How to Surprise Employees on Christmas & New Year?

Employees are the elemental force that steers a company to success. It is vital for them to remain happy and satisfied to be productive and focused. Their contribution and efficiency should be recognized and rewarded as this will create affinity, energy, and desire to work harder and perform better. Hard work, performance, achievement, excellence, and other positive traits in your employees must be appreciated. It should not be a yearly norm but an ongoing process.

Enhanced performance by the employees will benefit the company. We all know that the most appreciated gifts are those which come unexpectedly. Here are some surprise and delight ideas for employees to cheer them up. Continue reading this blog and get some excellent ideas to surprise gifts for employees this festive season.

15 Amazing surprise and delight ideas for employees on Christmas & New Year

The employees work hard for the company throughout their service tenure. So, their performance must be recognized and rewarded accordingly regularly. Appreciation should be shown as and when deserved. The employer should mull over this point and make it a part of the company culture.

Winter is a season of festivity and celebrations. December has always been a month of exciting anticipation, curious guesses, and endless Christmas shopping. It's the season of festivities, of celebrations, Lights, joy, cheer, laughter, gaiety, and what have you.

It's time to share, to give, to spread cheer, and shower happiness in the lives you touch. Here are some ideas to reward and surprise employees this season.

1. Performance rewards

Appreciating and rewarding employees for good performance is essential as it motivates them to do better, boosts their morale and retains loyalty. The employees realize the company's effort to show appreciation for their performance, which helps them retain talent. Companies should start rewards programs to achieve targets and give incentives to their employees as per their performance. This festive season is a perfect time for employers to cheer up their employees and reward them.

2. Unexpected new year bonus

A large number of employers provide year-end bonuses to their employees. The employees expect this to come their way, and they immensely appreciate it. Most of the employees prefer monetary rewards over other incentives. This generosity by the company to the employees indirectly benefits the company, as it helps retain the employees. This incentive is a perfect gift during the Christmas season as the employees can use this gift to brighten up their festivities.

3. Raffle off door prizes

Organizing a raffle is a sure-shot way to delight your employees. It is up to you to decide whether it should be one big prize or various small items. One big prize might invite disappointment for all others but the winner. On the other hand, several smaller items to be won will certainly spread joy and cheer.

A coffee mug, a branded pen set, an artifact, a set of woollen caps and gloves, and others are perfect to gifts surprise and delight the receiver. These small tokens of appreciation will reflect how much you care for and value your employees.

4. Flexible work schedules

It will be a very thoughtful move if you provide your employees with some free time for themselves. It is up to them to utilize this according to their need. Although monetary rewards mean a lot to employees, flexible work schedules will also be appreciated.

Allowing top performers to create their work schedules will enable them to reduce stress and increase job satisfaction. The company, too, will gain productivity through better performance.

5. Recognize for going the extra mile

Employees who strive hard to achieve targets and contribute significantly to the company's productivity should be recognized and appreciated for their efforts. This gesture will show them they are essential to the company and encourage them to strive harder. Appreciation can be shown in the form of perks and allowances/ benefits.

6. Health & wellness packages

You can convey your employees that you care for their well-being by allowing them to self-care and relax. They can be given gift cards for massage spas and wellness retreats. You can also provide subscriptions to fitness apps, online yoga classes, meditation, and others.

Health vouchers are another option that can be gifted to employees. Arrangements can be made for yoga or meditation sessions in the office too. The office Canteen too should serve healthy snacks to the employees. Giving your employees gifts that will help them better care of themselves is very thoughtful. Gifting health and wellness packages during the festive season is a good idea as the employees will return to the office fresh and rejuvenated.

7. Offer perks and discounts

The company should offer perks and discounts to its employees in the form of the following:

• Health insurance
• Dental and vision insurance
• Life insurance
• Flexible working hours
• Remote work options
• Professional development
• Paid vacations
• Wellness programs
• Paid sick leave
• Learning stipends
• Discounts on company services/ products

8. Professional development program

Providing your employees with the resources to learn skills that will further their career is the best gift you can give. It will enhance their skills and increase their career opportunities. This investment in their future by the company will be well-spent, and it will not only improve the employees' prospects but also help the company achieve more excellent dimensions.

You can enroll your promising employees in online courses, allow them to attend conferences, offer course fee reimbursements, and arrange cross-training with co-workers to hone their skills.

9. Opportunity to learn from an expert

Professional development is a continuous process. This festive season delight your promising employees with opportunities for formal and informal professional development, giving them job satisfaction and benefiting the company through higher productivity. The activities include industry and company experts lectures, internal mentorships, and various online programs.

10. Build an employee appreciation wall

Wall space in the office should be dedicated to expressing appreciation or gratitude. This Christmas, decorate your office and the gratitude wall in a combination of red and white. The employees can express their gratitude to each other on this wall. The wall can also be used to welcome newcomers. This wall space is meant to publicly express gratitude, thankfulness, and other positive feelings. This is a wonderful idea to maintain a workplace throbbing with happiness and understanding.

11. Meal from their favourite restaurant -

It is an excellent idea to arrange a new year party for the office employees. Ordering food from their favourite restaurants/ fast-food joints will surely delight them. This gesture of the management will be appreciated immensely by the employees. Celebration is all about having a good time together, enjoying and relishing every moment. It is easier for the employees to communicate with the employer away from the workspace in an informal atmosphere. It will be a wonderful start to a new beginning and the new year.

12. Send them on a mystery trip

Besides the Christmas festivities providing employees a relaxing holiday trip is a good idea to retain talent and keep your workers happy. Sending your employees on a mystery trip this holiday is a novel way to motivate them. This can be a local tour of the town or some destination. This will also be a team engagement experience for the employees. They will be delighted, proving to be a memorable experience.

13. Onsite amenities

The employer should provide workspace amenities to the employees so that they can perform efficiently. The workspace should be a place for collaboration, connection, and general well-being. This festive season use the holiday period to make small improvements around the office to show your employees that you care for their comfort and safety. This effort made by you will be appreciated throughout the year.

14. Award for improvement

According to estimates, 80% of employees perform better when appreciated. A company should always, as a rule, adopt the process of recognition, appreciation, and reward. All achievements, momentous or small, should be appreciated and rewarded.

15. Personalized gifts

As we all know, each achievement deserves appreciation and reward. Celebrations too are accompanied by presents. Gifting your employees thoughtful and personalized items during the festive season is valuable.

Over a period, while interacting with your employees, you come to know about their preferences and interests. This can be used to show your employees that you care. You can send them an appropriate personalized gift. The size or the value of the gift does not matter. It is the thoughtfulness and gesture that counts.

Getting exactly what one prefers and wants is a beautiful feeling. The message that you care about will certainly reach and be appreciated. Their toil brings prosperity/ cheer to your business, and your appreciation will light up their hearts.

Key takeaways

It's important to keep morale and employee appreciation high throughout the year. Happy employees are more productive and loyal, so it only makes sense to go out of your way to surprise them now and then.

Employee appreciation gestures do not benefit only the employees but also the business:

• The gratitude shown by the employer builds trust between the employer and the employees
• When the employee realizes that the employer cares, he works doubly hard to prove his worth.
• It decreases employee turnover.
• Enhances reputation/goodwill.