According to Workhuman, “only 1 in 4 employees strongly agree they feel connected to their culture and only 1 in 3 strongly agree that they belong at their organization.” This is why the “silent resignation” has been trending which is when employees do the bare minimum that their job requires to just get by, and they set strict boundaries such as not answering emails and calls after work hours. This happens when an employee feels so disconnected, undervalued, and excluded from their team.
The feeling of isolation has been strengthened by remote work. If companies don’t implement programs to engage their employees, the silent resignation will continue. When employees feel connected, included, and a sense of belongingness within their company and/or team, they are more happy in their position and are more dedicated to their work. Branded merchandise is the perfect way to engage employees both near and far. Let’s take a look at how to incorporate branded merchandise successfully.
Start engaging employees when they first join the company. It’s important to make them feel included from the get-go. Gift new hires a “new hire” kit to welcome them. Make them feel like they are joining the “family.” This can include a branded backpack, t-shirt, water bottle, notebook, headphones, phone charger, apparel, etc. Give them something they can be proud to show off to their friends and family and get them excited about their new gig!
Make sure to celebrate your employees! Birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, babies, promotions, and more. You could send a branded baby onesie to new parents or a custom award to employees on their anniversaries or when they receive a promotion. These milestones are important to employees, and the company should value their hard work as well as take an interest in their personal lives. Making them feel special and showing that the company cares results in a positive connection between the employee and their company. They will appreciate the company thinking of them and celebrating them. People want to be cared for and would rather work at a company that feels like a family than everyone isolated in their own corners. Support, both professionally and personally, is important in employees’ connection and happiness at the company.
Always choose quality over quantity. If you don’t, you risk it having the opposite effect on your employees. You don’t want to look cheap and portray the brand in a negative manner. Choose merchandise that are of high quality that employees will love and can use regularly.
Surprise employees with branded merchandise quarterly or seasonally so they continuously have something to look forward to. It’s always exciting to receive an unexpected package on your doorstep (especially filled with cool branded merch)! A branded pullover or jacket would be great for the fall or a branded beach towel and beach bag would be perfect for summer.
Zagwear makes employee gifting turnkey with our HR integration. Simply send us your employee list, and we’ll upload it to our system. We can keep track of important dates such as new hire dates, anniversaries, and birthdays and automatically ship out a gift at the appropriate times to their respective addresses.
We’ve put together 10 ingenious ways to seamlessly infuse branded magic to revitalize employee engagement. Download Revitalize Employee Engagement with Branded Merchandise: Elevate Your Workforce's Experience to get started today. Reach out when you are ready to bring these ideas to life!