hristmas employee rewardsHow to go one bigger this year

Making your employees feel happy and valued is essential for any organisation that prides itself on looking after its people.And with Christmas being the season of goodwill and giving, there is no better time to recognise your employees for their hard work throughout the year.

While the people who work for you may not expect a reward at this time of year, they do deserve one. Giving them a Christmas gift is both a good way to close the year and start the new one with a renewed sense of energy and motivation.

But it only works if you get it right. Our Christmas reward research shows, perhaps surprisingly, that cash is not the best gift at Christmas. Most employees view a bonus as earned compensation for their work and not as an expression of appreciation for their personal contributions.

What they want is a reward that they value; one that doesn’t get lost in the December pay packet with very little impact. Show them that you don’t just see them as cogs in the wheels that keep your business going.

That doesn’t mean spending big, but spending smart on something which treats them as an individual and has a personal touch, so they value it more. It means thinking about the recognition; the message of thanks that goes with it.

Traditional Christmas gifts may have worked in the past, but if you want to engage and motivate your people ready for the New Year, it’s time to go one bigger with your ideas and rethink your approach to Christmas reward.

Most companies give a Christmas reward. Make sure you’re the one doing it better.

“It’s time to go one bigger with your ideas andrethink your approach to Christmas reward”

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The case for Christmas Reward• The effect of a simple ‘thank you’ – 61% of people

say receiving Christmas reward makes them feel appreciated and 39% say they feel more positively toward their employer

• Don’t be a scrooge – Six in ten employees say they didn’t get a Christmas gift last year and half got no recognition at all through 2017

• Your people aren’t asking for much – The majority of employees say they would be happy with a Christmas gift worth between £21-£50

• A token of appreciation – A third of employees say a Christmas gift is a small price for employers to pay for all the hard work through the year

• Cash isn’t king – More than half (58%) of employees say they’d like to receive something other than cash at Christmas

• It’s easy to get it right for everyone – 70% of employees say they’d like to choose their own reward

*Figures from 2017 and 2015 Edenred Christmas Reward Research

“70% of employees say they’d like to choose their own reward”

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It’s all in the preparation

If you leave your Christmas rewards plan until the last minute, you’re not maximising its full potential to inspire and motivate.

Starting your planning early means you avoid the end of year rush in the weeks leading up to the main event.

Involve your managers in the planning now so you can understand what they need and think about how you can plan communication around end-of-year rewards effectively.

Create a timetable for communication and reward. We all know the last few weeks of the year disappear quickly. Decide how you want to manage the process. How much time do you have? Do you want to manage it all yourself, outsource the whole process or somewhere in between? Answer these questions now.

Most importantly, ask yourself - what can you do differently to make your Christmas rewards have a bigger impact this year? How can you give your people the biggest and best reward experience?

Our action plan for going one bigger this year

“Plan communication around end-of-year rewards effectively”

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Decide on the budget and resource you’re going to investOne of the temptations with Christmas rewards is to stick to a tried-and-tested process each year.

The problem is that by sticking to the same budget you risk doing the same thing every year, giving the impression you’re simply going through the motions.

Decide early what your end-of-year budget will be; including all the incidentals like parties, group lunches and entertainment. This way you can make choices about how and when reward is given in order to achieve maximum impact.

When deciding on an employee reward strategy, consider prioritising a hassle-free set up that is simple to manage and saves time, giving you one less thing to worry about in the busy build-up to Christmas.

This needn’t limit the reward to something uninspiring or meaningless – on the contrary, it can help you to deliver a reward programme that is bespoke, well-considered and relevant to your workforce.

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“Don’t give the impression that you are simply going through the motions”

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Give them what they wantThese days, most companies are made up of a diverse, multi-generational workforce with different preferences and priorities.

Bearing that in mind, it’s unlikely that the same Christmas reward will resonate and have the desired effect on all of your employees. Worse than that, giving someone the wrong kind of reward is a waste of money and could have the opposite effect to motivating them.

A solution that suits a wide range of people and offers plenty of choice is therefore essential. Even better, if you ask your employees what they want and actually listen to their ideas, you’ll understand how, when and what to give.

Going big with your Christmas reward will also give you an edge over your competition and help you to build a positive culture of recognition and appreciation in the workplace. This will not only help you to attract and retain the top talent in your sector but also boost motivation and productivity on an ongoing basis.

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“Build a positive culture of recognition and appreciation in the workplace”

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Think about delivery: the recognition factorWords are as important as actions, especially when it comes to recognition and appreciation before Christmas. So for maximum impact, the way you communicate and execute your Christmas reward plan is as important as the gift itself.

If you give the same reward every year at the same time with no note of thanks, then people will take it for granted and assume you are doing it because you feel you have to, not because it’s deserved.

Make sure your managers and team leaders understand the importance of their role in delivering the reward and recognition to their team. Draw up a plan together with them to be sure every one of your people hears a clear message about why they are being recognised and why they are valued. It’s a chance to make people feel good and motivated for the future.

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If your managers and team leaders take the time to reinforce the recognition and appreciation, they will be emphasising the values and behaviours that matter to your business and reflecting your employer brand identity.

This will create maximum buy-in from your employees, ensuring the impact of your Christmas reward is much bigger and the good will it creates extends way beyond the festive season.

“It’s a good chance to make people feel good and motivated for the future.”

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Keeping the momentum going through Q4 to Q1The festive season, with its build-up of anticipation, additional chores and extra socialising, is a busy time for most people. Your people may feel more distracted and stressed at work, or may start to wind down as they approach the last few weeks of Q4.

Incorporate a plan to incentivise your people to stay focused and maintain productivity in the run up to Christmas, showing them you know that it’s not just about thanking them but also understanding their individual needs.

Similarly, for most people, the time when motivation is really required is in those depressing days of early January, when the excitement of the festivities already feels like a distant memory and bank balances have taken a severe knock.

Consider planning a recognition and reward strategy for January that builds on the goodwill created at the end of the year. Investing in January reward is a clever way of getting performance on track at the start of the year; motivating your people, boosting your business and getting a head start on the competition.

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“The time when motivation is really required is in those depressing days of early January”

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Stay ahead of the curveA cash gift in the December pay slip may seem like an easy option for a Christmas reward but today the majority of people (58%) say they would prefer something different.

So rather than giving money, which easily gets lost in the bank account or swallowed up by bills, do something different which keeps its motivational impact.

Digital reward and recognition is creating a new standard for personalisation, engagement, choice and fun for recipients whilst being fast, easy and efficient for the reward giver.

This type of reward mechanism can be delivered and redeemed instantly, creating an immediate sense of gratification and having double the impact on your employees: once when the reward is received and again when the reward is redeemed and spent.

Providing choice in itself creates an experience that can be fun and rewarding, combining the thrill of an instant reward with the choice people want and expect. Delivering all the touchpoints of your reward in a way that provides choice means that each member of your team can engage with it in the way that suits them best, giving it that all-important personal touch.

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“Digital rewards can have double the impact on your employees”

A digital reward also ensures you are staying ahead of the curve with the latest technology. People have high expectations of their daily interactions and very little patience for bad user experiences. A positive experience, by contrast, acts as the ultimate motivator.

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Plan early to give yourself time to explore new ideas and ensure a smooth delivery

Don’t necessarily go for the ‘usual’ routine you do each year; it’s an easy way to lose impact and waste your budget

Let go of tried and tested traditional rewards; cash, chocolates, hampers, paper vouchers. They just don’t cut it anymore. Explore digital rewards that offer employees a much more innovative and engaging online experience

Accept that one size doesn’t fit all. Find a way to reward that offers some form of choice for the recipient so they value it more

Whatever you do – don’t ignore the crucial recognition element of giving the reward; the message of ‘thanks’ and the reasons why it is being given

Consider splitting your budget – a reward at the end of the year, then a motivational boost in January to counter the new year slump

For more content around motivating and engaging your people visit: edenred.co.uk/ehub

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Key takeaways

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Call 0844 264 0058*Visit edenred.co.uk/christmas-rewards

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