Recognising moments that matter in a gifting policy: How to make a real impact.

1. Start from the employee journey. This gives you, as an HR pro­fes­sion­al, plenty of key moments where you can make an impact:

• Find me: Reward an employee for referring new talent to the organ­i­sa­tion.
• Hire me: Send a gift like an apéritif package when a new employee signs their contract. Surprising even the candidates who just missed out with a gift leaves them with a positive impression that will last.
• Introduce me: Invite a new member along to an informal team outing so they can get to know the group in a relaxed envi­ron­ment.
• Onboarding: A welcome gift with branded items such as a notebook, mug or pen makes a great first impression. Or a jar of sweets to help break the ice on that first (somewhat stressful) day.
• Develop me: Offer (internal) training and motivate employees to sign up as a way of encour­ag­ing personal growth.
• Support me: Give a small token of appre­ci­a­tion when someone goes the extra mile or suc­cess­ful­ly wraps up a chal­leng­ing project.
• Off­board­ing: Bid colleagues a surprise farewell with a per­son­alised gift as a token of your gratitude. This helps build on your rela­tion­ship for the future.
• Remember me: Strengthen your alumni network by sending birthday cards or event invi­ta­tions.

2. There are also plenty of options that go beyond the typical moments. For example, have you ever thought of giving a gift to someone returning from a long period off sick, or a ​‘back to work’ gift after the summer?

3. Focus on personal milestones too. Work and private life are inex­tri­ca­bly linked. Cel­e­brat­ing a newborn, marriage or birthday shows you value your employees as people.

4. Be there when times are hard. A death of a loved-one or long-term illness can have a big impact on your employees. Show them you care by giving them a card with a personal message, a thoughtful gesture, or simply by being a good listener. This gives them the space to focus on what is really important at that moment, without having to worry about anything else.

5. Listen to your employees. A good gifting policy starts with listening. Which moments do they find important? By having an open con­ver­sa­tion, you learn what really matters and can bring your policy in line with this. Be open to feedback, too, and adjust your moments or gifts where necessary.

6. The power is often in the element of surprise. An unexpected gesture – simply because someone does a con­sis­tent­ly great job – can have just as much impact as a big cel­e­bra­tion.

7. Focus on atypical and inclusive holidays. Use less tra­di­tion­al moments, such as Inter­na­tion­al Accounting Day for financial teams, or Halloween for a themed gift. These kinds of moments add a playful and original touch to your policy. Don’t forget inclusive holidays such as Eid-al-Fitr to make sure everyone in your team feels valued.