The Gift of Recognition: Creative Ways to Appreciate Your Team Over the Holidays

The holiday period is always a golden opportunity to shine a spotlight on the efforts of your people, helping to build a culture of appreciation that lasts well beyond December.

Research increasingly shows that recognition is not just a nice gesture, but a real driver of better business. For example, a recent survey found that 77.9% of employees believed they would be more productive if they received recognition more frequently.

With this in mind, how HR can design festive, meaningful recognition rituals that genuinely resonate with a diverse workforce?

1. Make it Personal and Timely
During the holidays, it can be tempting to rely on more generic gestures like handing out gift cards or sending the semi-customized ‘thank‐you’ emails. But recognition that lands best is: (a) timely (given soon after the contribution), and (b) personal (linked to specific behaviours or outcomes). For example, you might highlight number of units shipped ahead of a delivery deadline, or acknowledge a colleague who mentored a new team member through the seasonal rush. The point is, taking the time to put in that extra effort will significantly pay off in the new year to come.

2. Use the Festive Season to Amplify Peer‑to‑Peer Recognition
The holidays bring a natural energy of giving and community, and employers can tap into this. Have employees nominate neighbors across teams who helped them, set up ‘holiday shout‑outs’ in internal social platforms like Slack, or even host a festive virtual ‘thank you’ wall. Feeling seen and appreciated by your colleagues can be just as rewarding a feeling as being appreciated by your superiors.

3. Offer Meaningful Rewards (but Don’t Over‑Emphasize Monetary Value)
While a bonus or gift is appreciated, the most effective rewards align with what employees value: flexibility, experiential benefits, or recognition tied to purpose. During the holidays you could offer an extra day off, a charity‑giving match in the employee’s name, or a team lunch to celebrate results.

4. Ensure Inclusivity and Authenticity
Holiday themes vary across employees; some celebrate major holidays, others may not. Recognition programmes should avoid bias toward a single festive tradition and instead focus on universal values like teamwork, innovation, support, and learning. When messaging around “holiday thanks”, emphasize appreciation rather than religious or cultural rituals. Adopting an inclusive tone strengthens the sentiment across all team members, and creates a sense of unity that leads to better cohesion.

5. Link Recognition to Sustainable Culture, Not Just One‑Off Cheer
While December is the moment for extra sparkle, the best outcome is that this festive recognition becomes a habit. The data suggests that organizations that embed recognition year‑round create environments where employees feel seen, valued and connected (for example, one study found that when employees feel valued, productivity can increase up to 17%). Leaders can use the holiday window to establish a recognition rhythm so that the cheer continues into the new year.

The holidays give employers a powerful moment to amplify recognition and make it so much more than just a seasonal gesture. By personalizing recognition, they can create a culture of appreciation that lasts well into the new year. After all, the best gift you can give your team is the feeling of being seen, valued and celebrated! If you would like to discuss how we can help advise on how to give the gift of inclusive recognition this holiday season, please get in touch with us today!