Gestures of Gratitude: How to Spot When They're Needed
Gestures of Gratitude: How to Spot When They're Needed
Opportunities to Show Gratitude to Employees
The last three years of social and workforce changes have caused a shift in employee expectations. In 2024, workers are more focused than ever on choosing employers that foster a culture of care. In one survey, 83% of employees said that “‘finding meaning in day-to-day work’ was a top priority for them,” and 69% “would even change jobs for more fulfillment.” If company leaders want to attract and retain top talent, they need to make specific gestures to show appreciation and gratitude to employees.
In this article, we’ll talk about the importance of gratitude in the workplace and how to identify when employees are feeling underappreciated. We’ll also share recognition strategies and ideas for thank-you gifts that will boost your corporate culture .
Why is Gratitude Important?
Giving thanks can take many forms, but any genuine and meaningful gestures of gratitude will have a host of benefits for your company. Executives and HR professionals agree that strong, consistent employee recognition improves team engagement, retention, and productivity and results in a happier company culture.
More surprising, however, are the benefits for the bosses and admins who are showing their appreciation. According Berkeley University’s Greater Good Magazine, the act of expressing gratitude has a number of physical, psychological, and social benefits:
- Stronger immune systems
- Lower blood pressure
- Higher levels of alertness
- More positive emotions like joy and optimism
- Higher levels of generosity, forgiveness, and helpfulness
In short, when you make expressions and gifts of gratitude a corporate priority, you boost morale, productivity, and happiness.
How to Tell When Someone Needs Gestures of Gratitude
Managing personnel is hard work, and we often simply focus on the task at hand instead of really paying attention to the needs of the people around us. However, you can watch for these clear signs that your employees, business partners, or clients are in need of extra recognition.
Productivity/Confidence is Low.
You may not think of low productivity as a reason to show gratitude, but it is often a sign of a larger issue. According to Inc., workers who miss deadlines often do it “not because they're incompetent” but because they are “struggling with their confidence or . . . feel like you don't care.” A show of recognition might be just what they need to feel like valued and capable team members.
Employees are Taking More Sick Days.
Increased absences often signify burnout, heightened stress, or mental health struggles. Your first priority for battling burnout should be offering generous leave and flexibility. But sick day use is also a sign that you should take extra care to show your appreciation.
Participation in Events is Low.
When employees feel undervalued in the workplace, the last thing they want to do is volunteer for extra projects or attend after-hours events. Instead of getting mad about low participation, use it as an impetus for your company to offer more genuine gestures of gratitude.
People are Going through Hard Times.
We all will inevitably face intense personal challenges—such as a death in the family, a divorce, or a serious diagnosis—that will affect our work performance. When an employee is facing a difficult situation, make a point to give special accommodations. It is also a good time to give thoughtful custom gifts that show gratitude for their contributions to the company (regardless of whether their current work is up to their usual standards).
How to Show Gratitude
You probably already have some gratitude habits in place, but adding new and different appreciation efforts can help break the business-as-usual mindset. Here are a few ideas for special thank-yous and logo-branded gifts that your company can use this year.
Send a Thoughtful Note.
Don’t take it for granted that your team members already know that they’re doing a good job. Take the time to write to them—and be specific about what they are excelling at. Even an email or instant message is meaningful, but you can increase the impact with a personal, handwritten note.
Thank Them in Person.
Tone of voice and eye contact can help you really show that your gratitude is genuine, so in-person (or video conference, if remote) conversations are invaluable. One caveat: don’t also use the same conversation to assign another task or ask for a favor. Focus the conversation just on how much you appreciate their efforts.
Ask How You Can Help Them.
When employees are overworked, a thank you often isn’t enough. What they really need is a break, and not just an extra day off. In addition to thanking them for going the extra mile, ask if you can take any tasks or responsibilities off their plates (whether it’s by handling them yourself or assigning them to another employee.)
Give Thoughtful Gifts.
Corporate gifts aren’t just for work anniversaries or holidays; they can also be a great way of showing gratitude to your employees. Consider giving company-wide gifts during busy seasons, or keep logo-branded products on hand to give as individual thank-yous as needed.
At Merchology, we specialize at adding your logo to high-quality products from trusted brands. Here are a few of our top choices for corporate thank-you gifts:
- Our Attitude of Gratitude MerchBox includes five custom company gifts: a water bottle, throw blanket, gratitude journal, set of pop-open cards, and salt lamp.
- The custom Sugar Paper Rose Linen Mindful Journal is both beautiful and useful, with room for taking notes and writing to-do lists, plus a variety of mindfulness prompts!
- The branded SnugZ Lavender Roller Ball Variety Pack offers four 10mL rollers of different essential oil scents. It’s the perfect gift for aromatherapy on the go.
Contact Us
Gestures of gratitude are essential to maintaining a healthy and happy workplace at your company. Contact a Merchologist today for help finding the perfect corporate thank-you gifts for your team.