Your employees and coworkers are those who you’ve spent a lot of time with. Not only that but they’re the ones who help you with your work. To show them your appreciation, why not give them something in return?
It can be a birthday gift, a corporate Christmas gift, or you just want to congratulate them on their achievements. Corporate gifting isn’t necessary, but there are plenty of reasons why you should give your coworkers gifts.
But what is the perfect gift to give your officemates? Most people would think of giving office supplies, but that’s something generic. You can’t give them gifts that they can find in the office.
If you’re struggling with gift ideas for coworkers, go over this article. We’ve listed a few tips for you to keep in mind before you decide which gifts to buy.
1. Consider the Occasion You’re Celebrating
There’s always the perfect gift for every occasion, whether it’s birthdays or the holidays. Of course, you won’t expect someone to enjoy a sweater during Easter. And you can’t give a “congratulations” card to someone who is retiring. Make sure you know why you’re giving gifts. If you don’t, ask someone who knows.
But to give you an idea, companies usually have gift-giving events during these times:
- Onboarding
- Company Anniversary
- Promotion
- Retirement
- Employee Appreciation
- Holidays
2. Consider Giving Personalized Gifts
One of the ways to give gifts that stand out is to have them personalized. It lets your coworkers or employees know that you spent a lot of time choosing the gift you’re giving. Personalized gifts can make anyone feel appreciated and valued.
You can choose to give them handcrafted gifts like resin coasters or bookends. You can also give personalized cards for different occasions. Or, if you don’t have enough time to create DIY gifts, you can buy some from the gift store.
Some companies offer corporate gifting on top of gift customization. These are especially helpful if the company you’re with has a remote work setup. They can have your gifts delivered to your coworkers or employees in no time. The best part is that you can also ask them to engrave your company logo on the item.
Put their names on cutting boards or tote bags. Personalization is also a great way to upscale everyday office items like journals and desk clocks.
3. But Don’t Make it Too Personal
Keep in mind that you still need to follow the social norms of corporate gifting. The company gift exchange is not the moment to give a nose-hair trimmer to someone who needs one. Personal gifts can make anyone feel uncomfortable. Just imagine receiving deodorant during corporate Christmas gift-giving.
Even though you’re friends with your coworkers, it’s not enough reason to make them feel uncomfortable. Save that for your friends outside of work.
4. Review Your Corporate Gifting Policies First
Gifting corporate workers has become a tradition these days. But even so, there are times when gifts for your office mates can be a bit inappropriate. That’s why many companies have established some policies when it comes to corporate gifting.
If you’re new and the holidays are coming, make sure you familiarize yourself with your policies. Is there anything in the policy that says you can’t give tangible gifts? Or that you can only buy gifts within a certain price range?
Before you start buying them gifts, read your company’s gifting policies first. Even though you’re giving them gifts out of goodwill, you might end up having to deal with HR.
5. Make Sure It’s Something They Love
Gifts are in and of themselves special. But, if you want to make it extra special, consider giving your employees something they love and will enjoy using.
You can start by thinking about their hobbies. What do they do during the weekends? What do they enjoy doing? To get you started, we’ve listed below some gift ideas for each type of coworker:
Gift Ideas for Food-Lovers
-
Cheese Platters
Cheese platters are exactly what they are: an assortment of cheeses served on a board. But not just any board. You can use a wooden charcuterie board or one made of resin. The idea is to make the cheese presentable using cutting boards.
Any food-lover would love to get cheese boards as a gift. Traditionally, these boards are made of wood, but these days, you can find ones made of other materials. Some stores offer customization, so you can give a more personalized gift.
Some also sell charcuterie platter sets with the components of your choice. Charcuterie boards aren’t only about cheese these days. Other people love to receive an assortment of foods for their cheese and meat board.
-
Serving Trays
If you’re not sure whether or not they love making cheese boards, give them serving trays. More often than not, they would be delighted to have additional serveware in their house.
They also make cute kitchen decor in times when they don’t have guests to serve food to. So make sure you get them with beautiful wood designs. You can also find resin serveware for a unique look.
Gift Ideas for Bookworms
-
Audiobook Subscription
If you ask any of your bookworm coworkers, they’d say they prefer books. There’s just something about the smell and feel of books that makes them special. The only problem is that they take up too much space in anyone’s bag.
To help your coworkers with this dilemma, opt to give them audiobook subscriptions. But make sure they enjoy these subscriptions. Some will still prefer a physical book instead of a digital one.
-
Book Embosser
If there’s one thing we know about book lovers, it’s that they also love sharing the things they read. And by sharing them, we mean lending others their favorite books. But sometimes, they have second thoughts about lending books to you.
Help your book-loving coworker get their books returned. A book embosser with their name will make them feel at ease if someone in the office borrows their book.
Gift Ideas for the Tech-Savvy
-
Noise-Canceling Earphones
If you’re giving gifts to someone who loves technology, you can never go wrong with earphones. It’s not only used to listen to music during break times but also keeps them in the zone when they’re working. Choose headphones that can cancel out noise in their environment.
-
Docking Station
Sometimes, keeping your office table clean can be challenging. By the time you sit down in your chair, your brain turns into work mode. Some even forget to charge their phones only to find out they’re low on battery when they need it. A docking station can help anyone clear out their cluttered office table and keep their phones charged.
1. Keep Your List Short
You don’t have to give everyone a gift, especially if you belong to a big company. It’s not necessary to buy something for the people in other departments. Just keep your list short and consider who is closest to you. You can also give gifts to your superiors and the support staff who help you every day.
2. Only Buy Things That Are Within Your Budget
It’s tempting to give more than you should, especially if you’re really feeling generous. But try not to let the holiday spirit hurt your pocket too much. Giving expensive gifts can give your boss and even your coworkers the impression that you’re sucking up. Plus, they will expect you to give them gifts of the same price or more next time.
Identify how much you are willing to spend on gifts and stay within that price range. Don’t go overboard in a way that makes your coworkers or employees feel uncomfortable. As much as possible, give gifts within the same price range as what your coworkers plan on giving.
Wrap it Up With Love
No gift is wrong when it comes from your heart. But then again, choosing the right item for your employees or coworkers can be challenging at times. These tips can help you decide what to give (and what not to give) during corporate gift-giving events.
And make sure you wrap it up nicely. The way you present your gift is as important as the item inside. Even if you choose to give them something expensive, packing it inappropriately reduces its value. Plan your list and pack your gifts nicely. We’re sure anyone would love to receive gifts wrapped up with love.
