15 creative employee holiday gift ideas for any company
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Originally Posted On: https://blog.guusto.com/15-creative-employee-holiday-gift-ideas-for-any-company
A recent survey suggests that almost 60% of employees believe a “meaningful” holiday gift from an employer would make them more likely to stay in their current position.
Employee gifts boost morale and let your staff know that your company cares. It shows that you recognize their hard work, and that you are willing to invest in their happiness.
Ready to wow your staff? We’ve got 15 employee gift ideas that will do just that!
1. WFH office upgrades
As people have transitioned to working from home, many companies have opted for holiday gifts that help them spruce up their home office setup.
Everything from noise canceling headphones, to office furniture like ergonomic chairs, to smart water bottles can help to make your team’s WFH experience more enjoyable.
2. LED cinema box light
If you’re looking for a workspace upgrade that works at home or in the office, an LED Cinema Box Light makes an excellent desk decoration. Your employees can place them alongside their workstations and create their own words or phrases that will brighten their day.
You can even run a contest. Have your staff take a snapshot of their workstation and offer a Guusto gift card for the best photo and phrase.
3. Fitness tracker
With the pandemic meaning gyms and other fitness outlets were often closed, the past few years have made it challenging for people to maintain their physical fitness.
Even as lockdowns have lifted, employees have struggled to get back into their old routines with the shift to remote and hybrid work.
You can let your employees know you care about their health and wellness by gifting them a fitness tracker or smartwatch.
As the New Year begins, you can even use this holiday gift to run fitness challenges, with rewards for participation. It’s a fun way to engage your employees and promote health and wellness, all at the same time.
4. Cooling towel
Whether it’s for a hot summer day, doing yard work, or going for a jog, a cooling towel can be just the thing your staff needs outside of work hours. For a cooling towel to work, you must soak it for two to three minutes in water. Then, wring them out before using them.
Cooling towels are water-activated, and use evaporation to draw water away from your body.
They not only help you stay hydrated, but also prevent stroke and heat exhaustion.
5. Braven BRV-S speaker
This is a wonderful speaker for any tech-savvy professional. It is IP68 waterproof, offers 12 hours of playtime, connects wirelessly, has amazing 360-degree outdoor sounds, and comes with a USB-C cable. Plus, you can make and receive calls as your phone connects to the speaker.
6. Company swag
Who doesn’t love swag? You could create some new branded goodies to send your employees as holiday gifts. You could even give your swag pack a festive theme by including ugly holiday sweaters, mugs for hot cocoa, blankets, and other items that are perfect for the season.
Alternatively, you could let them choose the swag they want for themselves. Guusto offers swag as a custom reward option for companies, meaning you can send your team a gift card and let them pick something they’ll appreciate.
7. Sherpa blanket
Sherpa blankets are super comfortable. They are made from a synthetic material that looks and feels like sheep’s wool.
They are often referred to as “faux sheepskin,” and their name comes from the Sherpa people in Nepal.
This fabric feels warmer than other fleece fabrics on the market, and is perfect for the bitter-cold times of the year.
8. Bombas socks
People love Bombas socks. In fact, some people say that they are the best socks that have ever been worn. What makes them so great?
Bombas’ ankle socks have tabs for blisters. The calf socks from Bombas have a tension that is thoughtfully placed. otherwise known as “stay-up technology.”
Plus, there are the no-show versions, which combine contoured seaming and heel grips to stay put.
9. A tech pack
This is an employee gift idea that you’ll have to put together yourself, but it can be very worthwhile. What you need is a nice box or bag, preferably something reusable, and include the following items (as a suggestion):
- A rubberized power bank
- Charging cable
- PowerBuds
- Spot pro Bluetooth tracker
- Custom holiday message
You can include however many items you want, but the key is to select items you know employees will use.
10. Snacks, coffee, and tea
This is another gift package where you can get creative. What type of snacks, coffee, and tea do your employees like? You may need to gather some intel so that you choose the right items.
Chips, granola bars, jerky, sweets, BBQ sauce, salsa, cheese dips, and more are items that your employees might enjoy. You can include a package of ground coffee, k-cups, tea bags, and/or loose-leaf tea.
11. Gift boxes
If you like the previous two suggestions but don’t fancy putting something together yourself, there are a lot of great companies out there that curate and package gift boxes for companies to send employees. You can find everything from self-care kits, to luxury snacks, to exotic coffees from around the world.
12. Subscriptions
Over the past few years, more and more companies have purchased online subscriptions for their employees as holiday gifts. You could give your team 12 months of Netflix, online fitness classes, online courses with MasterClass or Udemy, or anything else you think they might enjoy.
The advantage of this option is that it’s a virtual gift, making it ideal for distributed teams, but it can be just as appreciated by employees in offices and other physical workspaces, too.
13. Extra time off
One easy and greatly underrated gift you can give employees is time. At your holiday party, surprise them with extra PTO. With no packaging or delivery required, it’s a gift that takes no time or effort to send, either.
The downside, of course, is that it may be difficult for your company to accommodate, and you may need to work hard to get buy-in from management.
14. Charitable donations
The holidays are the season of giving, and many of your employees will appreciate donations being made in their names to a worthy cause. A lot of companies have been including donations in their holiday gifting strategy for years, and it’s always a good move.
Millennials and Generation Z, in particular, are extremely impact driven, and prefer companies with a strong sense of social responsibility. They will likely appreciate the opportunity to give something back rather than just receiving something themselves.
We’re huge believers in gifts that make a social impact at Guusto, too. That’s why we offer charitable donations as a custom reward option for all our gift cards. All your employees need to do is submit the charity’s details and our team will make the donation on their behalf.
Not only that, but we donate clean drinking water for every Guusto gift sent through our partnership with the One Drop Foundation.
15. Let them choose something they really want
If you have a diverse workforce, everyone has different hobbies and tastes, and it’s difficult to choose which employee gift ideas are the right ones.
That’s where we come in. Instead of sending something that you are not sure will make the positive impact you were hoping for, you can send them a Guusto gift card to choose something they really want from our 60,000+ global merchant locations and other custom reward options.
Keep in mind, too, that you don’t have to choose just one of these employee holiday gift ideas. For instance, you could send out a fitness tracker so everyone gets a physical gift, and a Guusto gift card so they can pick out something for themselves.
Need more employee holiday gift ideas? Get our guide
If you want more corporate gift ideas, plus tips for holiday party planning, year-end recognition, and more, check out The Employee Holiday Gifting Playbook. We’ve packed this resource with insights, tools, and other goodies to help you make this holiday season truly special for your employees.
Download your copy today!