Why Employee Appreciation Gifts Matter in 2024

If your company is tightening its budget, it can be tempting to cross employee appreciation gifts off the to-do list. But those gifts might matter more to your team (and your bottom line) than you think. In the spring of 2024, Gallup and Workhuman surveyed over 4,400 working adults across the country and found that only 22% of employees feel they get the right amount of recognition for their work. That means 78% of workers don’t feel truly appreciated.

This gap is a big deal because workers who feel recognized are more engaged, less likely to burn out, and less likely to leave their jobs. Luckily, there are a lot of ways to up your recognition game, from encouraging managers to share feedback more often to giving personalized gifts during the holidays. 

Let’s zero in on the latter. Here are five data-backed benefits to giving gifts to your team this holiday season. 

#1 Scratch the Appreciation Itch

As noted above, holiday gifts are a great way to show your team you feel grateful for their hard work. A 2023 survey from Snappy and its partner Propeller Insights found 57% of workers take holiday gifts as “a sign of their employer’s gratitude and appreciation.” 

That makes gifts an important tool to scratch the appreciation itch, especially for companies with remote workers. A 2023 Buffer survey discovered that career growth is one of that demographic’s biggest worries, likely in part because 37% of remote workers feel unrecognized by their company leadership. Giving employee appreciation gifts can help provide that recognition and potentially close that gap.

#2 Boost Company Loyalty

Propeller Insights also found 78% of employees feel more satisfied with their jobs after getting holiday gifts. The positive feelings a gift creates can even have a “halo effect” that improves an employee’s impression of the company long after the gift is unwrapped and eaten. For 35% of respondents, that halo effect lasts 3-6 months. 

Pretty amazing, right? The halo effect can enhance the other benefits on this list, and might even help make your team more receptive to company policies like required days in the office.

#3 Increase Retention

No surprise here—when employees feel appreciated and loyal to their company, they’re more likely to stay. The opposite is true, too! Propeller Insights asked workers how they would feel if they didn’t get a holiday gift from their company in 2023, and 31% said it would “nudge them toward exploring new job opportunities.” Nearly half of respondents to a 2022 OnePoll survey also reported leaving a job because they didn’t feel appreciated.

#4 Enhance Productivity

It might sound crazy that something as simple as a gift could make your team more productive, but it’s true. When Propeller Insights asked, 65% of workers said they would put more effort into their work if they felt recognized and appreciated by their managers (a key benefit of gifts). 

For an added productivity boost, consider buying holiday gifts that feature fresh fruit, like The Fruit Lovers Gift. Sustained energy and focus are key to productivity, and consuming fruits and vegetables helps people experience curiosity, motivation, and engagement, according to a study by the British Psychological Society.

#5 Avoid Employee Disappointment

Last but not least, Propeller Insights learned that 75% of workers hope to unwrap presents from their employers during the 2023 holiday season. Those are high expectations—and the last thing you want is to let down valuable team members.

How to Start Shopping

With all of these numbers in mind, you can see why employee appreciation gifts matter so much. If you want to get the benefits but aren’t sure where to start, consider checking out The FruitGuys’ 2024 gift line. 

Not all gifts are equally effective. Gallup noted that gestures of recognition are more impactful when they’re personalized, and Propeller Insights found employees prefer thoughtful gifts that support small, minority-owned, and/or eco-friendly businesses. 

The FruitGuys’ gifts check all of those boxes. They’re filled with farm-fresh fruit (locally sourced whenever possible) and snacks from brands that care about people and the planet. We also donate 20% of the value of our annual profits to relieve hunger and support small farms. If you purchase gifts from us, they won’t just help your team, they’ll help your community, too.