Holiday Gifts and Incentives Improve Employee Morale by 75 Percent, Survey Shows

With the holidays around the corner, companies are seeking creative gift ideas to show appreciation to employees, business partners and customers. A recent survey from Staples Advantage, Framingham, Mass., the business-to-business division of Staples Inc., reveals how even small gestures of gratitude with holiday gifts can positively impact employee motivation and productivity.

Corporate holiday gifts can help companies build and extend brand loyalty, foster stronger business relationships and thank employees for a year of great work. According to the Staples Advantage survey, employees said receiving holiday gifts from their companies:

• Improved employee morale (75 percent)
• Made employees like their company more (60 percent)
• Improved employee productivity (33 percent)

The survey also found that goodwill doesn't stop with employees as one in three people surveyed said receiving a gift from a business partner made them more likely to do business with that company in the future.

Corporate Gift-Giving Made Easy: Timely Tips for the Holidays
Picking out gifts for friends and family is hard enough; shopping for colleagues and customers doesn't have to be. Through its promotional products division, Staples Promotional Products, Staples Advantage offers the following tips for personalized, easy and affordable corporate gift shopping, to help companies leave a lasting impression:

• Keep it personal. You wouldn't send a holiday card without signing it, so don't give a gift without putting your mark on it. Adding your company logo to gifts can help your company gain mindshare and visibility. More than 60 percent of respondents said they kept their gifts for more than six months, keeping the company top of mind.
• Don't procrastinate. Start planning early so you have enough time to collect orders, customize gifts with branded images and ensure everything arrives before the holidays. Companies can save time by accumulating orders from employees using Staples Promotional Products' customized website tool, "Book & Run," which makes it easy to manage orders and ship gifts.
• Get everything on your list and on budget. To help get the best value from your gift purchases, consider ordering items in bulk and selecting items that can be shared, such as food baskets.

"Holiday gifts that are thoughtful and personalized can go a long way toward deepening business relationships and reminding employees you value their work," said Barbara Wells, senior vice president of Staples Promotional Products. "At Staples Promotional Products, we help companies create customized corporate holiday gifting solutions to create a positive impression that lasts far beyond the holidays."