This holiday season, use advice from the Entrepreneur.com article “3 Ways to Make Employee Gifts More Meaningful” to show hardworking employees how much they are appreciated. Cash bonuses are never a bad thing, but a more heartfelt gesture can go a long way towards boosting morale.

1. Include a personal message. “We often overlook the strength of written praise,” says Cindy Ventrice, author of Make Their Day! Employee Recognition that Works. “When you take a little bit of extra effort to put it in writing, it pays you back many times over. People read that over and over.” Make sure to include specific examples of their efforts that were especially appreciated.
2. Know your audience. Different people appreciate different types of rewards, so the first step in picking the perfect gift is understanding what your staff values. It could be a physical gift, or maybe it’s a special event or a more abstract display of gratitude.
3. Offer non-monetary compensation. In a survey of more than 200 employees to find out what rewards they value most, the number one response was time off. The study also confirmed that the cost of forms of recognition has little impact on employee perception of appreciation. Maybe it truly is the thought that counts!

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