Whether you’ve been newly inspired to build connections with your employees through gifting, or if you have simply been assigned the task of doing so, finding perfect ideas for corporate holiday gifts can be tricky. You need to consider your recipients, your budget, delivery method, and which occasions you’ll celebrate with a gift. Giving can bring happiness to both the giver and recipient, though, so it’s well worth the effort! To make things a bit easier, here are twelve curated ideas to get your wheels turning in advance of the coming holiday season.
Thoughtful Corporate Holiday Gifts
1. A comfort-food meal at home.
No, you don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen and hop in your car in order to bring a home-cooked meal to your employees. Thanks to companies such as Spoonful of Comfort, you can send your people soup, cookies, fuzzy blankets—basically everything hygge. Better yet, Spoonful of Comfort allows you to plan and personalize your gifting for the entire year. That way, you can use your busy seasons to focus on other projects and quality times with the ones you love.
2. A care package-style gift box.
A care package is perfect when you know the general vibe of your employees but don’t know their exact tastes and preferences. You can choose a vendor who will put together several inexpensive small corporate gifts that can easily be regifted if the recipient doesn’t want them all. However, the overall impact of the box makes it exciting to receive and open.
There are companies devoted to gift boxes, such as Teak & Twine, that also allow for branded customization.
3. A donation in their name.
With a bit of sleuthing, you can find and support causes close to your employees’ hearts. You could even add a question about this as part of employee onboarding. Donating in the name of individual employees is especially meaningful when it reflects who they are outside of work.
Before clicking “donate,” be sure to check out the integrity of the nonprofit using a tool such as Charity Navigator. You want your donations to be a cause for celebration, not a headache down the road.
4. Non-work-related tech.
Depending on your budget, you might look into trendy and coveted tech options, such as an electric bike, Apple watch, or e-reader. Or, you might choose something more affordable yet still thoughtful, such as an analog watch with a simple inscription on the back. If your employees like to travel, look into sleek, portable phone chargers. If they’re homebodies, invest in smart switches. Basically, any tech you gift should make life easier for your recipients.
5. Home office bells and whistles.
You might already provide your employees with a laptop, monitor, keyboard, and mouse for work-from-home days. But are there items they have at the office they’d love to use at home, for their own purposes? Maybe your office manager found ergonomic and stylish desk chairs everyone is raving about. Perhaps your designers love their smart tablet.
Choose something people can use at home for their jobs but also for their side hustle, or even for those nights spent paying bills and updating soccer practice schedules.
6. A personalized mousepad or blotter.
A little bit of luxury goes a long way in lending a special feel to an employee’s workspace, whether at home or at the office. It’s also a constant reminder to your employees that you value them and their work. Several companies specialize in custom leather desk products, and Etsy is always a great source of handcrafted artisan products.
7. A family photo session.
One way to approach corporate gifting is to choose luxuries that many people want, but not all can afford. Photo sessions fit in this category. You might have a staff photographer you can contract for this, or you could support local small businesses. You can give this gift early so people can get their photos taken for holiday cards. Don’t forget to include the cost of a print or canvas to put a figurative bow on this thoughtful gift. And be sure to emphasize that the session could include family members, pets, or friends.
An added benefit of this gift: every time your employee sees the photos on their walls or their social media profiles, they’ll have a positive memory of working for you.
8. A Stanley tumbler.
Gifting an item with a cult following, especially one that’s hard to get ahold of, will make you the favorite of all your millennial employees. The Stanley tumbler is celebrated for fitting well in cupholders (and keeping drinks cold).
Although it’s always great to find deals, beware of dupes. This kind of gift is best when you stick with the brand-name option.
9. Kitchen gadgets.
Everyone cooks, right? Well, not everyone, but everyone eats. A gift that makes life in the kitchen a little easier can become a new prized possession. You can look at high-tech options or beautiful, high-quality versions of kitchen staples, depending on your team. A travel aeropress, grinder, and scale? Perfect for the caffeine addict who works across the globe. A handcrafted butcher block of sustainably sourced white oak? Great for the frequent host. Just be mindful what you buy for anyone who lives in tight quarters.
10. An experience.
Your professional development budget can actually double as a corporate gifting opportunity when you buy your employees access to a site such as MasterClass, where industry pros teach skills including singing, tennis, authentic leadership, and much more.
Want something for an active crew that likes to get out and travel? Gift an adventure where you essentially write a check for your recipient’s choice of experiences and stays.
11. Investment in their health.
Even if your company already has a robust health incentives program, there are many little purchases that aren’t covered by HSA funds. Think: daily greens, class passes to local hot yoga studios, CSA shares. You have a vested interest in keeping your employees healthy, so a health-related gift, given in the right context, can go a long way in building a healthy and happy workforce.
12. Extra 401k funds.
Consider gifting money that your employees can use to build a surer future. In a time of financial uncertainty, cash is sometimes the best way to show your respect for your employees (especially if there’s a large gap in salaries among different employees). If possible, pair cash gifts with a handwritten card—otherwise, ironically, the gift could feel more like a payout than a gift.
Featured Image: RODNAE Productions; Pexels.com. Thank you!
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