More employers than ever have remote employees. Remote employees can be harder to buy for because they tend to remain out of view more often and can be harder to get to know. Perhaps because of that, remote employees also tend to feel more isolated and less like part of a team than their office counterparts.
It’s critical to include remote employees in recognition, gift giving, and team activities (link). We’ve put together this list of great gift ideas for your remote employees!
1. A Good Book
Gift your employees a great book that can inspire, uplift, or motivate them. An audio version of the book can be a perfect choice for employees who don’t read. Choose from classics like Goals: How to Get the Most Out of Your Life by Zig Ziggler, Strengthsfinder 2.0 by Tom Rath, or choose an inspirational story like Simply Amazing by K.C. Armstrong.
For your manager employees, you can choose from great books such as Drive by Daniel Pink, Time to Lead: The Ultimate Guide to Employee Engagement by Michael Cohen, or Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth.
2. Gift Cards
Gift cards have been called the best of gift ideas. They are generally loved because gift cards make it possible for employees to get exactly what they want. But, they aren’t as personal, and employees who speak the love language of gift-giving in your organization may feel that a gift card is too impersonal.
But, if you aren’t able to purchase individual, customized gifts, a gift card is an acceptable gift that provides the flexibility for employees to choose the experience or gift they want to take home.
“Gift cards to grocery stores or department stores are nice, in general” Inc
3. Free Lunch
Often remote employees are left out of the team lunches or “pizza at the office” days. Send lunch delivery to your remote employees when the rest of the team enjoys a catered lunch and show them that you value their contributions also.
4. Bluetooth Gadgets
Several Bluetooth gadgets are on the market, making it easier to find lost items. Give one of these items to assist employees and make finding perpetually lost items faster.
5. Movie Tickets
Give your employees a good movie to watch with their loved ones. Its a great gift for employees eagerly waiting for the next saga in the Marvel Universe, Starwars, or simply the next release. A movie ticket or gift card can give your employees a relaxing experience.
6. An Extra Day Off
Give your employees extra time by giving them an extra paid day off. Whether it’s in the summer or holiday season, an extra day off can give employees time to relax, get caught up on their “To Do” lists and spend more time with loved ones.
7. A Quality Steak
Give your employees quality steaks to enjoy with their loved ones. Everyone often appreciates quality food, and a shared meal creates memories and builds relationships.
“My husband’s boss gives his managers steak. We have really appreciated that!” Inc Survey
8. Essential Oil Diffussers (Or Humidifiers)
Give your employees a humidifier or essential oil diffuser. During the often dry winter months, a humidifier can help decrease nose problems, lessen cold symptoms, and make the air a lot more pleasant. And essential oil diffusers can help kill air bacteria while adding a pleasant scent.
9. Event Tickets
A fun play on a company party, Send your employees and their families to a local event. A comedy show, concert, or sporting event are popular venues where employees can relax with each other and spend quality time with family or friends.
10. Virtual Classes
Gift your remote employees a virtual or local class that they are interested in taking. Remote classes that the whole team takes together can also be a great way to boost shared experiences and increase team bonding.
11. Personalized Snacks
Giving your employees a personalized snack is a great, low-cost way to show them you value their individuality. Snacks are a great way to personalize a gift without a lot of costs!
12. Baking Classes
Let your employees choose from a local baking class or offer it during the workday as a way for employees to relax and build a new skill. It makes a great Christmas gift or Summer gift.
A baking class can be a great team activity or it can be gifted to employees (in a set of two) for them to share with a family member or friend.
13. Audible One Month Subscription
Give your employees a one-month subscription to Audible. It can help them to pass their commute faster or give them a chance to listen to their favorite book.
14. A Soft Blanket
In the winter, a warm blanket makes a great gift. Employees are likely to use a warm blanket, whether it’s soft wool, fleece, or a fuzzy blanket. Plus, since your employees are remote, no one will care if they have a lap blanket during the meeting!
15. A Group Hike
Your remote employees may feel a little isolated from the rest of the team. Show them they matter by coordinating a group hike or group activity close to their location. This will make it easier for remote employees to bond with the team and show that they are important enough for the team to travel to them.
16. Music
Gift a music gift card so your employees can enjoy music they love. Since they work from home, no one else will be bothered by it. Spotify, Pandora, or Apple Music all provide subscription music.
17. A Nice Pen
For many people, a nice pen is something worth fighting over. Give your employees a quality pen that will write without scribbles and is weighted for a nicer feel. Too often, remote employees are forgotten when small, but nice gifts are given out.
18. Gift Baskets
Gift baskets are fun because they can provide an experience for employees to share with their loved ones. You can include hot cocoa, marshmallows, and a warm blanket or hot dog roasters in the winter. Or, include charcoal and lemonade for a summer experience. Either way, employees can enjoy the items in a curated experience with their family.
19. A Desk Light
Inadequate lighting can make concentrating difficult. A desk light can provide increased lighting and make your remote employee’s office feel more comfortable. Employees site desk lighting as a tool that could make their jobs easier.
20. Winter Touchscreen Gloves
During the cold winter months, touchscreen gloves are a perfect gift for employees to keep them warm and functional.
21. Phone Charger
Phone chargers are one item that’s small, but adds up in cost. And without a charger, your employees lose productivity. Consider giving employees a charger to their personal phone or providing a place where employees can charge their phones at work. Stock it with chargers for the phones used in the office.
22. Family Portrait
Gift your employees a professional family portrait. Many families get busy and forget to take an annual photo. A family portrait can be a great way to tell your employee and their family members “Thank You!”
23. Noise Cancelling Headphones
Noise distraction is one common condition that keeps employees from focusing on their job. Often, remote employees can face the same noise distractions. Noise-canceling headphones can combat office noise.
24. Group Games
Whether it’s a board game, like Monopoly, or a group game, like Poetry for Neandrolthols, a game can provide your employees with quality time with their loved ones. You can opt for a traditional game like Battleship, Chess, or Chinese checkers or a newer game like Ticket to Ride, Five Crowns, or Skull King.
25. Desk Plant
Plants have been shown to reduce stress. Plus they increase the levels of oxygen in the air. Gift your employees a desk plant and hire a watering service so employees don’t have to worry about their plants when they are super busy or take time off.
Conclusion
Recognition comes in many forms. Gifts of appreciation is one recognition language that many people appreciate, even if their recognition language isn’t gift-giving. It shows you appreciate you employees and the gift becomes a token of your gratitude for their efforts. Taking the time to include remote employees on the big and small gifts can do wonders toward helping them to feel like part of a team and that they belong.
About Thanks
Thanks is a leading provider of a recognition-based platform that increases communication, builds teamwork, and makes recognition a part of company culture. Fast, easy and simple Thanks makes it easy to bring data-driven employee recognition to your entire organization. O.C. Tanner purchased the Thanks platform in 2019 to fulfill the recognition needs of smaller businesses.
Thanks customers benefit from the same decades of research in employee motivation and company culture that O.C. Tanner enterprise clients enjoy, but in a product that is geared for fast, easy and simple deployment. Whether you’re starting a recognition program or improving and expanding on what you already have, Thanks has everything you need to engage your people with effective, scalable recognition.