Improve employee retention with employee Christmas gifts. Get ideas that will inspire morale in the workplace and create joy over the festive season with this guide.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…..almost! And you can make it extra special for your employees when you send them a holiday gift that makes them feel part of the team. If you need a helping hand when it comes to the do’s and don’ts of the holidays gifts, we’ve put together an employee Christmas gifting guide that will make Santa look like an amateur.
- Why send Christmas Employee Gifts
- Individual Preferences and Interests
- Christmas Gift Ideas for Employees
- Budget Considerations and Guidelines
- Distribution and Timing
- Measuring the Impact of Employee Christmas Gifts
- FAQs on Employee Christmas Gifts
The Significance of Christmas Gifting in the Workplace
Many employers would argue sending a Christmas gift to an employee for simply doing a job that they were hired to do is not necessary. But we contend that it most certainly is!
There are many reasons your employees deserve a Christmas gift; but more than that – the holidays were made for the joy of giving. Plus, you don’t have to spend a ton of money or use a lot of your time to show your gratitude with a holiday gift; not to mention the numerous ideas/ tips you can use from our amazing employee Christmas gifting guide – making your job simple.
Employee Christmas gifts ought to be more than a quick branded stationery set you throw together at the end of Q4. It should be a thoughtful, carefully chosen gift you choose according to your employee’s character and nature. That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go through a strenuous or stressful gift selection process that requires both time and energy; you can easily pick an employee gift that suits your recipient’s personality from our catalog (or better yet, let them choose their own gift with a Giftsenda gift collection link!). These gestures will be worth your time and efforts to show your workforce they’re appreciated for all the work they’ve put in over the last year; making for great employee engagement.
Recognizing Individual Preferences and Interests
Going for a gift that is remembered long after the Christmas decorations have been packed away is easier said than done. But, it’s not impossible. All it takes is a little help from Giftsenda. When using our international employee gifting platform, you are able to use gift links that can be sent to your recipients, via any platform you choose. These links are accessible and give your employees access to a budgeted, pre-curated gift list of your choice. They choose their own gift and you approve it, making the gifting process seamless and simple. What’s best is that they fill in their own preferred addresses, making for accurate delivery details and a gift that will always meet your recipient’s taste (because they’ve chosen it themselves!).
If you are choosing a specific gift, you should also take into consideration the diverse cultural and religious backgrounds of your workers. What may seem like the perfect gift can be inappropriate if given in the wrong context. Here too, research will serve you well in getting insight into the cultural standing of your employee and how to match your gift suitably. While doing that also keep in mind to adhere to any company or HR policies and refrain from sending gifts that can be deemed inappropriate or discriminative. Compliance regulations and legal considerations are important and should never be overlooked when creating an employee Christmas gifting guide of your own.
For a more diverse way to gather information on your employees, look to HR feedback channels and surveys. These can be great sources of insight and inspiration when all other avenues are exhausted.
Christmas Gift Ideas for Employees
Gift giving is something everyone feels strongly about. According to the Sound of Productivity report; about 42% of employees receive gifts from their employer that they were unsatisfied with. Yikes!
If you don’t want to fall into that statistic, check out a few great suggestions on our employee Christmas gifting guide.
Personalized Gifts
When giving employees gifts that speak to them personally, the gesture becomes less about the gift and more about a symbol of the special connection or bond shared with your recipient. It is a demonstration of the time you’ve taken to appreciate their uniqueness; instead of simply choosing a generic holiday gift that could have been given to just anyone. An example of a wonderful personalized employee gift is a holiday pillow embroidered with your employees name/ family name or a mug printed with the name of your recipient in a festive design.
Wellness and Self-Care Products
The benefit of choosing wellness gifts for employees is for both appreciation and giving them the opportunity to prioritize their health. Workers who are in good health and the right frame of mind are able to perform better and be more productive. Self care or wellness gifts can range from pamper boxes and healthy snack baskets to essential oil shower steamers and massage vouchers to inspire better health.
Cocktail Gifts Sets
Turn your recipient into an awesome barista with Giftsenda DIY cocktail gift sets. Choose from a range of delicious cocktails; each with everything your recipient will need to throw together decadent drinks; making them the life of the party.
Gift Baskets with Seasonal Christmas Items
Seasonal Christmas gift baskets can include anything from eggnog to cinnamon-spiced gourmet cookies. Look for variety when choosing a Christmas gift basket and try as much as possible to suit the gift to your recipient. For example, if you are aware your recipient is health conscious, choose snacks and items that support their lifestyle; like low-calorie Christmas snacks.
Tech gifts
The best tech gifts are the ones that make a difference in your recipient’s life. Sending your employee a tech gift that is practical and will make their life easier is definitely worth the cost. That said, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to spend a lot of money to send a tech holiday gift to your employee. There are many options that are equally great and extravagant without breaking the bank. These include the Apple air tag and Samsung earbuds.
Budget Considerations and Guidelines
Budgeting is not a topic everyone likes to think about but it’s definitely an aspect that cannot be overlooked. With the holiday season being all about giving, it can easily become the season of inordinate spending too. The rule of thumb when it comes to coordinating a sensible employee Christmas gifting guide is making a budget and sticking to it.
Allocate a budget for holiday gifts for your employees, usually around $20 to $40, and ensure to maintain these guidelines. Not only will this keep you from overspending but it will also reduce your stress over the festive season. Moreover, ensure you remain fair and equal when it comes to choosing gifts for your employees as inequality in the workplace will render your efforts pointless. The point of giving gifts in the first place is to make your employees feel important; and giving unequal or unfair gifts among your workforce will only make them feel less important than the next person.
Exploring cost-effective options without compromising on quality is a recipe for success and you can easily do this with an international gifting platform. Giftsenda is an ideal way to send affordable, premium quality gifts to workers all around the world. Not only do you save when sending employee holiday gifts but you also save on the customs and shipping fees when sending gifts globally.
Distribution and Timing
Planning to send gifts internationally can be quite overwhelming, with the various processes to consider and the unexpectancy of it all. Once again, an employee gifting platform is the most useful way to send gifts to employees far and wide. You can use the gift links for all recipients worldwide and integrate your CRM platform to your gifting campaign, making for straightforward, simple employee gifting. If you use a platform like BambooHR or Zapier, you can also use our integrations to automatically send gifts directly from the platform.
You can schedule the gift to coincide with the Christmas holidays to make for an unforgettable experience and impact; as well as create a memorable unboxing encounter. This way you are sure to impress your workers and have the entire gifting operation handled for you. Delivery normally takes 2-5 business days with Giftsenda and you don’t have to pay customs fees as we source all gifts locally – keeping the entire process seamlessly sustainable.
Measuring the Impact of Employee Christmas Gifts
It can be challenging to ascertain how much revenue you’ve generated from your employee Christmas gifts or how much team spirit you’ve created. But with Giftsenda you’re able to implement a structured approach to measuring your ROI by tracking your gifting campaigns. This will allow you to identify areas of your campaign that require extra effort and those that are working well to inspire employee productivity and morale.
Other ways to gather information on the success of a well-timed gift would be to strategise a method of collecting feedback from your workforce, using an employee satisfaction survey (or something of sort), which will allow you to adjust your gifting strategies based on the responses received. Some of the stats you’re able to track include the gift acceptance rate, the number of gifts in the process of being delivered, those that have been confirmed delivered as well as your overall gift and campaign costs.
Likewise, tracking your employee retention and engagement metrics, as an alternative route of measuring your ROI, will also give you an idea of the success of your gifting campaign.
Good leaders set a vision that requires a dedicated workforce to execute. If you’re ready to encourage your employees with meaningful holiday gifts and foster a positive work environment, you can start by creating an employee gifting campaign today. Need help? Get a demo on how to from one of our campaign managers.
Frequently Asked Questions on Employee Christmas Gifts
When should I schedule orders to ensure my team receives their gifts on time?
If you’re planning to gift your employees personalized or branded items, it’s crucial to have everything prepared and your orders placed by mid-October. As the holiday season approaches, manufacturers and custom printing providers often experience increased demand, leading to potential delays. For items like food, sweets, and alcohol, you have a bit more flexibility, but it’s generally wise not to procrastinate beyond the first days of December for ordering your gifts.
When and how should I dispatch gifts for my employees?
Our gifting platform offers various methods for you to send employee Christmas gifts. These can include email gift invites and gift links – that allow the recipients to redeem gifts online and provide their delivery details. You can also send gifts directly by uploading recipient details onto the platform via CSV or a CRM integration.
How much should I allocate for employee gifts?
Many companies allocate an average budget of $50-100 for employee gifts. However, industries like tech or legal services, characterized by intense competition for talent, may see companies allocating more budget towards employee holiday gifts.
It’s generally advisable not to cut corners when it comes to your employees. Prioritize quality over quantity, as opting for low-end products and unfamiliar brands may not leave a lasting impression.
How can I determine suitable holiday gifts for my employees?
Consider offering employees the gift of choice with Giftsenda’s Online Gift Collections. These curated collections allow recipients to choose a gift that aligns with their interests. You select the gifts and maximum budget, and the employee receives a redemption link to choose their desired gift and provide delivery details.
