Employee Christmas Gifts: What Truly Resonates with Staff
Popular holiday gifts for employees often include gift cards, sweets, and days off. The budget shrinks, but the employees still appear disengaged. Below, we will suggest gift ideas that your employees will truly appreciate.
Gift-giving, when done right, means more than just saying "thank you" for the hard work. It enhances trust, enthusiasm, and elevates the HR brand. Amidst high turnover rates and competition, we discuss which gifts are worth giving to foster loyalty and boost motivation.
Why a Box of Chocolates No Longer Works
Traditional corporate gifts include of sweets, alcohol, and branded notebooks. They seemed safe: universal, inoffensive, and always appropriate. However, practice shows that such gifts have lost their value to employees.
It Lacks Emotional Impact
When someone receives a box of chocolates or a bottle of wine, they understand: the company didn’t think about them personally. Such a gift feels like a formality rather than a gesture of consideration. The employee politely accepts it, but emotionally, it leaves them empty.
It’s a Waste of Money
Research indicates that up to 70% of corporate gifts go nowhere. They are regifted, left at home unused, or outright discarded. Thus, while the company spends its budget, it doesn’t gain the loyalty the gift intended to inspire.
Employee Expectations Are Changing
In 2024, more than 60% of office professionals noted that they value gifts that consider their interests or offer choice. Younger employees, especially those under 30, openly express: "I prefer a gift card for a service I use over sweets I don't eat."
Example:
In one tech company, a budget was set aside for holiday gifts, including standard sets: champagne, chocolates, and branded mugs.
After a survey, the HR department learned that less than 20% of employees were happy with these gifts.
Others either left the set at home unused or only took the champagne. The following year, the company switched to offering a choice: an e-gift card to Amazon, Walmart, or Apple Books.
Employee satisfaction in internal surveys rose to 78%.
Why Gifts Matters for Business
A box of chocolates might seem as a nice gift. But psychologically, it sends a message that the company doesn't care much.
No one will quit over this, but if you factor in other aspects — unrefined processes, strict deadlines, or denied vacation requests — an employee might at least browse job sites like Indeed for other opportunities.
Corporate gifts are a form of intangible motivation, part of the HR brand toolkit akin to bonuses or incentives. A poor gift is not only useless, it damages trust.
How to Give Better Gifts
- Allocate time in advance to find quality options.
- Segment gifts: for different ages, interests, or work formats (office/remote).
- Include an element of choice: even if the budget is small, allow the employee to choose what suits them best.
While companies continue to give identical sets, they miss the opportunity to invest that same money into something that truly enhances loyalty and employee engagement.
How to Make Gifts Part of Corporate Culture
Many companies still treat gifts as a one-time gesture — once a year, we give Christmas and birthday gifts, and we're done. But corporate gifts can serve a broader purpose. They are not just bonuses but a way for employees to perceive the company’s values.
Why This is Important
- Gift = Recognition. When an employee receives a gift not just as a formality but as part of the company philosophy, it shows their work is noticed. Gallup data shows that recognized employees are 4.6 times more engaged and 45% less likely to leave.
- It Fosters Corporate Identity. If the gift aligns with company traditions, it becomes a reminder that “we are one team.”
- It Reduces Turnover. Bundled Gifting noted that companies which make gifts part of retention programs save up to 20% on hiring costs due to reduced staff turnover.
Example:
For several years, a bank gave employees identical branded sets for Christmas. The result — no emotions.
After internal research, the approach changed: gifts became thematic and aligned with brand values.
For instance, in 2022, everyone received a financial planning kit for the year (a planner with tips, a guide on financial goals, and a certificate for a course).
In an HR survey, 72% of employees reported seeing the gift as part of the brand, rather than just a souvenir for the first time.
How to Integrate Gifts into Culture
- Make it regular, not once a year. Christmas, company anniversary, work milestone — at important moments, employees should receive not only a bonus in pay but a personal reminder that their contribution matters.
- Company Values in Details. If your value is health, the gift might relate to wellness (a gym membership, a fitness gadget). If the value is development, offer training or a book.
- Ritual Element. When employees know that every December they get traditional gifts, it embeds into the corporate DNA.
A gift is not an expense but an investment in the HR brand. If made an extension of the company’s values, it transforms from a routine expense into a bridge connecting employees with the team.
How to Choose a Gift Employees Will Appreciate
For HR and leaders, it's essential not only to meet the budget but to align with expectations. Here are the main directions.
Give Experiences
In 2024, Deloitte published a study: 74% of employees would prefer an event, workshop, or ticket over a physical item. The reason is simple: emotions last longer in memory.
Examples of Such Gifts:
- Tickets to concerts, plays, or sports games.
- Certificates for workshops.
- Access to educational platforms.
- Subscriptions to online theaters or music services.
Case Study
A company in New York replaced holiday gift boxes with certificates to escape rooms and VR arenas. 82% of employees in internal surveys felt this gift truly delighted them, and 65% shared about the corporate event with friends. This gift became part of their HR brand.
Personal Attention Beats Price Tag
Often, there is a belief that the more expensive, the better. Yet, personalization trumps cost.
A personal gift shows the company is interested not just in buying off but in noticing the person, their interests, and habits. This conveys care and recognition, which directly influences loyalty.
Here are gifts that help build a positive company reputation:
- Personalized card from a manager mentioning a specific employee achievement during the year.
- Mini-gift related to hobbies: a book for those who love reading; a board game for gaming enthusiasts; a gadget for sports.
- Shared Memory: a photo album from corporate events where the person recognizes themselves.
Case Study
In a telecom company, they implemented a simple solution — managers wrote a card for each department member, highlighting personal contributions. The budget was modest (about $4 per person), but satisfaction with the gifts tripled.
Symbolism vs. Practicality: How Not to Overdo Branded Gifts
Branded gifts are a double-edged sword. On one hand, company hoodies and travel mugs can build identity. On the other, if overdone, employees stop seeing them as valuable.
Symbolism Matters
Symbolism works when items are genuinely practical. For example, a warm hoodie or a quality water bottle. This means the item is useful to the employee and is not just a workplace badge.
When It Becomes an Anti-Gift:
- A logo across the entire chest, like promotional merch.
- Low-quality items: mugs that crack or pens that don’t write.
- Identical gifts year after year — employees immediately think: "I already have three of these notebooks."
Tip: It's better to give a high-quality branded hoodie once, which an employee wears with pride, than to spend yearly on dozens of cheap trinkets.
The more freedom you give the employee, the stronger their engagement. Even if the budget remains the same, the perceived value skyrockets.
What Not to Gift
It’s easier than you think to make a mistake with a corporate gift. And the consequences are significant. A bad gift can evoke embarrassment, offense, or even reputational risks for the company.
List of Unsuccessful Gifts:
- Alcohol. There's always someone who doesn’t drink for personal or medical reasons. A bottle of wine becomes a “troublesome package.”
- Cosmetics and Perfumes. Too personal a choice, with a risk of error in brand, shade, or scent.
- Joke Gifts. Mugs with innuendos about age, weight, or personal life. Funny to some, hurtful to others.
- Overly Cheap Items. A gift costing $2 feels mocking rather than showing care.
- Same Every Year. People quickly tire of repetitive merch or standard sets.
Fail Case:
At a major retail chain, employees received holiday boxes with champagne and sausage. Some employees were vegetarians, and for others, alcohol was against their religion. Consequently, the HR department spent weeks managing the backlash on social media.
It's better to spend a little time on segmentation than to get into trouble and tarnish the impression.
How to Save Money on Gifts, Make Everyone Happy, and Boost Loyalty
Sometimes the best way to give a gift is not directly from the company, but through a game. For example, the most popular holiday game is Secret Santa.
It has long ceased to be just a school tradition and has become a corporate tool that operates on three levels:
Budget Savings
Instead of giving expensive gifts to everyone, a company can set a spending limit, like $20, involving employees without a large expense.
Team Engagement
Employees start thinking not about what the company will give them, but about how to delight a coworker. This fosters connections across departments, breaks down barriers, and brings the company closer together.
Emotions and Intrigue
Amidst the pre-Christmas hustle, employees receive not just a gift but a small celebration: guesses and speculations about who their Secret Santa might be.
But this doesn’t mean the company shifts all responsibility. It is the company that creates the atmosphere and sets the framework.
The Company Can:
- Host a gift exchange party: cover refreshments, venue, and decorations.
- Handle the organization of the draw and communication, so employees aren't confused.
- Offer bonuses: for instance, symbolic prizes for the most creative gift or best presentation.
This way, employees not only enjoy participating in the game but also feel that the company supported them and invested in the celebration. It creates a balance: gifts remain personal and warm, while the atmosphere is corporate and unifying.
To make organizing the game easier, use the MySanta service. It’s designed to relieve organizers from excess burden and turn chaos into a simple and convenient process.
For companies, this is especially important: a game involving dozens or hundreds of participants requires structure and control, and the service takes on this.
What the Company Gains:
- Automatic Draw — the system handles pairing, eliminating errors and duplicates.
- Employee Wish Lists — everyone can specify preferences and restrictions, reducing the risk of bad gifts.
- Transparent HR Control — organizers see who has already sent a gift and who is still in the process. No one is overlooked.
- Tools for Anonymity — built-in chats with recipients help maintain intrigue until the end.
- Scalability — the service works equally well for small teams of 10, large corporations with hundreds of participants, and remote workers.
Conclusion
A gift is not just an expenditure but a signal that employees are seen and valued. By choosing personalized gifts over cookie-cutter ones, you turn gifting from a corporate formality to a significant bridge between the company and its employees.
