Gift Ideas For Co-Workers
10 Things to Consider When Browsing Gifts for Co-workers
1. Their personality
The first thing you will want to do when buying co-worker gifts is to remember that they are a person—a unique individual with personality and interests.
If you don’t know this person very well, it can be easy to buy them office-related gifts.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it shouldn’t be the default.
2. Their job function
The CEO, the accountant, and the company manager are likely to have different sorts of likes and interests, as well as different on-the-job needs.
Help support their daily work and long term goals, tailoring your gift specifically towards the demands of their sector.
3. Their daily routine
Do they always walk into the office with a coffee from that place down the street? Have they been at their desks since 7 AM working out the numbers in that spreadsheet? Do they leave the office headed for a camping trip every Friday evening?
Try to notice their usual schedule and support it with gear or funding. Think of super cool coffee-related gifts or perhaps something to destress after a hard day at work!
4. Their commute
If they have a long drive into the office, car entertainment is sure to be welcome.
Subscriptions to audiobook services, music streaming services, and donations to radio stations are all good places to start.
You might also consider something physical, like a fidget spinner, to keep them occupied in traffic.
5. Their home life
When your co-worker gets home, what is it like? Are there kids running around? A roommate who forgot to wash the dishes?
Try to keep their outside-of-work circumstances in mind.
6. Their nightlife
When your co-worker gets a night off to relax and have fun, how do they spend it? Do they go out to the movies or a bar with friends? Are they tucked onto the couch with their spouse and bottle of wine?
Support their relaxation by funding some of these activities.
7. What they do on the weekend
Are they a weekend warrior, always headed off on an adventure? Are they spending their Saturdays at their kids’ soccer games?
Either way, they might need a camping chair. Try to find out what your coworker’s free days look like, and buy them something that fits in with them.
8. The office culture
In most situations where you are buying gifts for co-workers, it is an all-office affair.
You might have an office that is big on gag gifts, or you might have co-workers determined to buy the nicest things they can.
Try to keep in mind what other people are likely to buy as you shop for your gift.
9. Their desk habits
Are they always hanging new photos on the wall of their cube? Do they have headphones on most of the time, listening to music?
See if you can find a way to support their desktop habits and work productivity.
10. Their favorite snacks & drinks
When all else fails, everybody likes food & anything Starbucks. Most people keep a stash of snacks at the office, so keep an eye out for what it is they are munching on.
Whatever they seem to love—be it chocolate, salty chips, or healthy veggies and dip—stock up their supply as a gesture of care.
Gifts & Gift Ideas for Co-Workers: Get Them Something Different This Year!
Whether you like it or not (and hopefully you do), you spend a lot of time around your co-workers.
Having a positive relationship with them makes the workday go by much quicker.
Not only are you happier, but you are likely more productive.
A great way to ensure a positive working relationship is to keep your co-workers in mind come the holidays or their birthday.
This year, why not go the extra mile and get a unique gift for a co-worker? This is an easy way to show that you care about them and that you actually view them as friends, and not simply people that you work with.
Find the Right Gift for Every Type of Personality
We are here to solve that problem. We have compiled this list of coworker gift ideas, all of which are interesting and appropriate.
Our ideas span a wide range of interests and occasions (from birthdays to Christmas and Halloween-related gifts and retirement presents as well!), allowing you to pick something perfect for everyone in your office.
How to Make Sure you Find an Appropriate Gift
While you may get close with your coworkers, it is important to remember that they are people you work with.
When it comes to getting them a gift, it is in your best interest to keep it appropriate!
If you are struggling with figuring out what is appropriate, you aren’t alone. Here are our 5 best tips for making sure you find an appropriate gift for all of your coworkers.
1. Keep costs low
Often times, it isn’t the gift itself that is inappropriate, it is the cost of the gift.
Spending a lot of money on a gift for a coworker is an easy way to make someone feel uncomfortable, especially if they give you an item in return that is clearly worth a lot less money.
There is no reason to spend a ton of money on a gift for your co-worker, so don’t feel compelled to do so.
If you are giving something during the holidays, there may in fact be a budget put in place for everyone to follow. If that is the case- make sure you follow it!
If there isn’t a set budget in place, either ask around to see what other people are spending or stick to a conservative budget to play it safe.
2. Don’t go too personal
Even if you know your co-worker fairly well, in the majority of cases it simply isn’t appropriate to get something that is overly personal. What is too personal of a gift?
Think of any item that they wear on their person - say clothing, jewelry, or perfume to name a few examples.
If you make matching t-shirts for all of your coworkers that might be okay, but outside of that, stay away from personal gifts of that nature.
Your intention may be perfectly appropriate, but what matters is that it might not come across that way.
3. Do consider personalization
While you don’t want to go with personal items, what you can decide to go with is personalized items.
For example, getting personalized water bottles or travel mugs for your co-workers is an excellent and thoughtful idea.
Do you and your colleague have to drive a lot for work? Consider getting personalized keychains!
There are plenty of personalization options out there for gift items that are totally appropriate to give to a coworker.
4. Carefully consider alcohol
Alcohol can be an appropriate gift to give, but you need to make absolutely sure that the person you are gifting drinks.
If you have gone out for drinks with them or have seen them drinking at a work event or related event, you can feel safe getting them alcohol as a gift. A nice bottle of wine, for example, is a very nice gift.
However, if you are not sure if the person you are shopping for drinks, pick something different!
5. Gift cards are always safe
Pick a specific store to make the gift feel more personal - but only if you know a certain store they like to shop at!
Don’t get them a gift card to Chick Fil A, for example, if you aren’t sure if they eat meat. A gift card to a coffee shop is a great option if you know they drink coffee every morning.
If you aren’t sure of a specific location they like to shop at, go with a safe choice like an Amazon gift card.
There isn’t a single person out there that can’t find at least one item they like on Amazon - there is something for everyone!
Your Budget Is No Issue for Us!
Who doesn’t like feeling special on their birthday? There is nothing worse than forgetting about getting a bday gift for someone at the office.
Make sure you know when everyone’s birthday is, and make them feel special by getting them a nice gift. This simple gesture says a lot and will be greatly appreciated.
If someone’s birthday is coming up, or if the office Christmas party is right around the corner, take a look at our list which includes Christmas gift ideas for co-workers!
No matter what your budget is, you can find inexpensive gifts for co-workers that your colleagues are sure to love.
