The dos and don’ts of workplace gift giving
Everyone loves to be on the receiving end of a gift during the Christmas season, for birthdays or after a job well done, but did you know there are still unspoken rules to obey? Follow this simple guide and make sure you don’t commit a festive faux pas!
Give to right people
Within the workplace, it is important to share gifts in the right way, and this usually means avoiding showering your line managers with elaborate presents. This can create a feeling of awkwardness and also helps inadvertently make other colleagues feel a sense of pressure to rush out to the shops in a panic. Usually, gifts should be offered to those lower down in the reporting line, and giving presents to employees on the same level is also perfectly acceptable. As a line manager, sending gifts to those who report to you can be a great way of boosting morale and recognising hard work.
Handing out gifts to clients or customers is also perfectly appropriate, and can be advantageous in terms of building relationships – as well as acting as a little reminder of all the wonderful things your company does!
...And at the right time!
Handing out gifts around the time of appraisals or salary review can look suspicious, to say the least and can send out the wrong message. Similarly, if promotions are in discussion, redundancies in the pipeline or roles being reshuffled, keep the gifts for another time.
Of course, Christmas and other holidays form the perfect opportunity for celebrating as well as rewarding hard work from the year that’s passed. It allows you to show employees and clients gratitude and a less business-like side to your personality, while remaining within established customs and conventions.
Think about the message it sends
Now that you’ve established a list of gift recipients, it’s important to think about your gift choice – and specifically, the message it communicates. Although Christmas is a time to be a little frivolous, a sense of professionalism should always be maintained in the workplace. Avoid gifts that might seem a little too personal, such as jewellery, perfume or clothing – and especially items where you would need to hazard a guess at what size to buy! You don’t want to unwittingly generate gossip, or seem inappropriate or offensive to your recipient.
Be careful with edible gifts and booze
While everyone appreciates a tasty treat, offering gifts to eat or drink can be something of a minefield. Ensure your recipient is around to take delivery of things that might spoil, or need to be refrigerated (such as a cheeses or fresh cakes). Similarly, it is worth checking for allergies, and if you are considering sending a bottle of wine, find out in advance if your recipient drinks alcohol.
Neutral items can still be thoughtful – and made personal, too!
Although you should steer clear of anything overtly personal, this doesn’t mean all your gifts need to be bland and lacking in imagination. Instead, make your gift individual by considering what your recipient enjoys.
For example, if you know your colleague or client loves listening to music, you could give them a personalised bamboo Bluetooth speaker. For that super-organised staff-member (or perhaps one who could benefit from a little improvement in their organisation skills!), a customised stylish notebook or diary would go down a treat.
For more thoughtful and office-appropriate gifting, have a look over here.
Giving gifts is a moment to show your warmth, gratitude and appreciation – and just as long as you follow those unspoken guidelines of workplace gifting, you’ll have your clients and employees filled with that same warmth and appreciation, too!
