The ABCs of Management Gift-Giving - Brief Article

Training & Development, Dec, 2000 by Beverly L. Kaye, Sharon Jordan-Evans

Without breaking their budget, managers can choose from an array of gift ideas to show appreciation to employees. Gift giving can also double as a personalized retention strategy.

Two gift giving rules:

1. If your employees expect it, it might not be viewed as a gift.

2. Gifts should match employees' needs and wants.

Kaye and Jordan-Evans list 26 gift ideas, based on their research on the reasons talented people stay in organizations. The authors emphasize customizing those gifts to fit the employees, or using the list to create a catalogue from which people can select the gifts they want.

Below is a sampling of gift ideas listed in the article:

* Schedule private time with the employee over lunch or coffee.

* Complete a long-awaited request.

* Talk frankly with the employee about his or her career.

* Give employees the chance to represent the company at an outside conference or seminar.

* Recognize and honor employees' family members.

* Allow an employee to participate in the hiring process.

* Subscribe the employee to his or her favorite business magazine and have it sent home.

* Ask for ways in which you can improve as a manager.

* Allow an employee to spend a certain amount of money on a way to have fun at work.

* Provide an introduction to someone in the organization who the employee would like to meet and learn from.

* Give a "bend the rules" pass that involves and encourages going against the status quo.

* Offer a shopping spree to an office supply store for items to personalize the employee's workspace.

Giving gifts to employees can build a more productive and fulfilling workplace, while increasing your team's commitment and loyalty.