Employee Appreciation & Retention
The Welcome Kit Confidence Gap: New Survey Reveals What HR Professionals Really Think About Employee Onboarding Swag
Your new hire’s first day starts before they walk in the door. Most HR teams assume the biggest barrier to a great Welcome Kit is budget. Our 2026 Employee Onboarding Experience Audit — which surveyed 300+ HR professionals responsible for employee Welcome Kits — says otherwise. The #1 challenge isn’t cost. It’s knowing [...]
We Asked 300+ Employees What They Actually Want in a Welcome Kit. Here’s What They Said.
Everyone has an opinion about what should go in a new employee Welcome Kit. The HR team, the office manager, the CEO who saw something on LinkedIn. We decided to ask the people who actually receive them. Our 2026 Employee Onboarding Experience Audit surveyed 300+ employees — people who’ve started new jobs, gone through onboarding, [...]
Employee Gifts and Swag: What to Give, When to Give It, and What to Skip
Recognition matters. When employees feel valued, they stay longer, work harder, and become advocates for your company culture. According to our Company Swag Survey, more than three-quarters of employees say thoughtful gifts make them more likely to stay with their company. And our 2026 Swag Organizer Survey found that 74% of swag [...]
Hybrid & Remote Employee Recognition: How to Engage Virtual Teams in 2026
When your team is spread across time zones, home offices, and coffee shops, how do you make sure everyone feels seen? Recognition in a hybrid or remote workplace looks different than it did when everyone gathered around the same water cooler. But the need for appreciation hasn’t changed. If anything, it matters more. We’ve [...]
35+ Creative Employee Appreciation Ideas (That Aren’t Just Cash)
Your best people aren’t leaving for a 5% raise at another company. They’re leaving because they feel invisible. According to the Custom Ink Company Swag Survey, more than three-quarters of employees say thoughtful gifts make them more likely to stay with their company. And yet, 66% of workers report they would leave their job [...]
How to Build an Effective Employee Recognition Program: Steps, Tools & Real Examples
Recognition is one of the most powerful tools HR leaders and managers have for keeping teams engaged and reducing turnover. Yet many organizations still approach employee recognition haphazardly, relying on annual reviews or sporadic thank-you’s rather than building systems that make appreciation consistent and meaningful. The [...]
Employee Recognition Programs: A Step-by-Step Guide for HR Managers
Employee recognition sounds simple: tell people they’re doing a good job. But building a program that actually changes how your team feels about showing up to work every day requires more than good intentions. It requires structure, consistency, and the right tools. We’ve helped thousands of companies create employee [...]
9 Employee Recognition Program Ideas That Actually Work
A strong employee recognition program can transform your workplace culture. When people feel valued for their contributions, they stick around longer, collaborate better, and bring more energy to their work every day. The numbers back this up. According to Gallup-Workhuman research (2024), employees who receive high-quality recognition [...]