Gifting for Employee Appreciation
Note: Links to Zazzle include a referral and I do receive referral money if you use my links. I stand behind my recommendations for Zazzle products and hope you enjoy whatever you pick, regardless of the designer!
Employee Appreciation gifts are a fun way to acknowledge the day-to-day efforts of the folks you’re working with or managing. In my years working for large companies I received gifts that ranged from fun, soft socks to snack boxes, to full on swag gifts, and one of my personal favorites - a houseplant with a self-watering pot.
Thing is, employees are multi-faceted, have varying hobbies and food-tastes, and it can be quite taxing to find the perfect gift that works for everyone, or personalizing each gift separately.
There are a few ways to handle this dilemma with some links to assist along the way.
Get Personal
Depending on the size of the group you’re gifting to, it’s possible to get very personal, buying to hobbies or personal parts of their lives that you pick up on through one-on-one’s and getting to know them on the human-level outside of work. Start fishing for this information early, gathering tidbits here and there, by asking them how their weekend was or about what they plan on doing outside of work. Keep it genuine. Ask questions. Besides fact-gathering for gifting seasons, you might be surprised at additional connections you can make managing employees and understanding what other types of personality and experiences they’re bringing to the table beyond their professional selves.
Great personalized gifting options exist on all sorts of platforms, but given my line of work, I’d be remiss not to mention ETSY! Bear in mind some Etsy makers require significant lead time if they’re making things on demand or personalized. If the item isn’t personalized, though, there are a lot of Etsy items available, pre-made, and ready to ship. Etsy has the benefit of the personal, small-business, touch. I know when I put my packages together (like a lot of my Etsy colleagues out there), I take care to wrap gifts in coordinated tissue and throw in some themed freebies for the added touch you don’t quite get from some of the more traditional online shopping experience.
This type of online shopping does require a bit more knowledge of the folks you’re gifting to, but with some careful detective work, genuine connections, and informal conversations, it’s possible. Working remotely can make this quite difficult if teams work more individually, but keep reading for other ideas!
Buying for a woman in tech or data? I’ve got the PERFECT earrings! Handmade and ready-to-ship!
Buy a Common Gift
One thing employees have in common with one another is being an employee at whatever company or job you work at. Since this is the case, appropriate swag, or swag they can choose themselves, is a good way to develop camaraderie with the team while allowing appropriate personalization. Swag also can vary in pricing, with flexibility to meet most budgets.
Ideas might be to order personalized mugs, magnets, small desk signs, or even socks are nice tokens of appreciation, especially if they bring snark, humor, or encouragement to their day-to-day. Nowadays, you can bring your own image or design to Zazzle, OR you can order / personalize from a designer.
If you’re looking for something more bulk, and maybe edible, designs can even be printed on chocolate bars, chocolate dipped Oreos, and sugar cookies!
In my Catalog, I have curated options, including designs I created and have posted on varying products in my Zazzle store. On Zazzle, there really is a design for anyone / any hobby / any job. In my store alone, I have designs centered around landscaping, data work, being a creator, yoga instruction, Italian teachers, mathematicians, and scientists! There are so many other amazing designers out there working hard to promote their art, as well, with other options, if none of those quite suit you.
Leading a team of PhD’s, cancer researchers, lab techs, or anyone who works with organs!? I’ve got the design-line for you!!
Gift Service for Large and-or Diverse Teams
There are loads of blogs out there with lists, and lists of ideas. While that’s all well and good, considering your team’s varying personalities is crucial. Considering each one of them individually can be difficult if managing a large and / or diverse team, in which case, choosing a service where they can choose for themselves, is a GREAT idea. Over the years I’ve received a few of these options, and while it’s not quite as personalized, the autonomy to control what I’m getting to ensure I have use for it is a great way to reduce waste and eliminate the stress that you might be picking out something that could cause additional work, costs, or trigger someone.
When it comes to gift-giving, I’m very big on giving for the other person, not for yourself. Really understanding WHY you’re gifting is important. It’s not at all “rude” to let the other person pick out what they want, on their terms. Things like “fun team experiences” or “virtual happy hours” can be taxing on employees, rather than “fun”, depending on how they’re executed. Candy or junk food can sometimes be a waste if you have someone who is very health-conscious on your team. All these different facets are impossible to plan for with a one-size-fits-all approach, unless you empower them to choose for themselves.
My personal favorite gift we received from a service was from my partner’s manager, POPCORN, but there are loads of services that do these types of services.
Typically you pre-pay for the gift service, your recipients receive an email with a link, and can choose their own gift.
Wrap It Up
^ play on words, you see? Because this is also my conclusion.
Don’t overthink it. Doubting how well you know everyone on a super personal level, err on the side of caution and let them choose their own gift. Super in-tune with your team, get personal, plan accordingly, and have fun with it. And there’s all the in-between.
