebration or company milestone event requires an exceptional commemorative gift.
Employee appreciation gift boxes are unique custom gifts that are ideal for celebrating the hard work and dedication of your staff. Featuring a deluxe bundle of premium gifts like corporate branded apparel, accessories, drinkware, and tech items, an employee appreciation gift box provides a tangible, long-lasting reminder of your appreciation and regard.
The sheer variety of goods included in a personalized gift box ensures that each recipient will receive something they can truly use and enjoy. A well-designed employee appreciation gift box also provides an authentically delightful and surprising unboxing experience.
Companies in highly competitive industries like healthcare and technology should always avoid giving employee appreciation gifts that aren’t commensurate with skills, experience, and effort. The best way to deliver employee appreciation gift boxes that are incentivizing rather than demoralizing is by including a carefully curated collection of high-quality, useful items (such as apparel and accessories branded with your company logo) and novel treats (like artisan snacks and fun desk toys).
Rejuvenating Corporate Wellness Services
Workplace wellness is a key component of a healthy and productive corporate culture. According to Gallup, employees who strongly agree that their employer cares about their overall wellbeing are:
- 3x more likely to be engaged at work
- 5x more likely to strongly advocate for their company
- 69% less likely to search for a new job
Any employee appreciation activity that celebrates and supports the wellbeing of your workforce can help reduce burnout and improve productivity. Consider surprising company staff with relaxing and refreshing wellness-related perks such as:
- Onsite massage therapy
- Mobile spa services
- Spa vouchers or gift cards
- Corporate mindfulness training
Nutritional cooking classes (virtual and/or in-person) and fresh produce deliveries are other meaningful employee appreciation ideas that can be added to a robust corporate wellness program.
Extra Time Off
For most staff, the best employee appreciation gift of all is the gift of extra paid time off. Surprising staff with additional flextime, work-at-home days, and PTO is one of the most meaningful ways to demonstrate your appreciation and concern for the wellbeing of your employees.
Giving employees the option to leave early or take the entire day off can also be good for business. Flexible summer schedules and/or reduced hours (aka “Summer Fridays”) are a popular employee perk or benefit that is known to boost morale and increase productivity during the middle of the year.
Make sure to incorporate company-wide days off, half Fridays, and extra PTO days into your employee appreciation program. To make this surprise even more impactful, send them a self-care package on their extra day off!
The Gift of Choice
When it comes to selecting employee appreciation initiatives that motivate and inspire, consider giving your employees a voice in the process.
If your employee appreciation celebrations and gifts have begun to feel routine or generic, send out a company survey to find out what rewards and gifts your employees really want. Or give company staff the flexibility to choose their own employee appreciation gifts and rewards (including gift cards and custom performance wear and outerwear) with an online company store based corporate gifting platform.
Letting employees choose from a wide selection of experiential gifts like travel vouchers and event tickets is another cost-effective way for large companies to provide staff with the exciting gift of choice.
Smart Employee Appreciation Ideas for Large Companies
Meaningful employee appreciation and recognition is a cornerstone of good corporate culture. An effective employee appreciation program can also be a powerful recruitment and retention tool for large and small companies alike.
For additional employee appreciation ideas for large companies, browse our employee-related blog posts, contact us for a 1 on 1 consultation today:
