Tips For Choosing Employee Anniversary Gifts
Employee anniversary gifts vary greatly, from company to company, and from organization to organization. Some organizations do little if anything to honor an employee from the time of hiring until the day he or she retires. Other organizations love to honor their employees every time a 5 year interval rolls around, though not usually starting until about year 10.
Many companies give pins on anniversaries, starting at 5 years. The first pin may simply be made of brass. At 10 years the pin may have a tiny jewel, probably not a diamond, embedded in it. By 20 or 25 years one or more diamonds are to be found on each pin. The jewels are usually not large, and if the cost were divided by the years of service they honor, the pins would not seem terribly expensive. Of course it's the thought that counts and most employees are very proud of their anniversary pins.
Tasteful Better Than Expensive - Whether the award is a pin, a plaque, or a trophy of some kind, it is usually standard issue so as not to show favoritism toward one employee over another. Tastefulness counts as much as cost as far as these kinds of awards are concerned. A cheap looking pin or plaque honoring 25 years of service might be considered an insult.
Very often however, employee anniversary gifts go beyond the pin or the plaque, and very often are personalized, by indicating the employee's position and years of service. A 25 year anniversary gift could be anything from a desk set to a customized golf bag to a sweater, or a jacket featuring a tastefully embossed company logo. A wristwatch with a specially engraved message is another favorite.
A Surprising Award - Employee anniversary gifts can contain a surprise element, one being a box of business cards, indicating the employee's new position in the company, and representing a promotion he or she was totally unaware of. An anniversary gift can be an envelope, containing either a check representing a well deserved bonus, or simply a piece of paper indicating a raise in salary has been given.
A dinner is certainly not out of line, whether it is the gift of a dinner at a fine restaurant with only the employee and his or her spouse attending, or a dinner in which many of the employee's associates will be present as well. In some larger companies, where the average employee rarely meets the CEO, a dinner or luncheon with the CEO is not unheard of, particularly at 20 years of service and above.
Presentation Is Important Too - The most important part of giving employee anniversary gifts is the way in which they are presented. A small ceremony is almost mandatory, even if the employee is the shy type and embarrasses easily. Giving the gift or award in front of the employee's associates can mean a great deal. There are certainly instances where a manager or supervisor will simply drop the award off at the employee's desk, maybe with a few words, maybe not. No matter how expensive the gift, this method of presentation almost always leaves a bad taste in the mouth, of not only the employee, but of his or her associates as well. This actually happens at times.
Smarter companies don't scrimp on employee anniversary gifts. Smarter companies don't mind their best employees knowing that if they stay around, the rewards can be substantial. Smarter companies want their people to know that those in the front office are very appreciative of their efforts, happy to have them on board, and take delight in rewarding them on anniversary dates for service well rendered.