Besides family, food, and traveling, a major pressure of the holiday season is finding the perfect gift. What is the perfect gift? Is it possible that the perfect gift from your boss is a gift that you didn’t expect, but that just so happened to be exactly what you needed the most?
This time of year creates a lot of uncertainty for business owners, too. What is the perfect gift for employees?
Let us tell you: the perfect gift is not what you think it is. It’s the perfect gift, but it doesn’t hit your bank account all at once, like the typical holiday or year-end employee bonus does. No, the perfect gift can’t be spent in an afternoon—it leaves a long-term, lasting impression. It’s something the recipient has no idea just how much they wanted and needed it.
Here are the top 3 gifts that employees say make the greatest impact:
1. An experience. Very much like the client experience you provide in the personal services industry—and the reason why your clients refer their friends and family to you. Duplicate that experience for your employees. Close the office for a half day, take everyone out to do something they would never do for themselves. A massage, a concert, horse races, a movie, golfing, a cooking class. It doesn’t have to be decadent or expensive—just a “splurge” that your employees don’t have the time or money to do for themselves. Afterwards, have coffee or dinner with your team and talk about the experience you just shared. The gift of an experience will be a gift that your employees will look forward to year after year!
2. R&R days: Instead of a year-end bonus, give the gift of three mental health R&R days. Our suggestion is to give employees one R&R day every four months. The R&R days must be used during that quarter, and have to be used 100% for them—no R&R days to take the kids to the dentist or your mother to a doctor’s appointment. Ask your employees to schedule lunch with you the next day so you can hear all about how they spent their day of rest and relaxation.
3. Growth opportunities: Employees leave great jobs because they feel they’ve hit their ceiling. There are no more “opportunities” for growth. So, this season, give the gift of professional growth: a monthly coach, membership to our Team Empowerment Program, a ticket to a specific CLE, a skillset program, a seminar or training. Something like Landmark Forum, Growth Summit, Genius Network, 10x, or FHL. This gift—or rather, this investment—in growth for your team has a-million-and-one strategic byproducts, but the most important, by far, is that they feel valued, appreciated, and as if they found their “place of retirement.”
So, to answer the original question—to gift or not to gift—YES! Give the perfect gift! Give the gift of a memorable experience, rest and relaxation, or professional growth and development. These are gifts that your employees don’t even know they want or need, but will be so grateful to receive. And, you know what they say…grateful employees are loyal employees.
Learn More About the Team Empowerment Academy
Membership in our Team Empowerment Academy makes an amazing gift for employees in any position. It’s a gift that shows you care about their professional growth and career trajectory. Schedule a free discovery session with our co-founder, Molly Hall, to learn more about this unique employee training and development program, and to secure one of the last open slots available!
