Employee Rewards & Recognition

A pay rise does not equate to employee appreciation 

Employee Appreciation Day is a brilliant moment to pause and say thank you. But in 2026, appreciation can’t be a one off gesture. It needs to be a strategy. Prezzee’s Employee Engagement Barometer, based on research with 2,000 UK employees, paints a clear picture: three quarters (75%) of employees describe themselves as complacent, and 39% are actively looking to leave their role. At the same time, 73% have received a pay rise in the last 12 months, yet almost two-fifths still plan to move on

The message? Pay alone isn’t solving disengagement.

Why employee appreciation matters more than ever

When asked what makes rewards meaningful:

• 54% of employees said “feeling valued” mattered most

• A further 38% said meaningful recognition from managers drives loyalty

• Even more compelling, 85% said a meaningful reward would increase their likelihood of staying with their employer

In a climate of reduced budgets (cited by 38% as the top business concern), HR leaders can’t afford high turnover. Staff appreciation is one of the most cost effective levers available and one of the most powerful.

Practical ways HR can reward employees on Employee Appreciation Day

Here are tangible employee recognition ideas that HR managers can implement immediately:

Personalised digital rewards

Nearly a third (31%) say rewards feel most meaningful when chosen based on their preferences. Instead of generic gifts, offer digital gift cards that allow employees to choose from brands aligned to their interests — whether that’s fitness, fashion or family experiences. Choice signals trust and respect.

Public employee recognition moments

Two in five employees value meaningful recognition from managers. Dedicate time in team meetings or company wide channels to highlight specific contributions and explain the “why” behind them. Recognition without context can feel transactional; recognition with meaning reinforces culture.

Peer-to-peer employee appreciation

Create space for colleagues to celebrate each other. Simple “kudos” walls, Slack shout outs or internal recognition platforms make appreciation visible and inclusive. Recognition doesn’t need to be grand,  it needs to be consistent.

Connect rewards to values

Link appreciation to company values and purpose. Employees also want rewards that help them feel connected to their organisation (35%). When recognition reinforces shared goals, it strengthens belonging.

Give flexibility as a reward

Flex hours, early finishes or learning budgets demonstrate trust — a powerful signal in uncertain times.

From one day to everyday employee appreciation

Employee Appreciation Day should be the spark, not the strategy.

Complacency (75%) and boredom (64%) don’t develop overnight and they won’t disappear with a single gesture. Embedding recognition into daily life is what drives sustained motivation and retention.

That’s where technology and thoughtful reward platforms can help HR teams scale appreciation without losing the personal touch. Solutions like digital gifting and peer recognition tools make it easier to deliver meaningful, timely rewards, especially across hybrid and remote teams.

Make Employee Recognition Day a year-round practice with Prezzee Business

If you’re rethinking your recognition strategy and considering how to move from “once-a-year appreciation” to building a culture where employees feel valued every day, then Prezzee Business’ employee gifting solutions are a great way to get started

With bulk gift selection, scheduling, and tracking made within the one platform, your employee appreciation efforts can be made personal, on a company-wide scale. 

Because in today’s workforce, staff appreciation isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a retention strategy.

And when done right, it creates more than engagement,  it creates connection.

Book a demo of our free employee gifting solution today.

Generational shifts are redefining employee recognition

Today’s workforce spans five generations, and one truth is undeniable: employee recognition isn’t one size fits all. What feels meaningful to one employee can fall flat for another. As organisations chase employee engagement and retention goals, understanding how different people experience recognition is more important than ever.

The Prezzee Employee Engagement Barometer reveals a dramatic shift in expectations: 91% of Gen Z and 90% of Millennials say meaningful, personalised rewards influence their likelihood of staying with an employer. That’s not just a trend - it’s a new standard for workplace recognition.

Gen Z Wants Meaning. Millennials Want Uniqueness.

For younger generations, recognition goes beyond the act itself, it’s about intention.

Gen Z employees place a premium on purpose and authenticity. They want to feel valued in ways that align with what matters to them, socially, culturally, and personally.

Millennial employees, meanwhile, prioritise distinctive and tailored rewards. The Barometer shows that 41% of Millennials say uniqueness makes rewards meaningful, highlighting that generic praise just doesn’t cut it anymore. Across all age groups, people want to be genuinely seen and acknowledged, not just checked off a recognition list.

Why it matters for HR

Gen Z and Millennials now represent a growing share of today’s workforce. At the same time, employee mobility is high. From the Barometer:

• 39% of employees are actively considering leaving their role, with another 9% unsure about their future.
  
  
• Despite 73% receiving a pay rise in the past 12 months, nearly two-fifths still plan to move on.
  
  
• 38% say meaningful recognition from managers drives loyalty.

This data underscores a real point: salary alone doesn’t build loyalty - meaningful employee recognition does.

The takeaway for HR and people teams is clear: appreciation strategies must be both segmented and personalised. Rewarding at scale matters, but relevance matters more. Recognition that resonates with individual motivations will drive engagement and retention, far more effectively than generic employee recognition programs.

Segment Your Employee Engagement Strategy and Personalise Recognition

When rewards feel meaningful, they become more than a moment, they become part of your culture.

Meaningful recognition builds connection, strengthens culture and turns appreciation into retention. But the real test for modern HR teams is not just doing recognition - it’s doing it well.

Do you know what “meaningful” looks like for the people in your organisation? How quickly expectations are moving? Are your recognition efforts keeping pace?

The latest employee engagement insights reveal clear generational divides, evolving motivators, and trends shaping retention strategies for 2026 and beyond. If your employee recognition program doesn’t evolve with these shifts, your organisation risks falling behind.

Employee Recognition that feels personal 

Meaningful recognition doesn’t feel transactional,  it feels intentional, timely and personal. As organisations think about how to reward and retain talent, personalised reward strategies - including flexible digital gifts that let recipients choose what matters to them — can make all the difference.

Want to explore flexible reward options that resonate across generations? Prezzee Business makes it easy to send, personalise and track rewards that truly matter - at scale and with impact. Book a demo to see for yourself.

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The retention problem pay can’t solve

73% of employees received a pay rise last year. Yet almost two fifths (39%) still plan to leave. For HR leaders, that’s more than a statistic. It’s a signal.

In a climate defined by budget pressure, AI disruption and workforce fatigue, traditional employee retention strategies are falling short. The Prezzee Employee Engagement Barometer, based on 2,000 UK employees, makes one thing clear: pay alone isn’t building loyalty. 

Pay gets attention but appreciation earns employee loyalty

Compensation matters. But it’s no longer an effective employee retention strategy on its own.

Despite widespread salary increases, complacency is rising. 75% of employees describe themselves as complacent, and 64% say they feel bored at work. That’s not a payroll problem. It’s an employee engagement problem.

Employees told us exactly what’s missing. 38% say meaningful recognition from managers drives loyalty. And when rewards feel meaningful? 85% say it would increase their likelihood of staying, with 44% saying it would do so significantly.

Recognition isn’t “soft”. It’s strategic.

When people feel genuinely valued, employee engagement rises. Engaged employees perform better. High performers stay longer. Employee retention doesn’t start at payroll. It starts with how often people feel seen.

The measurable lever HR can pull 

HR leaders are under pressure to prove impact. The good news? Employee appreciation is measurable.

Our research shows that what makes rewards meaningful is deeply human:

• 54% say ‘feeling valued’ matters most.
• 35% want rewards to help them feel more connected to their company.
• 32% highlight uniqueness as key.

This is where HR has influence.

The organisations winning in 2026 won’t just be reviewing salary bands. They’ll be designing intentional cultures of recognition, consistent, personalised and aligned to company values.

Because when employee appreciation becomes visible and embedded into daily work life, engagement follows. And engagement drives the outcomes HR reports on: employee retention, performance and culture health.

If nearly 40% of your workforce is open to leaving despite pay rises, the question isn’t “Are we paying enough?”

It’s this: Are our people feeling valued or just paid?

Discover how to reduce employee disengagement with simple, meaningful gifting - book a demo today.

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Something has shifted in UK workplaces. The Friday afternoon team lunch that used to feel like a genuine treat? For a lot of employees right now, it barely registers. The things that actually help have changed significantly as the cost of living has climbed.

Leaders who want to show genuine appreciation are navigating a harder question than they used to. Employee rewards that felt meaningful a few years ago can now fall flat, and what actually moves people has shifted. This article draws on real United Kingdom workplace research to help leaders understand what their teams need from recognition right now.

What employees actually want from recognition right now

. Employees aren't hoping for a pat on the back; they want recognition that connects to what their lives actually look like. With nearly half struggling to cover regular expenses before payday, a reward that helps with the everyday carries real weight. The upshot is that the best employee recognition and rewards programs are built around choice rather than assumption.

One team, very different needs

Think about the range of people on your team. A parent is navigating school fees and grocery bills. A younger employee in their first rental is watching every dollar. A senior staff member might want an experience or a treat. A remote worker values recognition differently from someone in the office every day. That gap is the difference meaningful employee benefit programs make.

Employee reward ideas that actually resonate

The best way to think about reward for employee motivation is to start with what the employee actually needs. Different needs call for different rewards.

Everyday relief: for the employee who needs to feel the difference now

For employees managing tight budgets, a reward that goes straight to where the pressure is has an outsized impact. This is the employee who lights up at something practical, something that genuinely helps this week, not eventually.

A Tesco gift card puts money toward groceries, one of the biggest household expenses for most UK workers. A Halfords gift card covers car and bike maintenance, which for commuters or regional employees is a real and recurring cost. An Argos gift card works well for the practically-minded team member who always has a project on the go. These aren't glamorous rewards. They're genuinely useful ones, which right now is the point.

Experience and downtime: for the employee who needs to switch off

Not every employee needs practical relief. Some are doing fine on the budget front but are running low on fun, rest, or something to look forward to. This is the employee who would genuinely love permission to enjoy themselves.

A multi-brand Smart gift card through Prezzee covers a wide range of experiences: cinema tickets, activities, days out. A Go Ape gift card is a great call for someone who'd appreciate something social and a bit unexpected. The point with this category is freedom, a reward they can enjoy on their own terms, not something they feel obligated to spend in a particular way.

Personal treat: for the employee who deserves something just for them

Then there's the employee who is quietly excellent, consistently reliable, and rarely makes a fuss. The one who shows up, delivers, and probably hasn't bought themselves anything nice in a while. This reward category is for them.

A Currys gift card is a genuinely exciting reward for anyone tech-minded. Something they'd browse happily and come away with exactly what they wanted. This kind of employee recognition and reward feels personal precisely because it's not tied to a necessity. It's a treat, chosen for them, that sits outside the everyday.

Why gift cards are one of the smartest employee rewards going

Ask most employees what they actually want from a reward, and the answer tends to come back to one thing: choice. A hamper of things they might not use misses it. A team experience that suits only half the group misses it. A gift card from a brand the employee loves, with a message that tells them why they're being recognised, carries real weight. And when the card covers something they actually need? The impact goes further still.

Prezzee's multi-brand Smart eGift Card takes this further. Employees can split their balance across multiple retailers, so a £100 card might become £50 at Tesco, £30 at Currys, and £20 wherever else they need it. Digital delivery means a reward can be chosen, personalised with a message, and sent in minutes, which means the employee reward reaches people when it actually matters.

Recognition doesn't have to be complicated

Recognition has never been about spending the most. It's about showing someone their work was seen, their effort noticed, and their situation considered. In a year when the cost of living is still very much part of most people's daily reality, getting that right matters more than it used to.

Start with the people. Ask what they actually need. Then find the reward that answers it. Prezzee can make that process quick, personal, and genuinely easy. Explore Prezzee for Business and put something meaningful in your team's hands.

Frequently asked questions

How can I start researching what employees want as employee rewards?

Ask them directly. A short, anonymous pulse survey will surface what your team actually values far more accurately than assumptions. Once you have a picture, you can build an employee benefit program around real preferences. This guide to making recognition happen responsibly is a useful next step.

What are the best employee rewards that are good for motivation?

Timing is everything. An employee reward that arrives weeks after the work it recognises loses most of its impact. Beyond timing, rewards that work tend to be personal and specific to the individual.

Are gift cards a good employee reward?

Yes, when chosen with thought. A gift card from a brand the employee loves, with a message explaining why they're being recognised, lands very differently from a generic one. Prezzee's Smart eGift Card lets recipients split their balance across multiple retailers. Browse the full Prezzee catalogue to see what's available.

How often should I be recognising my employees?

More often than most leaders think. Recognition has the most impact when it's frequent and timely, built into regular rhythms rather than saved for a special occasion. For a practical framework, this guide to responsible recognition covers the key principles of employee recognition and rewards done well.

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