4 Ideas to Show Employee Appreciation During the Holiday Season

Effective leaders know how vital employee appreciation and recognition is in the workplace. Acknowledging (and rewarding) your team’s accomplishments, offering robust benefits packages, and ensuring a healthy work-life balance are just a few ways to get the job done. 

However, the holiday season is an ideal time to amplify your efforts! ⛄ Read on for 5 ways to show your team extra gratitude during the holidays. 

1. Secret Santa Gift Exchange 

Employee gifts are a great way to give thanks – why not let your employees show their coworker appreciation with a handpicked gift? That’s exactly why a secret gift exchange is a great way to give your employees a little holiday fun (just don’t buy someone an iPod, okay?). 🎁

Randomly pair team members using DrawName’s gift exchange generator. With it, your employees can even create holiday wish lists to make it easy. 

If you’re feeling the festive spirit, consider giving your employees a gift allowance. That way they don’t have to go out-of-pocket, but can still get in on all the fun. 

2. Team Happy Hour 

Bring on the holiday cheers with a virtual happy hour! 🥂

You can give your team the gift of (boozy) knowledge in a winter-inspired virtual cocktail class or keep it classy with an evening virtual wine tasting party. Either way, they’ll definitely be in high spirits. 

3. Ugly Sweater Contest

Things are always sweater when you’re together. 🧥 So bring on the itchy wool, tulle trim, and blinking reindeer eyes – it’s ugly sweater time. This event is a unique way to show off your team’s humor and creativity! 

🥇Host a contest to determine the biggest abominable abomination. Consider adding other superlatives, too, like “Belongs in the MoMA” or “Most Festive.” We also think this event pairs perfectly with the remote happy hour we’ve mentioned. 

4. Festive Team Building Activities 

As you know, team building is a great way for employees to connect with each other – especially if they don’t often work together. But it’s also perfect for showing your appreciation, too. 

Loop your employees in on the planning, get their opinions and see what activities stand out to them. Maybe they’re creative, DIY-types who’d enjoy a virtual paint and sip class. 🎨 Or maybe they’ve got a sweet tooth, and would much rather engage in some holiday baking fun. 👩🍳 They could even be game fanatics, and would much rather go head-to-head in a rousing game of Winter Charades. 🎭

Send them over to our curated Winter Collection and let your team tell you what they’d like! We can take it from there. 

A Big Holiday Cheers to You & Your Team  

Your employees deserve your gratitude year-round. But it’s fun to lean into the holiday spirit and show them a little extra appreciation. 💙❄
If you’d like to plan the perfect event to express your thanks, Confetti can help. Reach out to plan@withconfetti.com or explore our site to see all your options. ☃