In the psychological climate of today’s world, everyone needs a little extra support. There are really a lot of stressful events happening to negatively impact mental health and work performance. War is a consistent part of life, the American economy isn’t serving most of us, global warming is seemingly out of control, the political climate is volatile, and the list continues. People have to manage their personal lives, trials, and tribulations, and also shoulder the problems of the world. Individuals need to feel supported by their employer to feel like happy, functional humans. It’s an absolute necessity. Employee reward programs and staff appreciation gifts are a vital component of supporting and caring for your people.
In 2024, mental health needs to be a part of workplace conversations. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), employees are more likely to experience burnout and psychological distress when they are not comfortable discussing mental health at work. This is a serious issue that impacts many Americans today. Research found that mental health was rated as “somewhat poor†by 15% of employees, 18-29 years old.
How we feel at work represents a huge percentage of our time and lives. Our workplace culture is the world in which we are inundated with 40-plus hours a week. It has the power to make or break our sanity. Your brand needs to be exemplary when it comes to caring for your people. Your business and everyone around you will benefit from it!
The Importance Of Gifts In Communicating Appreciation
Gift giving is deeply integrated into our modern society. A lack of giving is interpreted as a big, negative void that is filled with a feeling of underappreciation. This is true for all of the relationships in our lives, including at work.
In the book called “The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplaceâ€, appreciation languages are broken down into all the components people need to feel valued at work. The necessary pieces are outlined below:
- Words of affirmation
- Quality time
- Acts of service
- Gifts
- Physical touch (with professionalism, of course)
These concepts are adapted to the workplace from “The Five Love Languagesâ€. These concepts can be utilized to strengthen all relationships in our lives.
Corporate gifts for staff represent the 4th language of gifts and are a vital piece of the appreciation pie. This article will highlight just some of the reasons why this practice is imperative to the success of your organization.
To learn more about why gifts are so powerful, check out The Psychology of Giving Corporate Gifts: Understanding Their Emotional Influence
Employee Reward Programs Can Feed Positive Reciprocity Between Top Management And Employees
Let’s face it, top management has a different type of life than their subordinates and staff. This may be the elephant in the room for every workplace. Less experienced professionals just don’t have the same level of financial security, autonomy, and general reward from doing the work itself.
Research has shown that 35% of entry-level employees are likely to say their mental health is “very goodâ€, whereas 48% of executive-level employees provide that positive answer. It’s a big difference.
Your organization needs to provide supportive care, like employee reward programs and staff appreciation gifts. It’s necessary to send positive messaging that your brand cares about its people.
The Law of Reciprocity suggests that when people are treated kindly, they reciprocate that positive treatment. In your organization, this means that employers will benefit from treating their employees as best they can.
Staff Appreciation Gifts Can Build Stronger Professional Relationships
Burnout is rampant in the corporate world. Research found that over the last year, 52% of employees reported feeling burned out. A whopping 37% of employees reported feeling so overwhelmed and burnt out that it was challenging for them to conduct their work. That is terrifying both for the people themselves and their employers.
Having strong and positive professional relationships is one way to combat this. Gifts with corporate branding can serve many functions, including amping up positivity at all levels of an organization.
Corporate Gifts For Staff Can Boost Workplace Culture
Workplace culture is one of the most important and vital pieces of an organization. Having a strong workplace culture will bring higher retention rates, employee productivity, satisfaction, and more.
Many organizations have a lot of room for improvement. 45% of employees report that they are “somewhat satisfied†with their workplace culture. While 31% report being “very satisfiedâ€. That means that about two-thirds of our businesses have a lackluster workplace climate.
Providing staff rewards or employee reward programs is one way to boost and improve the vibe of a workplace.
Utilize Staff Rewards To Bolster Workplace Motivation
Motivation is a delicate thing. Teachers, employers, parents, and partners spend a lot of energy trying to motivate. One explanation is the mental health status in general.
33% of employees have reported that their productivity suffers because of the state of their mental health. More specifically, 36% reported that their work demands were directly the cause of their mental health suffering.
That is a staggering finding that suggests that organizations are hurting themselves. Setting up policies, plans, and procedures to support team members is vital. Utilizing business marketing gifts as a means of supporting workplace motivation is a strategic plan to roll out.
Corporate Branding On Gifts Will Benefit Your Company
As an added benefit of corporate branding on gifts, they support marketing strategies. Business marketing gifts can be utilized to grow your brand, get your message out into the world, and provide free advertising. Promotional products as business marketing gifts can be gifted to staff, employees, collaborators, clients, prospective partners, and the list continues.
To learn more about how swag is good for business, check out Expanding Your Brand: The Role of Online Swag Stores in Business Growth.
In conclusion, gifting is a necessary component of supporting the psychological health of your people. Your brand will benefit from enhanced workplace motivation, appreciation, satisfaction, retention rates, and more. Lean on the Law of Reciprocity to send your brand into the next bracket of success!
For help designing corporate gifts for staff, reach out to bizdev@socialimprints.com, and one of our product specialists will be in touch!