Show your appreciation through a gift

The holidays are traditionally a time of giving and showing appreciation to the people that matter the most. What better way to give back to the people that matter most to your business than with a meaningful holiday gift? Employee holiday gifts are the perfect way to show appreciation and thank your teams for a job well done. 

Here, we’ll explore why employee gifts make good business sense, what to consider when choosing employee holiday gifts, and why digital gift cards and prepaid cards are smart holiday gifting options for modern businesses of all sizes. Let’s dive in! 

Why are employee holiday gifts important? 

There is little doubt that in today’s tight job market, retaining talented employees is becoming increasingly important for businesses across the board. Employee satisfaction now plays a vital role in trying to build a better, more profitable business. As such, smart employers are placing more importance on employee recognition. 

It’s now widely accepted that one of the best ways to recognize employees' hard work is to reward them with something outside their salary and benefits. Appreciation in the form of gifts is highly desired among employees — among other things, employee gift and recognition programs have been shown to:

• Improve the relationship between employer and employees
• Increase motivation and engagement among employees
• Reduce employee turnover 
• Incentivize positive behavior and actions
• Improve sales for the business

The holiday season is the perfect time to reward your valued employees — thoughtful employee holiday gifts can go a long way in encouraging lasting connections with employees, increasing the impact of your branding as an employer, and benefiting your company culture overall. 

What to consider when organizing employee holiday gifts 

There are several important things to consider when organizing holiday gifts for your employees. First of all, it’s wise to avoid personal items such as jewelry, clothing, or perfume, items not generally allowed in the workplace, or items that may offend, such as gag gifts and alcohol. Maintaining a level of professionalism and thinking about how your gifts will be interpreted is crucial. 

While avoiding overly personal employee gifts is important, so too is aiming for a gift that makes your employees feel as though they are highly regarded individuals within the workplace. Generic or mass-produced gifts with little value aren’t likely to hit the mark with employees who want to feel appreciated for their hard work throughout the year!

The best gifts for holidays at work 

Employee gifts can be difficult to get right — especially when you’re trying to deliver valuable yet unique gifts at scale. Digital gifts that offer widespread appeal yet still have an element of personalization are an increasingly popular choice. The best employee holiday gifts share some common traits:

• Inclusivity — Offering a gift that appeals to a wide range of individuals shows that your business recognizes and embraces the diverse backgrounds of your employee base. Digital gifts that allow each individual to find something unique for themselves are an ideal option. 
• Generosity — Delivering an experience that has a profound impact on your employee, and takes them by surprise, will ultimately positively impact your ROI. If your employees are wowed, they will undoubtedly return the favor in dedication and performance. 
• Creativity — Injecting some creativity into your employee holiday gifts will lead to higher levels of appreciation among your employees, which can only lead to positive outcomes for your business. Even a widespread digital gift program can have elements of creativity added! 

Why digital gift cards are the ideal choice for employee gifts 

When choosing the perfect employee holiday gifts, it’s hard to surpass digital gift cards' versatility. Digital gift cards are an increasingly popular option for employee gifts, and it’s not hard to see why. Here are the key reasons for more and more recipients favoring digital gift cards over other types of gifts:

• Flexibility and choice — Digital gift cards offer your recipients unparalleled flexibility and choice. With Runa, they can choose from over 1,300 brands in our market-leading catalog and a selection of prepaid gift cards, including Visa prepaid cards. Which other gift offers this level of choice?
• Convenience — Digital and prepaid gift cards can be redeemed with just a few clicks. This makes them an ideal gift choice In today’s increasingly fast-paced and digital world.
• Increased security — Digital and prepaid gift cards are an especially secure employee holiday gift option. Unlike cash and physical gift cards, digital gift cards can’t be lost or stolen and don’t require personal details such as address or bank account details to be redeemed. They also pose a lower fraud risk than discount codes and links, which can be shared across networks.

Benefits of using gift cards for your employee holiday gifts 

Gift cards are not only an extremely popular choice of holiday gift with employees — businesses and service providers who implement a digital gift card program through a leading platform such as Runa enjoy many benefits, including: 

• Quick and easy ordering process — Gone are the days of manually sourcing employee holiday gifts. Ordering digital gift cards in bulk through Runa is both quick and easy. Simply add funds to your account, select the number and value of cards required, and place your order!
• Speedy delivery — After your order is placed, the gift card will be sent to your recipient’s inbox within seconds. Whether you send one or multiple gift cards, you enjoy the same fast, easy process. 
• Tracking and reporting functionality — Our software makes reporting simple no matter the size of your gift card program. Easily gain insights into which brands your recipients prefer and how the gift cards are used. 

Offering your employees a range of gift choices

While many businesses and employers use gift cards for their employee holiday gifts, not all offer their recipients a selection of gift cards to choose from. These businesses likely struggle with a lack of time and resources in sourcing a variety of gift cards — particularly in the busy lead-up to the holiday season. 

Yet, going a step further by offering your employees a range of holiday gift cards to choose from is a thoughtful yet powerful way to show appreciation to the people that matter most. The best part? Instant reward platforms such as Runa make the process easy. 

Thanks to our powerful gift card API, your recipients can quickly and easily select from a huge range of globally branded and prepaid gift cards. Not only will you give your recipients the power of choice, but you’ll also save your business valuable time and resources. 

Most popular employee holiday gift cards 

With Runa, sending employee holiday gift cards in bulk is made easy. Our leading digital gift card catalog includes a huge selection of globally recognized and leading brands — let’s now take a look at some of the most popular holiday gift card options:

• Starbucks gift cards — When it comes to holiday gifts, a Starbucks gift card is a great crowd-pleaser. After all, most of us enjoy a regular caffeine boost and will pay for these as a matter of course. 
• Amazon gift cards — The perfect all-under-one-roof option, your employees will find it hard to pass up an Amazon gift card as their holiday gift of choice. Even the fussiest among us can be guaranteed to find the ideal gift on Amazon!
• Prepaid gift cards — Prepaid gift cards, including hugely popular Visa prepaid cards, offer your employees the ultimate world of choice. With this card, your recipients can choose whatever they like, from wherever in the world the prepaid card is accepted.
• Streaming service and movie gift cards — At the end of another working year, your hardworking employees will love the opportunity to relax and unwind. A streaming service or movie gift card will help them do just that!
• Food delivery and restaurant gift cards — Who among us doesn’t love the opportunity to either eat out or have a delicious meal delivered to our doorsteps? Whichever way you look at it, food delivery and restaurant gift cards are great holiday gift options for your hardworking employees. 

How do digital gift cards work? 

No doubt, digital and prepaid gift cards are an ideal choice for employee holiday gifts. And, when ordered and delivered through a reliable gift card platform such as Runa, the process is simple. Here’s a brief outline of how they work:

• The card's purchaser determines the gift card's value at the purchase time. Our intuitive and easy-to-use platform allows you to send digital gift cards in 18 currencies to 30 countries worldwide.
• The gift card is emailed to the recipient, who accesses it via a secure hyperlink. With Runa, your employees can choose from our full catalog of brands or a pre-approved basket from you.
• The recipient can then use the gift card for as long as funds remain on the card. Simple!

Why choose digital over physical gift cards? 

No matter the number of employees, or volume of employee holiday gift cards to be sent, it’s wise to implement a scalable approach. A system that allows you to quickly and efficiently send gift cards in bulk will ultimately prove profitable for your business in more ways than one. In terms of efficiency, digital gift cards hold several advantages over physical gift cards.

First, digital gift cards purchased through a digital gift card platform require significantly less upfront investment than physical gift cards. With Runa, you can select and purchase the exact amount of required gift cards. Further, any unused balances can be reclaimed.

Secondly, digital gift cards come with no shipping or tracking requirements. With physical gift cards, packaging and shipping costs need to be factored into the overall cost, which may negatively impact your ROI. Packages also require tracking, and there’s simply no guarantee that they won’t be stolen or lost in transit. 

Automating employee holiday gifts with a gift card API

With the help of a reliable gift card API, such as the Runa API, your business can implement a successful employee gift program in time for the holiday season. How does it work? It’s simple.

On joining Runa, you have your web developer connect the gift card interface to your internal systems — integration usually takes one to two weeks to complete. After this time, you’ll have access to our user-friendly platform, which includes our leading gift card catalog. For ultimate simplicity, all data is managed by our single, intuitive API. Your business will enjoy the benefits of:

• Feature-rich portal — Our full-featured portal lets you quickly and easily choose how to send your gift cards. Download all required URLs and access required reports with minimum fuss. 
• Fast delivery — Thanks to speedy API automation, ordering and delivering employee holiday gift cards is as quick and easy as sending an email. 
• Personalized experiences — Customizing holiday gifts is easy with us. Choose from various customization options, including delivery format, email template, and order description!

Employee holiday gifts made simple with Runa 

At Runa, we’ve made employee holiday gift giving simple. With our reliable platform, your business can send gift cards to anyone worldwide with just a few simple clicks. From Visa prepaid cards, Amazon gift cards, Starbucks gift cards, and more, rewarding your employees with gifts they love has never been easier. The best part? You enjoy the same simple process, whether you’re sending one or thousands of digital gift cards. 

Ready to learn more about how your business can reap the rewards of a holiday gift card program with Runa? Arrange a free demo with us today!