Employee appreciation and employee recognition are essential components of a positive employee experience. Most employees (91%) in a 2024 Workforce Study reported they want their company to recognize their contributions with tokens of appreciation, such as gifts. Other recent studies tell us the majority of employees agreed that “if employers celebrated personal milestones, employee morale would be higher in the workplace” (81%), as would employee retention (75%).
Showing employee appreciation and creating moments of recognition are thoughtful gestures that can have a lasting impact, but sometimes, even the most well-intentioned efforts can miss the mark. Here are some of the most common mistakes companies make when trying to share employee appreciation, with tips for avoiding these common pitfalls:
Not personalizing the gesture of appreciation
Taking a one-size-fits-all approach to expressions of appreciation can fall short and feel insincere. In fact, a generic expression can do more damage than good, even with the best intentions behind it.
It’s important to include personalized notes with gestures of appreciation that feel sincere, including details of your employee's impact on your team and company or the specific achievements for which they’re being recognized.
Neglecting the why
Never neglect to share the “why” behind your gratitude. Specifying what you’re appreciative of or what accomplishment or achievement you’re recognizing not only reinforces the behavior but also makes the recipient feel seen and valued.
Letting too much time pass
You’re probably familiar with the saying, “Better late than never.” But here’s the thing: Timing matters immensely, and delaying expressions of gratitude can significantly diminish their impact.
TL;DR: be timely in sharing gratitude and offering words or gestures of appreciation. It matters.
Timeliness ensures that acts of appreciation and gratitude feel genuine. You want to create dedicated moments for sharing gratitude that feel appropriate and relevant. Delaying expressions of gratitude can diminish their impact. Snappy offers instant solutions for gift sending, so you’ll never miss a moment.
Focusing solely on big achievements
It’s great to celebrate significant milestones such as promotions, the launch of a new product, or a major work anniversary. However, neglecting small wins and everyday efforts is a missed opportunity to acknowledge moments that are just as important and highly impactful on long-term employee morale and engagement.
Create moments for employee appreciation and recognition at regular intervals by leveraging tools like Snappy to seamlessly send high-quality gift collections at any budget, any time, for any occasion to recipients around the globe.
Overlooking cultural sensitivities
Cultural norms and expectations, especially when it comes to gestures of appreciation, can vary widely. What is considered a polite act of appreciation in one culture may be taken as offensive or inappropriate in another. It's important to be aware of these differences to avoid misunderstandings. Work with your People teams and experts to ensure acts of appreciation and employee recognition are appropriate for your global colleagues and clients.
Forgetting considerations around privacy and personal comfort in public arenas
Public recognition may not always be the best way to show appreciation or recognize recent accomplishments and contributions. It’s important to understand a recipient's comfort level with public attention.
Consider including a questionnaire that asks how your new employee prefers to be acknowledged and recognized and is comfortable with it as part of your employee onboarding process. This information and gathering details like apparel size or favorite foods can all be useful in creating employee appreciation and recognition campaigns that feel personalized and leave a lasting impression.
Misjudging the relationship, sending the wrong token of appreciation
It can be easy to misjudge relationships and overstep personal boundaries, as these vary from person to person. Keep gestures of gratitude and acts of recognition professional. According to a 2024 Workforce Study, most managers (86%) reported needing help gifting guidance for their employees.
Avoid the potential pitfall of sending the wrong gift by relying on Snappy’s gifting experts and award-winning technology, which curates gift collections to deliver a selection of incredible gift options for recipients to select from, so you always send the right gift for every occasion, every time.
Start sending meaningful gifts today…
Looking to share your appreciation and gratitude with employees, clients, and global partners? Start sending meaningful gifts and swag today with Snappy.
