It is more personally meaningful. And a more meaningful workplace is a workplace that attracts and keeps employees. Send thank-you notes to employees' homes. Write a personal, handwritten note, even if it is a short one. Employees will get an extra boost from the gesture when it is also seen by their loved ones.
Small gifts go a long way.
It is not just what you give to an employee, it is how you give it. When you give a gift and say thank you, do it with sincerity. Carry thank-you cards. You carry business cards and hand them out all the time. Carry small thank-you cards, too.