Gratitude for Their Grit and Gusto

In recent conversations with executives, the topic of finding and retaining talent continues to surface. The pace of change is so quick, and the cost of slowing down to hire is so high that team leaders are concerned about burnout and turnover. This concern has executives focused on meaningful ways to acknowledge and celebrate employee milestone events.

As significant employee accomplishments and anniversaries occur, here’s a sampling of ideas that can be as unique as the individuals involved:

Gifts don’t have to be big; small can still be thoughtful. People know when their gift has been a last-minute run to a big box store to grab what’s left on the shelf. These times call for gestures that are unique and authentic if they’re to send a message of caring. Hand-crafted coasters with natural wood grain and beveled-edging can be a perfect fit for those who appreciate the attention to detail. Another option is to mix textures and pair a forged metal slicing knife or cheese cutter with a custom wood cutting board. Add a hand-woven kitchen or bar towel with a cheerful print or stylish pattern.

Focus on the things they love. Consider the employee's favorite activities and include a nod to one of them as part of your gift. Is your team member a foodie? Do they love the outdoors, travel? Include a small, colorful book highlighting specialty foods or different beverage themes, find trail guides, travel, or postcards of the parks. Or choose specialty salts, baked or crispy flavors, tasty beverage mixes, spirits, or artisan tonic as nice additions. (If you can’t find a specific item that fits, you can reference what lights them up in your personal note.)

Encourage them to relax and unwind. With all those long hours, a gift to suggest rest and relaxation may be in order. Consider a small leather journal for reflection, notes, and ideas. Add a scented candle that transports them to their favorite place (woods, ocean, island). Offer the feel of ceramic mugs or glazed wine goblets they’ll love to hold as the sip.

For those late-night calls and early starts. We hear about the client and team calls taken in pj’s as employees work more hours to wrap up projects. A gift combination that features artisan espresso cups ready for the caffeine boost, or a night cap-worthy whiskey tumbler and forged metal mixing spoon can be a fun hat tip to their efforts.

Aside from the beauty and unique textures, artisan gifts become favorite, long-lasting pieces that don’t melt or wither away after a week. With an array of design styles to pick from, they’re conversation starters. Your employees will appreciate and talk about who gave them such a meaningful piece as they sit down at their desks, share with friends, and continue on their journey.

Visit our Marketplace and Hand-Crafted Gift Boxes for More Ideas

How to Match Artisan Storytelling with Your Corporate Mission

Sitting at an end table in a busy local restaurant, we began a conversation about how to tell the story of living a healthy lifestyle through elements of artisan work. Our contact was looking for a way to give custom hand-crafted gifts, and at the same time, represent a corporate brand of health and wellness. Between spoonfuls of soup, we picked through sample ceramic pieces and bantered about ideas.

Big meetings with special clients require a lot of planning, agenda outlines, and logistical coordination. At the end of all that planning, a client gift had better cap off a productive day with surprise and delight! Deciding on the contents of a meaningful gift can be tricky because these professionals represent many international cultures, and you likely have never met them before. Still, you want to leave a lasting, positive impression of your company. The question becomes how does one give a thoughtful gift, in line with the company brand, without crossing any cultural boundaries that may inadvertently offend someone.

The beauty of artisan work is that it offers variety, and the ability to select unique pieces that are both meaningful and reflect a company’s mission. In working with this global corporation, we considered different options and challenges. Food items were off the list when we evaluated transit times and the guests’ travel plans. Avoiding any direct implication of alcohol was another variable we removed. Their brand encourages healthy living and outdoor activity, so how best to blend those ideas with artisan appeal?

The solution was twofold, first to select elements created by artists located in different areas of the country, places where their employees live and work. This was a creative way to showcase the company’s geographic diversity while highlighting the craftsmanship of a unique set of artists. And, in picking certain pieces, we accomplished the second objective, which included a subtle reference to healthy lifestyles (cutting board and veggie/cheese slicer) and enjoying the great outdoors (National Parks postcard book, woolen to-go-cup holders, and brass hiking bells).

To complete this story, we chose styles from upstate New York, the Hudson Valley, Vermont, and Maryland to create the gift boxes. We also shared the individual artists’ information, and how each element represented a different local region.

In these times when our differences are often the focus, it was rewarding to see how artisan gifts so beautifully aligned diverse cultural connections with a positive corporate mission.