Top 5 HR Mistakes When Running Office Secret Santa (and How to Avoid Them)

In this guide, we break down the top HR mistakes when organizing a workplace Secret Santa, with tips and recommendations on what to do instead. 

Why run Secret Santa in the office? 

For many companies, Secret Santa is a beloved holiday activity. It allows coworkers to secretly exchange gifts and is a great way to celebrate the season at work. Here are some benefits of hosting a workplace Secret Santa exchange: 

1. Boost engagement – organizing a gift exchange is a great way to improve morale and create excitement at the end of the year. Moreover, holiday team-building activities like Secret Santa foster a sense of connection to the workplace and increase motivation. 
2. Strengthen team bonds – Secret Santa encourages conversations and helps coworkers learn more about each other, which helps people build friendly relationships and fosters teamwork. 
3. Increase retention – according to 85% of employees, Christmas parties have a positive impact on morale and motivation. 

Also Read:

A Step-by-Step Guide To Organizing a Secret Santa for Virtual Teams

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How to smoothly exchange gifts in the office this year? 

To make Secret Santa a pleasant activity and bring the team closer, plan and organize everything carefully. Keeping track of the workplace gift exchange is easy and convenient with the MySanta app.

Here are the key advantages that any company will benefit from: 

1. Once you create a game and invite participants, you can see who bought a present and who hasn’t, and send reminders. 
2. Set exceptions if some people in the team don’t like each other. 
3. Each player can complete a wishlist with specific items, thus making the gift selection super easy for their Santa.  
4. The number of participants is unlimited, making the generator a perfect choice for companies with 100+ employees. 

Try our MySanta app

You can create wishlists, add exclusions, and communicate with your gifree secretly. Moreover, there is an option to track gifts and ensure that everyone buys a present on time.

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Top 5 Office Secret Santa mistakes to avoid 

To keep Secret Santa a joyful and lighthearted activity and avoid serious HR concerns, avoid these common mistakes.

Forcing everyone to participate

Secret Santa should be a voluntary activity, so don’t force anyone to participate. If someone wants to exclude themselves from the draw, this is okay. 

Most commonly, people opt out because they’ve had a poor experience with Secret Santa at work before. Or, they might not have the budget to give to a coworker they hardly know. If you make it compulsory, it can do more harm than good to their morale. 

Ask your employees about the reason they don’t want to participate. When many people opt out for the same reason such as financial strain, you might want to lower the budget to keep participation affordable for everyone. 

Not establishing clear rules 

Most failed office Secret Santa exchanges boil down to not establishing the ground rules. If you set clear expectations, it will help you prevent a range of issues, from subpar and offensive presents to revealing Secret Santas before time. 

Here are the essential rules to cover: 

1. Gift budget – set the gift amount to keep the exchange fair. It will help avoid disappointing situations when a person gives trendy earbuds and receives a low-end body lotion. So, encourage employees to buy a gift of approximately the same value. 

2. Gift deadline – encourage everyone to buy and bring the gift to the office in advance to ensure that each participant receives a present. 
3. Secret Santa rules – share the exchange rules with all participants to avoid misunderstandings and spoiling the surprise. Explain the importance of keeping things secret until the end! 
4. Gift exchange date – decide whether you’ll exchange presents by mail or in person, and when the exchange party will take place.  

Here’s a Secret Santa invitation email template for the office: 

Subject: Ho Ho Ho! It's Time for Secret Santa at [Company Name]!

Hi everyone,

Get ready to spread some holiday cheer! We're excited to announce that we're doing a Secret Santa gift exchange to celebrate the season!

Details to note:
•  Gift Amount: Let's aim for gifts around $15. Aim for something thoughtful and fun, not extravagant.  
•  Theme: To make things more interesting, our theme this year is “Things They'd Never Buy Themselves”. 
•  Sign-Up Deadline: Please RSVP by December 5^th so we can match players in advance. 

How to participate:
To keep things organized and fair, we'll be using the MySanta online generator. Please be sure to enter your preferred gifts and things you don’t want so your Secret Santa knows a little bit about you! If you’re not quite familiar with the Secret Santa rules, you can find them here.  

Click here to sign up: [Link to MySanta Generator Event].

If you have any questions or need help, please feel free to reach out to [HR Contact]. Let's make this holiday season extra special by spreading some joy and good cheer to our colleagues!

Happy gifting!

Best regards,
[Your Name]

Poor gift guidance 

Without proper gift guidance, your office gift exchange can go out of control. Some players might bring joke presents that can hurt the feelings of the recipient or, worse yet, something inappropriate that might result in a warning or disciplinary action. 

Make sure to set expectations for employees, explaining what types of gifts are appropriate and what not to bring. Here’s what you can do to minimize inappropriate gifts: 

1. Set a workplace-appropriate gift theme. Encourage participants to stick to safe themes, such as Cozy Comfort (blankets, warm socks, cozy mugs), Desk Upgrade (unique stationery, organized, or small plants), Bookworm’s Delight (fiction or interest-related books), or Tech Accessories. 
2. Use wishlists. Many online generators, including MySanta, offer wishlists where each player can add items within the set budget. It makes the exchange easier for everyone – the giftee receives exactly what they want, and Santa doesn’t have to puzzle over what to buy. 
3. Instruct against inappropriate gifts. Make it clear that employees shouldn’t bring gag gifts (as the recipient might see it as harassment or bullying) and anything personal (underwear, personal hygiene items, or medications). Ask players not to bring anything re-gifted or low-quality, as such a gift shows the lack of thought.

Neglecting inclusivity 

Your team probably comprises individuals with various backgrounds, so it’s important to make everyone feel included. Here are some recommendations: 

1. No culturally-specific gifts. Chances are, not everyone in the team celebrates Christmas. If you are not sure about the coworker’s religious beliefs, avoid Christmas-themed gifts. 
2. Respect dietary restrictions. Run a survey about allergies or dietary restrictions, or ask them to specify this information in the online generator. This will help avoid embarrassing situations like giving a bottle of fine wine to a coworker who doesn’t drink alcohol. 
3. Keep the game accessible for everyone. Keep the gift budget affordable for everyone on the team to avoid additional financial strain. 

Not assigning a responsible individual 

If not supervised, a workplace Secret Santa can turn into a mess. To make sure everything runs smoothly, assign a responsible individual to manage the gift exchange. You can assign someone from the HR department, a project manager, or a department volunteer. Here’s what exactly the person will need to do: 

1. Set dates, establish ground rules, and choose an online gift exchange platform
2. Send out invitations and game updates
3. Establish gift theme and budget
4. Answer any questions or concerns that participants might have
5. Track gift progress, ensuring that everyone has bought the present on time. 

Also Read:

How to Do Secret Santa in The Office: A Complete Guide

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By addressing these common mistakes proactively, explaining game rules, and setting guidelines for gifts, you’ll turn Secret Santa into a beloved tradition that people will look forward to every year. After all, exchanging gifts and sharing sincere wishes can bring the team closer and spark holiday joy, which will benefit the organization. 

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