The advent of the worldwide pandemic in the last several years has only increased the trend toward remote working for many employees. Many employees today are hired to work remotely not just on a temporary basis but for as long as they work for a company. It can result in cost savings for a company and the ability to take advantage of a worldwide workforce.
The remote work trend, however, requires a different approach to managing employees and raises the issue of how to reward such employees or to mark occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, or other milestones when employees are not physically present in a given location. One way to do this is to send a gift for such occasions. Following are some gift ideas for remote employees.
Headphones
Virtual meetings are an essential aspect of remote working for most employees and quality headphones are practically a necessity to block out ambient noise and other distractions when teleconferencing with colleagues. They also have a multitude of other uses such as listening to music and video on a computer. As a result, a quality pair of headphones can make an excellent gift for a remote employee.
Plants and Flowers
A small household plant, such as a succulent, can make a great gift for remote employees. Plants help to make an employee's work environment more pleasant and having something green in an office can brighten the mood. It also shows that you are thinking of your employee's welfare.
Flowers make a beautiful gift and can be particularly appropriate when marking certain anniversaries or other milestones. For employees that spend most of their time at home, flowers can make a positive impact on their workspace and mood while reminding them of how valued they are.
Branded Pens
Without a stationery cupboard in an office that an employee can use they may find themselves having to purchase items such as pens, paper, and other office supplies themselves. By gifting employees
branded pens you can make their lives easier while also engaging in a branding opportunity. To make this type of gift special you can provide a quality or luxury pen for an employee that shows how much you value their efforts. This can go a long way to improving their mood and loyalty to your company with something that they use every day.
Coffee Mugs
Providing your remote employee with a coffee mug is a gift that is suited to all individuals and is useful for all occasions - after all, everyone drinks coffee, tea, or some other beverage while they are working. You can brand the mug with your company name or use it as a way of recognising an employee's achievements in a serious or humorous style. You can go one step further by also including a selection of gourmet coffees or teas to make the gift extra special depending on the employee's tastes.
Gift Cards
With any gift, it is difficult to know whether the recipient will value and enjoy them as much as you'd hope when giving them. One way to avoid this issue is to give employees a gift card that they can use as they wish thus ensuring that they will be happy with your gift. After all, everyone enjoys the chance to get something that they really want without having to pay for it! Not only can gift cards be used to mark special occasions or as rewards for good work, they can also be used online making them even more convenient.
Noise Machine
Remote employees working from home are often subject to distractions which occur less in an office environment. One way to combat this is through the use of a white noise machine that creates a soothing sound that blocks out other noises from the surrounding environment. If your employee complains about finding it difficult to focus in their remote work environment this could be the perfect gift to solve their problem.
E-Learning Courses
Employees working remotely may feel that they are losing out on opportunities for self-improvement or training. Offering to pay for an e-learning course that they choose can be a great way of showing that you support their efforts in advancing their skills and careers. Many employees want to enhance employees' knowledge and expertise and by providing them with learning opportunities in their chosen fields of study you can make them feel valued as well as improve their value to your company. This is especially true if the course is expensive or otherwise out of reach for an employee.
