End-of-Year Employee Bonus Ideas Based on the Latest Research

  • author

    BHN Rewards

  • posted

    Oct 26, 2023

  • topic

    Employee Rewards

End-of-Year Employee Bonus Ideas Based on the Latest Research

Just in time for end-of-year recognition and holiday gift season, Blackhawk Network (BHN) is releasing its latest research on digital rewards and employee bonus ideas.

For starters, it seems like employee gifts might not be top of mind for employers:

  • 45% of employees reported they did not receive a holiday gift in 2022.
  • Only 33% of employees expect they will receive a gift from their employer this year.

That’s too bad, because 81% of respondents said that receiving a year-end gift makes them feel valued.

With that in mind, it’s good to know that a thoughtful gift can go a long way toward making your employees feel appreciated. Not only that, it can also get them ready to tackle the new year with gusto:

71% said that end-of-year gifts and recognition of their efforts help motivate and energize them for the start of the upcoming year.

READ MORE: 20 Creative Reward Ideas to Show Appreciation for Your Teams

Gift Cards Are the Gifts of Choice

When it comes to the gifts employees want, one of the most interesting findings was that despite being preferred by the majority of employees (82%), only 21% say they received gift cards for end-of-year gifts. That’s a big gap!

For even more direction, consider that the top three consumer concerns right now are inflation, grocery/food prices, and fuel costs. Employee bonus ideas that help with everyday expenses like these are bound to be a hit in 2023, especially for your in-person employees who have a commute. Consider giving each employee the opportunity to choose a digital gift card for a restaurant, grocery store, or gas stations near them.

Or you can give them even more flexibility with multi-brand gift cards or prepaid Mastercard or Visa rewards. Research shows that they’ll appreciate it.

What About Remote Employees?

Teams are far more likely to have remote or hybrid employees than they were before the pandemic, so make sure your employee bonus ideas around the holidays include them, too. Our research proves that they’re too often forgotten:

Remote employees are the least likely to receive any recognition. Nearly 60% did not receive anything from their employers last year, and only 18% anticipate they will receive a gift this year.

That’s why it’s a smart idea to go digital with your holiday rewards. More and more employees, especially those who work remotely or in a hybrid environment, prefer to receive gift cards digitally.

Don’t Wait to Decide on Your Employee Bonus Ideas

There’s still plenty of time to learn from these findings and get your employee holiday rewards in order. But don’t wait too long, because the year will be over before you know it!

Create a BHN Rewards account today to make it easy to recognize your most valuable resources this season with digital gifts!

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BHN Rewards

BHN Rewards puts the power of digital rewards to work for marketers, researchers, and HR managers. Don't forget to check out all the great content in our Resources section!

BHN Rewards puts the power of digital rewards to work for marketers, researchers, and HR managers. Don't forget to check out all the great content in our Resources section!