Kaitlin Howes
2 min read
Can you believe we’re almost through the holiday season? It’s been a great year of giving back, showing our appreciation for employees and getting our ducks in a row for next year. Are you a planner who's already thinking about how to improve your holiday initiatives for next year? I am too.
And as a member of the Culture Team here at Reward Gateway, I love brainstorming and planning new initiatives to bring our workforce closer together, like planning an inclusive holiday party. This year, for example, we brewed beer together in teams at a local brewery!
Discover some of our top holiday blog posts to inspire you and get your creative gears turning for 2019:
1. Put on your creative thinking cap
Looking for creative ways to get employees in the holiday spirit? A great place to start is by giving your employees the gift of time with flexible working during the holiday season – meaning they can get a head start on buying gifts, preparing food or spending time with loved ones during a somewhat hectic time. Discover nine more ways to get employees in the holiday spirit in this post from RG’s Group Reward Director, Debra Corey.
2. Help stretch employees’ budgets
It’s no surprise that the holiday season is not only a busy time of year, but also an expensive time of year, too. There are multiple ways to help employees stretch their budgets – especially with an employee discounts program.
With a dedicated discounts program in place, employees can earn valuable cashback to put towards holiday gift shopping, or even put towards gift cards.
3. Channel your inner poet
What better way to describe the true meaning of employee engagement than with a festive poem to your workforce? The poem could relate to your company values or mission, or even be about a specific team’s accomplishments. Then, when you’re celebrating together as a group, read it aloud and kick off the night on a good note.
4. Appreciation should be personalized
Join RG’s HR Business Partner, Carla Sutherland, as she dives into six helpful ideas to show employees your appreciation during the holiday season. A handwritten thank you note at the end of the year always does the trick, but if that’s not an option, digital eCards through an employee recognition platform can spread holiday cheer and encourage others in the business to do the same.
Examples of 2018 holiday eCards from Reward Gateway recognition platform.
5. Focus on continuous recognition
While the end of the year (and the holidays) is an ideal time to recognize employees for their accomplishments, it’s important to focus on continuous moments of recognition throughout the whole year – especially with manager-led recognition. Discover why employee recognition is the gift that keeps on giving.
Maybe this year’s workplace festivities are over, but remember, recognition lasts through the whole year. What worked well this year? What didn’t work so well? Take some time to start planning your engagement goals for the year ahead – it’s never too early to get your gears turning for the best holiday party of 2019!