Employee motivation plays a big role in keeping a team of productive and well-performing people in the office. As a matter of fact, as long as everyone is motivated, there are no limits to what they can achieve.

If you are an employer or team leader, you should keep your workmates and staff consistently happy and satisfied.

The good news is boosting employee morale can be done easily with gift-giving. No matter the occasion, keep a habit in your workplace of sending a corporate gift to team members who demonstrated their quality at work. Because of the many options available on the market, you can easily find one that won’t break the bank.

If you need help, here are some tips for giving employees gifts smartly and effectively.

1. Keep Them Personal 
   Generic gifts with cheap taste suggest that you haven’t put much thought into the reward. Some employees will see this as a sign that their merits or achievements don’t mean much to the team, discouraging them from keeping up their performance.

Hence, it’s best to go the personalized route. Fortunately, there are many budget-friendly ideas for these that don’t feel cheap at all.

Here are some custom gift ideas to consider:

• Custom T-Shirts
  Custom t-shirts are popular because they allow people to express themselves and establish an identity. With the trend of self-expression getting more present in the workplace, this is an easy way to reward a stellar performance.

Knowing this, custom t-shirts truly are a nifty choice for employees. They allow these people to literally wear their achievements on their sleeves while boosting team morale.

Custom t-shirts also serve a secondary purpose: advertising your brand outside professional settings.

But why choose t-shirts? First of all, they can be easily used by anyone. So long as you provide the perfect fit, they’re good to go. Furthermore, they can be worn anytime.

Second, they’re relatively easy to procure. The key is to reach out to reputable vendors like MeowPrint.sg, among others in your area, who can help you reproduce your designs on specially tailored shirts right on schedule. You can get an entire set ready for an awards ceremony or giveaway. Compare prices and print packages to get the best value for your money.

• Self-Care Sets
  When things get pretty hectic at the office, chances are people will forget to relax and care for their well-being sometimes. Everyone is set to hit targets and meet deadlines, after all.

In this case, you can remind employees to look after their wellness and self-esteem with self-care sets as gifts.

When you give them something like this, not only do you reward them with a gift they get to use every day. You also demonstrate that you care for how they feel and manage themselves as their superior at work.

Personalized self-care sets should consist of products the recipient will find useful, whether that be sanitizers, balms, powder, lotions, creams, or moisturizers. It helps to know their preferences to create a kit that truly suits them.

This may fall on the pricier side depending on the products you get for the set. Still, it shows a lot of dedication toward supporting the people you work with.

2. Choose Something Useful  
In the short term, flashy gifts always look appealing. Who doesn’t want something fancy as a reward for their hard work?

But in the long run, practical gifts tend to get more mileage when it comes to showing support and appreciation.

Here’s a rule of thumb: go for gifts employees can use when they transition to home working. Instead of focusing on wants, think about what your employees will find useful.

Here are some gift ideas that always seem practical:

• Tableware
  You can never have too much of this at home. With the prices of basic goods skyrocketing, nobody will pass up the chance to get something like this as a reward at work. This can include anything from coffee cups to salad essentials and even full-on plates and utensils. You don’t have to get fancy ones, either. As long as they’re helpful, they’re fine.
• Scented Candles  
  You would be surprised at the number of people who would love some aromatherapy at home. If you have some of them on your team, you can buy them scented candles with unique aromas and long burn times.

They can use this wherever and whenever at home, providing an instant source of comfort, luxury, and relaxation.

3. Know Their Preferences  
As the boss or manager, gifting your employees would require you to be aware of their interests or hobbies. This allows them to feel valued and appreciated even more.

Here are a few things office workers like that may be great gift ideas:

• Coffee Subscription  
  Are there any coffee lovers on your team? If so, you can try giving them a coffee shop subscription. You’ll see genuine smiles light up their face as soon as they open your gift.

The best part about this is that it’s something that continuously provides what its recipients want for an allotted. For extra points, get ones that allow access to special offers.

Head to the nearest coffee shop in your block and see if you can find weekly or monthly subscriptions as an employee gift.

• Indoor Plants
  An increasing number of people are into plants and greenery. It’s not strange for office workers to get a houseplant or do some gardening, anyways. Plants don’t require as much intensive care as pets. You can sometimes find them on office desks, as well.

If you know some team members who would love to grow their plant collection, why not do them a favor? Go for a small indoor plant that requires minimal care and maintenance so they can easily display them at work.

4. Go For Long-Lasting Gifts  
Finally, if you want to make a lasting impression on high-performing workers, give them something that’s equally so.

It’s easy to forget about disposable gifts once they have run through their usefulness. In contrast, long-lasting gifts stay longer in physical and mental spaces, cementing the sentiments you express in the people who receive them.

Here are simple, long-lasting gift ideas today’s employees can appreciate:

• Phone Stands 
  With so many people using smartphones nowadays, convenience is becoming a greater concern. Items like these provide people with the extra help they need to use their devices with ease. These are also portable and easy to use.
• Water Bottles  
  Good health is another thing becoming more popular in the public consciousness, an aspect of which is hydration. One subtle way to encourage employees to stay hydrated is to give them water bottles. Always choose ones made with eco-friendly, durable materials. Also, you can have messages printed on them for an extra touch of personalization.

Know What To Get?

Gifts provide that extra push employees need to keep up their good work. Finding the perfect ones is not as hard as it sounds, as you can clearly see here. Take the time to think about your choices to provide maximum impact with minimal effort and spending.