Let’s face it—remote work can be a mixed-bag. While it offers flexibility and freedom, it has also created some pretty big challenges, including keeping employees engaged and feeling connected. Work-from-home means no more morning coffee chats in the break room, no impromptu brainstorming sessions, and no office birthday cakes (we know you miss those!)
So how do you keep your team motivated, appreciated, and genuinely happy when they’re working remotely? Enter work-from-home gifts—your secret weapon for boosting morale, strengthening company culture, and reminding your team of how much you value them.
Let’s unpack how gifts for people who work from home can turn remote employees from feeling “out of sight, out of mind” to “connected and cared for.”
Why Work-from-Home Gifts Matter for Employee Engagement
Picture this: Your team members are scattered across cities, states, or even countries. They can work from wherever they want and easily move from place to place if they fancy a digital nomad lifestyle. However, while remote work offers a huge amount of freedom, it’s common for employees to feel disconnected, unengaged, and out-of-the-loop. Daily water cooler chats have been replaced with Slack messages, and celebrations are confined to virtual happy hours. In fact, The link between remote employees and their organizations' mission and purpose has declined to an all-time low. Only 38% of remote workers feel engaged at work. This is where thoughtful gifts come in.
Here’s why they are so important:
- Recognition and Its Role in Engagement: Recognition isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential! Employees who feel valued are more motivated, productive, and loyal to their company. Companies with employees who are highly engaged experience: 18% increased productivity, 23% greater profitability, 78% reduced absenteeism, and 21% lower employee turnover. Giving a gift to your employees is about more than the gift itself, work-from-home gifts provide a tangible way to say, “We see you, and we appreciate you,” even from thousands of miles away.
- Boosting Morale with Thoughtful Gestures: Gifting takes recognition a step further. A personalized token of gratitude can remind employees that their well-being matters to your organization and that fuels morale, loyalty, and, ultimately, better performance.
- Building Emotional Ties: Emotional ties are created when a git is backed by genuine thought and intention. A delightful work-from-home gift has the power to become a lasting symbol of connection between an employee and their company.
Creates a ripple effect: When employees feel appreciated, they’re more likely to engage positively with their colleagues, creating a more collaborative and energized team dynamic. Recognition is contagious, too—it sparks a chain reaction of gratitude and motivates other employees to go the extra mile. And let’s not underestimate the role of employee advocacy. When team members are impressed by thoughtful gifts, they’re more likely to share their positive experiences, boosting your company’s reputation as an employer that cares.
How Work-from-Home Gifts Can Strengthen Company Culture
Your company culture isn’t confined to your office walls—it shines through in your values, your daily actions, and yes, even the gifts you give your employees. Gifts are more than just objects—done right, they can bring your team closer, and help bridge the gap between leadership and employees, reminding everyone that they’re part of a shared community, regardless of their role. Here’s what thoughtful work-from-home gifts can do for your company culture:
- Create a Sense of Belonging: Whether it’s a gift tailored to a specific hobby or a company-branded item that highlights shared identity, personalization makes all the difference. Employees are assured that their unique contributions are worthwhile components of a larger effort, promoting a sense of loyalty and pride in being part of the team.
- Build Shared Experiences: Remote teams often miss out on the shared experiences that happen naturally in an office. Branded or customized gifts can help bridge this gap. For example, sending all employees a branded leather backpack or an eco-friendly plant creates a shared connection and conversational touchpoint, even if your team is spread across the globe.
- Reinforce Your Company Values: The best gifts can serve as a perfect reminder of what your company stands for. For an organization that prioritizes sustainability, eco-friendly items like a snake plant are an excellent choice. Companies focused on wellness might opt for relaxation tools, such as a Shiatsu back massager or a soothing peppermint essential oil roller. By aligning gifts with your values, you strengthen the culture that binds your team.
Top Work-from-Home Gifts to Elevate Engagement
Now we can get to the fun part—choosing the perfect gifts for your team! Whether you’re looking for practical, indulgent, or just plain fun, these ideas have you covered:
Shiatsu Back and Neck Massager
Relieve tension and stress after long Zoom meetings with this three-dimensional massager that mimics the soothing feeling of a natural Shiatsu hand massage. Its powerful nodes soothe overused muscles, making it just right for relieving stressed muscles and post-work fatigue.
Cashmere Candle
Sophisticated and cozy, this cashmere candle blends warm amber, earthy musk, and dark plum to create a comforting ambiance. With a 40+ hour burn time and phthalate-free ingredients, it’s the ultimate mood-setter for work-from-home vibes.
Peppermint Essential Oil Roller
Handcrafted on a family farm, this roll-on peppermint oil offers rejuvenation, boosting concentration and soothing sore muscles. Easy to apply to pulse points, this little bottle offers a big impact during a busy workday.
“Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker
Sleep isn’t just restorative—it’s transformative. The book “Why We Sleep” dives into the science of sleep, offering actionable insights to help your employees unlock better rest and productivity. It’s an inspiring read for employees seeking balance and better performance in both work and life.
Magnetic Dry Erase Board with Markers
For planners and brainstormers, this magnetic whiteboard is a functional gift that is ideal for jotting down ideas or planning schedules. Its magnetic surface and colorful markers make it a fun tool to stay organized during the workday.
Small Zeylanica Snake Plant
Bring the outdoors in with a low-maintenance plant that adds a touch of greenery to any home office. This gift symbolizes growth and well-being, and requires minimal care to thrive.
Branded Leather Laptop Backpack
Stylish and functional, this vegan leather backpack can be customized with your company’s logo. Its design includes spacious padded compartments, making it perfect for carrying laptops, notebooks, and everything in between.
Beer & Chocolate Tasting Virtual Experience
Nothing brings people together like good food and drinks. This curated tasting experience, featuring craft beers and gourmet chocolates, makes virtual bonding as fun as it is delicious.
Personalization: The Key to Successful Work-from-Home Gifts
Here’s the thing: A gift doesn’t have to feel flashy to make an impact, it just has to feel personal! Personalized gifts that reflect your employees’ personalities and hobbies show that you’ve taken the time to understand your team, making the gesture much more meaningful.
The secret to personalization is knowing your audience. Is someone on your team a fitness enthusiast? Consider wellness-focused gifts like yoga mats or massage tools. Does another love to read? A bestselling book could be the perfect pick. Personalization says, “We see you, and we celebrate what makes you unique.”
Postal’s in-house creative agency, Paper Plane, offers unique unboxing and custom-branded gift experiences to enhance engagement while saving your team's time and energy.
Personalization isn’t limited to physical gifts. Virtual experiences, like cooking classes or team trivia nights, can be tailored to deliver something valuable for each employee and, with everyone enjoying time together, create memories and conversations that last long after the event.
Best Practices for Distributing Work-from-Home Gifts
A brilliant gift deserves an equally memorable delivery. Here’s how to make every shipment feel special:
- Timing Matters: While a spontaneous “just because” gift can leave a lasting impression, doing it too much can dilute the effect. But do send gifts to mark milestones like work anniversaries, birthdays, or project completions and show your employees you’re thinking of them.
- Presentation is Everything: Add a touch of thoughtfulness beyond the gift itself. Beautiful packaging adds excitement and shows that you’ve put deliberate effort into every detail.
- Seamless Delivery The logistics of gifting can feel daunting, especially with remote teams. Platforms like Postal streamline this process by handling all the nitty-gritty tasks, from address collection to tracking, so you can focus on the fun part!
- Collect Feedback for Continuous Improvement: Ask your team for their thoughts on the gifts they receive. Their feedback not only shows you care about their opinions but also helps refine your gifting strategy for the future.
- Track ROI: Platforms like Postal make it easy to measure the impact of your gifting efforts. From tracking accepted gifts to analyzing employee satisfaction, the data speaks volumes about the effectiveness of your program.
Investing in Your Remote Team’s Success
Work-from-home gifts aren’t just about recognition—they’re about connection. They remind your employees that even though they’re remote, they’re never out of mind. By investing in thoughtful, personalized gifts, you’re stimulating engagement, strengthening culture, and building a team that thrives, no matter the distance between them.
With Postal’s seamless platform, turning thoughtful ideas into tangible gifts has never been easier. From selection to delivery, Postal takes care of the details so you can focus on what matters most—your team. Ready to make remote work a little more connected? Let’s get gifting!
