Employee Award Gifts That Work

Have you ever been involved with Employee Award - on either side of the fence, What you gave or what was given? Think back to the last time you were involved with your company's employee awards. It can be a flurry of activity—finalising categories, chasing nominations, and the final, often-agonised-over decision: "What are we actually going to do?”

For so many businesses, this is where a well-intentioned act of celebration falls flat. We default to the path of least resistance. We calculate a cash bonus or we engrave a heavy glass trophy destined to gather dust on a shelf (I recently threw out a whole box of award certificates, plaques and trophies from my time in the corporate world). We tick the box, we hand over the gift, and we consider the job done.

But I want to challenge you. I want you to ask yourself a brutally honest question: What message did that gift send and will it be remembered?

Did it create a lasting, positive memory? Did it tell a powerful story about what your company truly values? Did it make the recipient feel genuinely seen, valued, and celebrated as an individual? Or did it simply feel like a transaction—a predictable, impersonal, and ultimately forgettable part of a corporate ritual?

After more than two decades of building RedBalloon, a company founded on the very principle that experiences are more powerful than possessions, and after seeing the inner workings of many businesses from my chair on Shark Tank, I have come to a firm and unwavering conclusion: Your choice of employee award gift is not a logistical afterthought. It is a powerful and visible statement you will make about your company's culture.

A cash bonus is a transaction (and quickly forgotten). It says, "Thank you for your labour." A thoughtful, experiential gift is a transformation. It says, "Thank you for your contribution. We are invested in your happiness."

Today, I want to take you on a journey to completely redefine your approach to employee awards. We are going to move beyond the bonus cheque and the branded trophy. I will show you why experiences are the ultimate reward, how to align your gifts with your strategic goals, and how you can create a program that doesn't just reward your people, but inspires your entire organisation.

The 'Why' - The Hard-Nosed Business Case for Memorable Awards

Before we get into the "what," let's be crystal clear on the strategic "why." Investing in a great awards program is not a "soft" HR expense. It is a high-ROI investment in your company's most critical assets: your talent and your culture. A well-designed awards program, with thoughtful gifts at its heart, drives tangible business outcomes.

1. The Talent Magnet: Winning the War for Your Best People‍

In the current Australian market, the war for A-player talent is ferocious. Your best people have options. And they are no longer making career decisions based on salary alone. They are looking for a workplace where they feel valued, where their contribution is recognised, and where the company is invested in them as a whole person. A powerful and memorable awards program is a highly visible signal to both your current and future employees that you are that kind of company. It becomes a cornerstone of your employer brand.

2. The Culture Engine: Making Your Values Real‍

Your company values are just words on a wall until they are brought to life through action. An awards program is your most powerful stage for celebrating those values in action. When you publicly award a team member for a behaviour that perfectly embodies a core value, you are not just rewarding one person; you are sending a clear, powerful message to the entire organisation: "This. This is what we celebrate here. This is what it takes to win." As I've explored in my deep dive on professional employee awards, this is how you turn your culture from a document into a daily reality.

3. The Motivation Multiplier: The Power of a Story‍

This is where the psychology of reward comes into play. A cash bonus is private, and it's quickly spent. It has very little "story value." No one goes home and excitedly tells their partner about the extra few hundred dollars in their pay slip that got absorbed by the electricity bill.

But a unique, experiential reward? That creates a story. The team member who wins a hot air balloon flight at the awards night will spend weeks anticipating it. They will take photos during the experience. And for months afterwards, they will be sharing the story of floating above the clouds at dawn. That story, and the positive feeling associated with your company, becomes a powerful, internal and external marketing tool. This "trophy value" of an experience is a far more potent and lasting motivator than cash alone.

The 'What' - Why Experiences are the Ultimate Employee Award Gift

I built RedBalloon on this very premise. So, what is it about an experience that makes it such a powerful tool for recognition?

• Experiences Create Lasting Memories: A physical object depreciates over time. A memory is appreciated. The joy of a shared experience—the thrill, the laughter, the moment of awe—becomes a part of that person's life story, forever associated with your company's appreciation.
• Experiences Foster Wellbeing and Combat Burnout: A cash bonus doesn't solve the problem of an exhausted, overworked employee. But giving them an experience like a rejuvenating spa package or a relaxing weekend getaway is a direct investment in their recovery. It sends a powerful message: "We care about your wellbeing, not just your output."
• Experiences Build Deeper Connections: Many experiences can be shared with a partner, a friend, or a family member. When you gift an experience, you are not just rewarding the employee; you are acknowledging and appreciating the support system that enables their success at work. A gourmet dinner for two or a winery tour with lunch is a gift that strengthens their personal relationships, creating a profound level of goodwill.
• Experiences Align with a Modern Workforce: Today's employees, particularly younger generations, consistently state that they value experiences over material possessions. Offering experiential rewards shows that you understand what is truly important to them and that your company is modern and forward-thinking.

The 'How' - A Strategic Guide to Designing Your Experiential Awards Program

So, you're ready to move beyond the bonus cheque. How do you design a program that is both impactful and easy to manage?

1. Align Your Awards with Your Strategic Goals:‍

Your awards categories should be a direct reflection of your business priorities.

• For Sales Excellence: Don't just reward the top salesperson. Reward the "Top Team Player" who had the most assists, or the "Most Innovative Deal" that opened up a new market. The reward? Something competitive and thrilling, like a V8 race car driving experience.
• For Embodying Company Values: Create a "Living the Values" award. The prize should reflect the value itself. For a value like "Courage," the award could be a tandem skydive. For "Always Learning," it could be a creative workshop like a cooking class.
• For Long Service and Milestones: Celebrating tenure is crucial for building loyalty. Instead of a generic plaque, mark a five-year anniversary with an unforgettable weekend away, or a ten-year milestone with a bucket-list adventure.
• For Team Success: When a team smashes a major project, celebrate their collective success with a shared experience. A celebratory sailing trip on the harbour or a fun escape room challenge will build their bond far more than a round of drinks at the local pub.

2. The Power of Choice: The Ultimate Personalisation‍

Here is the great logistical challenge. How do you choose the "perfect" experience for every individual winner? You don't. You empower them to choose for themselves.

This is where so many leaders miss the true strategic brilliance of a gift voucher. A gift voucher is not an impersonal cop-out. When it's a voucher for a world of experiences, it is the most personal and respectful gift you can give.

You are saying, "I want to give you a memory, an adventure, a moment of joy. And I trust you to know what that perfect moment looks like for you."

This is the very essence of our RedBalloon for Business platform. We designed it specifically to solve this problem for leaders.

• It offers unparalleled choice: You are not giving one gift; you are giving access to thousands of possibilities across Australia.
• It is incredibly simple to manage: You can buy, brand with your own logo, and distribute hundreds of personalised gift vouchers in minutes, freeing up your valuable time.
• It is flexible for any budget: You set the value, from a small "thank you" to a major annual award.

It is the perfect synthesis of administrative simplicity for the business and ultimate freedom of choice for your people.

3. Master the Moment of Presentation:‍

The gift is only part of the story. The way you present the award is what makes it truly meaningful.

• Tell the Story: When you announce the winner, don't just read their name. Tell the specific story of why they won. Describe the situation, the action they took, and the positive impact it had. This is what transforms a simple award into a powerful piece of cultural storytelling.
• Make it Public: Recognition should be public. Whether it's at an all-hands meeting, an awards gala, or on your company-wide intranet, the public celebration is what amplifies the message and inspires others.
• The CEO's Touch: The most important awards should always be presented by the most senior leader in the room. The presence of the CEO signals the immense value the company places on this achievement.

An Award is a Message. Make Yours Unforgettable.

Your employee awards program is one of the most visible and powerful expressions of your company's soul. It is your annual opportunity to tell your team what you truly stand for, what behaviours you celebrate, and what excellence really looks like.

Stop settling for the transactional and the forgettable. Stop giving gifts that end up in the back of a drawer.

Start a recognition revolution in your own business. Choose to give the gift of a story, the gift of a memory, the gift of a new perspective. Choose to invest in your people's lives, not just their wallets.

When you do this, you are not just rewarding past performance. You are building the foundation of a magnetic, inspired, and high-performing culture that will be the engine of your future success.

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