GIFTS FOR REMOTE TEAMS

Chances are you have an awesome team who is willing to put in the extra effort to not only get the job done but to do it with accuracy and finness. The only way to maintain this is by keeping a healthy and happy team, and one way we can do this is by recognising everyone’s hard work. Showing appreciation to our workers and colleagues will help boost morale and keep the team motivated to continue producing high-quality results. It also helps with team building and creating a sense of togetherness.

But how to do we do this when we’re far apart? Although it may take a bit more planning, it’s really not that hard to send a virtual gift, and doing so will pay off in the long run. Below are some powerful tips on how you can send perks to your remote employees.

Gifts for remote teams

• SUPERCARDS. Make your online meetings more productive, and fun.
• WORK TOGETHER ANYWHERE HANDBOOK. A Handbook on Working Remotely — Successfully — for Individuals, Teams, and Managers
• JUST SAY THANKS. Pick up the phone, send an email, create a  special Slack channel, or send a group card or a kudo card.
  • One team started a virtual “Medal of the Day” badge that was given to someone to add to their profile for the day. Then they got to give it to someone else at the end of the day.
• GIFT CERTIFICATES – coffee shops, gas stations, grocery stores, movies, Amazon, massage, dinners, the list of options is endless! While this option can seem a bit impersonal, it’s better than not giving a gift at all.
  • As an alternative to gift cards, you can give a more personalized gift (there’s an app for that!).
• VIDEO MONTAGE – instead of getting together synchronously and showing appreciation, consider creating a video montage! Tribute.co makes it easy.
• FOOD DELIVERY.
  • There is a plethora of local beer/wine/coffee/food of the month clubs. Always fun! Two of my personal favorites are Gift Baskets Europe (for Europe) and 1800flowers.com and Cheryl’s Cookies (for the US). There’s also a company called Packed with Purpose that helps organizations reimagine employee gift-giving with customizable employee appreciation gift boxes.
  • Pizza! Don’t forget that you can get a pizza delivered to almost anywhere in the world. If your team is working hard, make sure they stay nourished.
  • Goldbelly. A variety of food you can send across the continental USA.
• FLOWER DELIVERY. Just like pizza, you can send flowers almost anywhere in the world. Easy! For sending flowers in the US, try 1800flowers.com.
• HOST A COOKIE EXCHANGE. Find a way to send each other cookies, or just share your favorite cookie recipes.
• STEP COUNTERS. Getting a Fitbit can be a fun team building experience (and should always be optional)
• GYM MEMBERSHIPS. Don’t let your remote workers sit in front of the computer all day. Make sure they’re getting some exercise.
• COWORKING MEMBERSHIPS. A great perk for the remote worker that can’t work at home.
• HOUSE CLEANING SERVICES. Sometimes it’s nice for someone else to do the cleaning.
• MASSAGES. Find a local spa or massage service and buy your colleague the gift of relaxation.
• EXPERIENCES. Give someone an opportunity instead of a thing.
• SUBSCRIPTIONS. Give subscriptions to magazines, meditation apps, online music or movie apps (Spotify, Pandora, Netflix).
• TECH. Does your teammate need a new headset, a wifi booster, or a mobile router?
• OFFICE SUPPLIES. Along with tech, think about useful office supplies like external monitors or a sit-stand desk.
• APPRECIATION APPS. A list of tools that help remote teams show appreciation.

One logistical aspect of gift-giving is: who is going to pay for the gift? Most companies have a budget for team-building events and gifts. But if not, try having everyone chip in with co budgeting tools.

Do you have a great remote gift idea you’d like to add to this list? We’d love to hear it

More resources

• Ideas for Rewarding Your Remote Team by Remote.co
• 13 Practical Gifts to Boost Remote Employee Morale – by Yonder
• Ideas for Rewarding Your Remote Team – by Remote.co
• How to make your remote workforce feel appreciated – by Fast Company