Promotional gifts for employees help unify teams

Two organizations cultivate strong cultures through connection

By Jayne Schneider

FLACRA fills cups and fosters connections

Kurtis VonBergen could have simply shipped water bottles to his employer’s 15 offices in New York state. But he understands the importance of fostering connections across an organization.

VonBergen is the marketing and community engagement manager for Finger Lakes Area Counseling and Recovery Agency (FLACRA) opens in new window, a nonprofit that helps individuals and their loved ones affected by substance abuse, mental health and other disorders. For an agencywide wellness initiative, he drove from office to office delivering appreciation gifts to about 500 employees. The drive is one he occasionally takes for different purposes; for instance, ensuring each site is up to quality and branding standards. But according to VonBergen, he also gets to be “the fun-bringer.” He said, “I talk to everybody and introduce myself to people if I haven’t met them.”

Encouraging healthy hydration habits was part of the agency’s wellness initiative. It also was an opportunity for VonBergen to make new connections. “The promotional gifts for employees were to help increase employee engagement and to encourage wellness,” VonBergen said. “We also wanted to thank everybody for their hard work and dedication.”

Inside the branded bottles were small promotional items, including pens and bracelets, and an invitation to an all-staff event. Each year, FLACRA holds two all-staff gatherings to build community among its hundreds of employees. “We want to drive a culture that is coordinated and compassionate,” VonBergen said. “We want to treat each other with respect, and we want everyone to feel like they belong.”

The benefits of community

Providing promotional items as employee gifts is good for more than just brand visibility. It’s also a way to cultivate connection and community in the workplace, which makes for healthier, happier and more productive employees opens in new window. This is especially important at a time when approximately half of U.S. adults report experiencing loneliness opens in new window.

There are many ways to promote social connectedness at work opens in new window, including making socializing a strategic priority and providing leaders with resources to implement and improve practices that foster connection. Ninety-four percent of employees say they’re more productive when they feel connected opens in new window, and connected employees are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs.

94% percent of employees say they’re more productive when they feel connected.
Source: Enboarder* opens in new window

FLACRA’s wellness campaign brought employees an element of team spirit, sparked interactions and strengthened bonds. “You know how in the late ’90s people were bedazzling their jeans? Some of the employees did that with the water bottles as a team activity,” VonBergen said. “They decorated them with stickers and glued rhinestones on them. It was really neat.”

Brittain Resorts and Hotel employees connected no matter where they work

An open door to cool employee appreciation gifts

Another organization dedicated to connecting its employees is hospitality management company Brittain Resorts and Hotels opens in new window. It operates nearly 30 resorts and hotels in the southeast United States. Kristine McBride, director of reservations, oversees a team of call center employees working remotely in Jamaica.

“It can be hard having a remote workforce in another country,” McBride said. “We have really focused on making those employees feel part of the Brittain team, even though they’re so far away.” To cultivate connectedness, McBride visits the team each month with a new assortment of promotional products.

Promotional products can help team members feel connected

McBride created a prize vault after learning the staff enjoyed friendly competitions and winning awards. It is stocked with a variety of promotional gifts for employees, including speakers opens in new window, umbrellas, blankets and more. “It started making everybody a little more competitive, a little more excited to come to work every day,” McBride said.

There are weekly and monthly contests tied to attendance, customer satisfaction and other performance metrics, and winners get to choose an item from the vault. Employees also earn prizes when recognized by a teammate through the internal “shout-out” program.

Employee recognition gifts are also part of a fall staff-appreciation program. In October, every team member was given a branded polo shirt. The competitions and promotions make the workplace fun, help employees form bonds and create a sense of community.

Part of something larger

FLACRA and Brittain Resorts and Hotels are two vastly different organizations, yet both have leaders who understand the importance of making team members feel connected. With focused effort and creativity, promotional gifts for employees help both organizations thrive.