Autumn has finally arrived and we are now well into the countdown towards the end of the year. And that means putting in that final effort to reach your targets, close out key individual, team and company projects, and finalise plans and budgets for 2019.

Finding time to plan any end-of-year initiatives for employees can often be a challenge. Will there be a party, what planning needs to be done and will there be an end-of-year bonus or gift?

However, this really should be seen as a great opportunity and not just a task to fit into a busy workload. For example, year-end rewards are:

  • An opportunity to show your team how much you appreciate their efforts during the year and their importance to the business
  • An opportunity for your employees to feel good about the company and their role in it as they head off for the festive break
  • An opportunity to have employees feeling motivated and engaged at the start of another year and not thinking about applying for a new job

Make it personal

Appreciation and recognition are important throughout the year, and Christmas is a time to really make it count. But it is not always all about the size of the reward –  the way it is delivered and communicated and the experience for the employee can make a huge difference.

Think about personalising the message of appreciation to individuals and teams, rather than giving the same message to everyone. It is worth taking some time over the communication and messaging to maximise the impact of the gesture.

Think also about personalising the end-of-year reward or letting the employee choose their own gift, which can make a big difference to the recipient.

Motivation in January, as well as December

Consider treating both December and January as a key period of engagement. Appreciation at the end of the year is important, but finding ways to engage and motivate employees during the January blues is worth considering too. That’s why it makes sense to split reward over this period – a little something in January could really make an impact and further build your connections with your people.

Keep it simple

For most small businesses, a hassle-free and speedy solution to employee reward and recognition is even more important in the run-up to Christmas – when life is busy enough. For those companies without an internal team to help organise this, managers want an option that’s as quick and painless as possible.

So if you haven’t done so already, start planning your employee reward now to avoid a stressful festive period. Ending the year positively can help you start the year positively too; motivation to beat the January blues could be the key to a successful 2019!

To find out more about delivering year-end rewards, please download our eBook here