Give the Best Gifts for Employees: Your Handy Guide
Choosing the right gifts for employees can be a challenge. As a boss, you may wonder whether you should be buying gifts for direct reports. And if so, what’s appropriate?
This guide explains when, why, and what gifts to give employees, and offers fun ideas for employee recognition and retirement gifts.
Whether it’s for a birthday, to show appreciation, or to celebrate their length of service, learn more about what gifts to give your team members to improve employee satisfaction and morale.
10 gift ideas for direct reports
Looking for inspiration for gifts that your employees will appreciate? Here are a few ideas we’ve rounded up:
- Coffee gift cards for employees: We all need a little caffeine to get through the workday, and free coffee often tastes even better.
- A candy bar or box of chocolates: Just a little something to pick them up in the afternoon. Who knows, they may even share a few with the team.
- A gift card for their favorite store: Check with colleagues to find out where they love to shop, to make it extra special.
- Stationery: Practical and fun—you can pick up stationery in a design that features something they love. Notebooks, agendas, and pens are great examples.
- A personalized mug: You can add a personal touch by getting their name on the mug, so no one else picks it up in the communal kitchen (or at home, if they’re remote).
- A craft kit or coloring book: Help them unwind after a busy day at work.
- A gift card for a meal out: Treat them to dinner for their hard work. If you’re stumped, ask the team for restaurant recommendations.
- Lunch on you: Treat them to lunch from the office cafeteria or their favorite place nearby.
- A gift box: Select a gift box featuring things you know the recipient will love—from pamper boxes to candy and snack selections. These can also be personalized with branded packaging.
- A bonus day PTO: You’ll need to get this cleared with your HR team, but if you can, people won’t say no to an extra day off of their choosing.
Why buy gifts for direct reports?
Coming up with thoughtful gift ideas for direct reports can be a great way to show your people you care about them and to recognize how they’ve impacted the business. Here are examples of important milestones or occasions you can celebrate:
- Work anniversaries
- Significant years of service
- Birthdays
- Internal nominations or team awards
- Life milestones, e.g., a new baby, moving home, getting engaged, or a wedding
- A national day, such as Employee Appreciation Day
- National holidays, such as the New Year, Valentine’s Day, or Halloween
- Retirement
Your business can also benefit from rewarding team members with employee recognition gifts and saying thank you with a small token of appreciation. It’s something tangible that employees can enjoy as recognition for their hard work, boosting satisfaction in their role.
What to consider when buying gifts for employees
When selecting gifts for your direct reports, consistency and fairness are key. Establish a clear budget and ensure everyone receives a gift of the same value. Make the reasoning behind the gift clear, whether it's a reward, appreciation, or a holiday/birthday acknowledgment.
Focus on personalization rather than sticking to tradition. Choose a gift—which could be physical or an experience—that reflects the employee's personal interests and individuality. To help with ideas, involve the employee's team.
Finally, be mindful of how the gift is presented; prioritize the employee's personal preferences, as some may prefer a private presentation over a public one.
5 retirement gift ideas
Retirement gifts for employees are an important gesture for any employee leaving the business, especially if they’ve worked for you for several years.
Here are five retirement gift ideas to help employees explore their passions and create lasting memories.
1. Experiences
Instead of traditional gifts for employees, why not give the gift of adventure? An experience gift will give your retiring employee something to plan and look forward to.
Here are some experience gift ideas to consider:
- Tickets to a concert or show
- Weekend getaway to a charming destination
- Spa day package
- Gift certificate for a hot air balloon ride or other unique activity
- Membership to a museum, art gallery, or botanical garden
2. A relaxation or leisure gift
After many years of working hard, your retiring employee deserves the opportunity to relax and take time for themselves.
Some ideas could be:
- High-quality hammock or rocking chair for their porch or garden
- Gift certificate for a spa day or massage
- Set of luxurious bathrobes, slippers, and aromatherapy candles
- Subscription boxes tailored to their hobbies, such as coffee, wine, or books
3. Charitable donation
Looking for a meaningful way to celebrate your people? You can donate in their name to a charity or cause they support, along with giving them a certificate or some other way to commemorate the gesture.
It’ll show your appreciation for their values and commitment to making a difference. Plus, you’ll be contributing to a cause they care about, amplifying their positive impact on the world.
4. Books
If your retiring employee can’t get enough of a good book, this could be the perfect way to show your appreciation and fuel their love of reading. Plus, books are the easiest of all to gift wrap!
Here are a few ways to put an extra bow on top:
- A special printing or first edition of their favorite novel
- A custom-bound or engraved collection
- Their favorite author’s complete works
- Commissioned artwork or illustration based on their favorite characters
5. A farewell party or social event
Saying goodbye is never easy but showing your retiring employees how much they mean to your team can make all the difference. These moments of connection create lasting memories and reinforce the bonds within your team.
Organize a farewell get-together where coworkers can relax, reminisce about shared experiences, and offer heartfelt well-wishes for the future.
The pros and cons of buying gifts for employees
Show them you care
Celebrating their time with you not only shows how thankful you are for that person, but by recognizing an important milestone, you’re also showing that you care about the efforts your team put in over the long term.
Adaptation is needed for remote employees
If your go-to gift is something in person, like taking your employees out to lunch, you’ll need to adapt for your remote employees. This will help them feel integrated and included in the team, and these days, it doesn’t take that much more effort to send a gift than to give one in person.
Beyond the obvious gift card, here are some ideas for giving gifts to remote employees:
- Home office upgrades: High-quality webcam or headphones, laptop stand, ergonomic keyboard, comfortable desk chair, standing desk converter
- Self-care kits: Spa day at home (e.g., bath bombs, face masks, scented candles), gourmet tea or coffee assortment, food subscription boxes
- Online experiences: Virtual cooking classes, online wine tasting, meditation apps (e.g., Headspace, Calm) for them to enjoy outside of work hours.
Celebrating their milestones
You’re also marking a major transition in their life. They’re about to embark on a new journey and a new way of life. It’s a big deal! Giving gift cards for employees shows that you’re acknowledging this and are excited for them.
You may have to cover the cost
If your business won’t cover the cost of purchasing gifts for your direct reports, then you may have to cover the cost yourself. If you have a large team, this could quickly add up.
Here are ways to make an impact without spending a lot of money:
- Organize a group gift where several people can share the cost, whether among team members or with other managers.
- Organize free or low-cost virtual events, like a team game night using a free online platform, a virtual happy hour or coffee break, or a group call to celebrate important events.
- Create non-monetary awards to recognize employees’ hard work, like Employee of the Month awards, certificates of achievement, or shout-outs during team meetings or in company newsletters.
Boosts morale and motivation
Employee recognition gifts show appreciation, helping employees feel valued and recognized. It’s the ultimate spirit lift, helping to increase employee satisfaction and encourage higher performance.
You may need to continue gift-giving to avoid disappointment
Gift-giving to direct reports requires a little more admin. If you’ve given a gift for someone’s birthday once, you may be expected to do it again. Plus, other team members will expect something for their birthdays, too.
Fosters a team spirit
Getting gifts for employees creates a sense of unity and togetherness, especially when related to milestones or achievements. This helps to instill gratitude. Employees who feel looked after are more likely to have an emotional bond with the organization. Employees who are loved are likely to love back.
The gift may not be received in the intended way
It happens to the best of us—we give a well-intentioned gift, but the person just doesn’t quite appreciate it in the expected way. As long as you haven’t purchased anything outrightly inappropriate, quickly move on and plan for next time.
To avoid this awkward situation, consider sending an anonymous survey beforehand to understand your employees’ opinions on gifts.
Enhances Employer Branding
When employees shout about positive experiences and receiving meaningful gifts, it sheds a good light on the company. It can help to retain staff and show potential new candidates that the company is a good place to work.
Consider possible lifestyle restrictions
Sending a gift to a vegan team member? You’ll need to carefully check that nothing has animal products in it. The same goes for people who don’t drink due to their religion or for health reasons.
It’s important to understand any limitations and cultural differences rather than giving a gift that could offend.
Give the gift of a supportive workplace
Employee recognition gifts are great, but gifts don’t always need to be wrapped to be valuable. Many employees simply want recognition for their hard work. Follow processes to help recognize those who go above and beyond. It could be shout-outs at a weekly meeting or a kudos board that allows team members to say thank you in a public forum. The first step could be to just find time in your busy schedule to offer feedback and tell your people they matter.