Time and time again I am surprised by what pleases our new hires. We do a lot of communicating with our new people before they start, but I still never really get around to telling them about the things like free breakfast Thursdays, free drinks in the fridge, etc. I figure it’s a nice thing to find out on their first day that solidifies their decision that we truly care about our people. But one thing that almost always gets a positive response is our gift card to get a shirt with our company logo.

It’s not just a shirt; it’s pride

Some of you probably think that is silly. And to be honest, I thought so, too. But time and time again people smile and thank us for giving them such a simple, yet useful gift. The first day they come to work with their shirt or sweater with the Pinnacle logo on it, it’s such a fun time to see them smiling and enjoying their new article of clothing. If you’re not quite sure what I’m talking about, click here to get an idea of the type of items that they can get with their gift card. It’s a fairly standard selection of shirts, polos, sweaters, etc. We just give them the code, a gift card, and let them pick out whatever they like best.

Little things matter

I’m constantly reminded that it’s the little things that make people really love working here. We have troubles and problems like any business. They are a fact of life. But the personalized birthday cards, peer to peer shout outs, and other little “nice to have” items make us stand out in a way that many other employers don’t. People truly appreciate knowing that their employer cares about them not only as a valuable contributor, but also as an individual.

So those are a few of the little things we do that make daily life special for our people. What do you do for your people to show them you’re glad they are on the team?