Coworkers and working teams are different, even though they can be friendly, pleasant, or on the contrary, hostile and conflicted. During the New Year’s holidays and Christmas, all troubles and rudeness in communication are often removed. People remind themselves that life is too short not to be kind and patient and that they don’t know what their coworkers are going through at any time.
Even the company owners, CEOs, and managers are completely different during the festive season. We can say that Christmas is such a precious time that teaches us to appreciate those around us, and remind us we are all here for a short time, and we shouldn’t spend our life on conflicts and impatience.
And of course, when the time comes for the Christmas holidays, Secret Santa is organized in many companies or the bosses decide to make their employees happy with corporate gifts. Sometimes it’s a cliché like a branded t-shirt, coffee mug, pen, and notebook, but sometimes the gifts are more personalized.
We want to believe that the practice of treating each employee as a person with different interests and therefore adding something unique to the gift is already accepted everywhere. This is especially possible in smaller companies, with around ten employees, where everyone has a chance to get to know each other as well as possible. But on the other hand, in a corporation, this is practically impossible. Most of the time, in large companies more than 100 people work, and in some, it is even thousands. Well, instead of going clichéd or personalizing, it’s best to go with what’s universal. So, we have these tips for you:
1. Beautiful Christmas Cards
Can you imagine Christmas without beautiful greeting cards? Most often, companies print branded greeting cards with a unique message to their employees. You can never go wrong with this, especially if you’re making your employees happy with a holiday bonus. But beyond financial obligations, you can choose great Christmas Cards with beautiful motifs and send them to every employee.
It’s enough just to really think about what you want and to treat everyone with respect and support. Trust us, your employees expect nothing more than a healthy work environment and timely payment of financial obligations. Everything else is only a matter of internal organization.
2. Coffee and tea cups
We are sure that your employees love coffee and tea. We recommend that you avoid the usual branding, a plain white cup, and the company logo. Hire a designer to make something more special, showing that you really care about your employees and want to provide them with a great experience.
You can also consider coffee and tea sets, which are sure to come in handy in anyone’s home. Of course, if you give something like this, then you don’t need to think about separate gifts for men and women. We’ve seen these cups filled with chocolate candy many times, so it would be cool if you could use that idea. No matter what, we all love chocolate and candy during the holidays. And it will certainly look great if they take pictures and post them on social networks. That way, everyone will learn that you care about your employees and that you are a company that is dedicated to progress and well-being.
3. Christmas sweaters
Sweaters are always a good idea because they are reminiscent of holidays and celebrations. You can even motivate them to come to work for a day and have a Christmas Jumper Work Day. Of course, you can donate clothes together to organizations where it is needed.
Another interesting idea is to provide everyone with a different sweater and organize a raffle. Imagine how interesting it would be when someone gets a nice sweater and another gets a bad sweater. They may not wear them anymore, but they will always remember the Christmas party at your company.
4. Beautiful decorations
There are never enough decorations. You can buy a pack of lanterns for each employee or a themed figure. During the Christmas period, everyone decorates their home, and surely whatever you give as a gift will fit perfectly into their interior.
Stick to the classic colors of red, gold, white and green, so you know it’s Christmas.
5. Candy Buckets
Everyone loves chocolates and desserts during the holiday season. So, this is a gift you can’t go wrong with. Create one package for each of your employees. It’s good that you can also buy ready-made and not spend a lot of time on packaging and logistics organization.
We believe that everyone will be grateful to you, and you can use the planned budget really constructively.
Gifts you should avoid
Sometimes you should avoid some gifts because it is distasteful to receive them from an employer. For example, don’t buy cleaning kits or detergents, and especially don’t do it just for female employees. Do not make divisions according to any criteria. If you have employees from other cultures and religions, it’s best to ask them how they feel about Christmas, so you won’t make any mistakes.
And of course, at any cost, and under no circumstances try to give away underwear. It’s tasteless, even if it’s an obvious joke. If you want to be creative, it’s better to give socks, but avoid underwear at all costs.
Conclusion
Christmas is a time when we all learn important lessons about respect and enduring values. Sometimes gifts are just a symbol of the promise we make to treat everyone decently, no matter how we feel. And that is a lesson that many employers have not yet learned.
That’s why it’s good for you to know that times change and material gifts are just a symbol. What remains forever is the respect between people, the beautiful experience, and the friendship. Make an effort to be a good employer to all of your employees year-round, not just during the holidays. You will see that it pays off in many ways, of which loyalty and dedication are the best things you can get from employees.
