A guide to choosing Christmas Gifts for Staff or Clients
Firstly, to gift or not to gift.
As we hurtle towards the silly season, now is the time to be thinking about a Christmas gifting strategy for your staff and/or valued customers and clients. But what makes a good gift? Is it really necessary or expected in 2024? Where do some companies go wrong? And how do you choose something that will work for everyone?
Christmas really is the perfect opportunity to thank your staff and/or valued clients for their loyalty and support over the past 12 months. It’s a chance to show your gratitude to loyal clients – as well as to further grow, strengthen and cement those relationships.
And likewise for staff – a token of your appreciation can go a long way, particularly at this time of year when many take the Christmas/New Year break as an opportunity to reflect and review. Robert Half, a trusted NZ recruitment firm who publish an annual survey of NZ workers, reported that just 43% of workers this year are committed to sticking with their current position.
Help ensure that your staff round off the year and head into the Christmas break feeling appreciated and supported by giving a gift of your gratitude – ideally, one that is accompanied by a note of thanks and well wishes.
But what makes a good Christmas gift and how do you go about choosing one that suits everyone’s different tastes?
Many of us worry about choosing the wrong gift – in fact, fear of taking a wrong step can put many us off doing anything at all, meaning we miss a valuable opportunity to build morale. Most people are genuinely happy to receive a gift at Christmas from their employer (A Blackhawk Network study found that 86% of employees believed that gifts and rewards would make them feel appreciated during the festive season) and it’s very uncommon that a gift bombs.
Gifts to avoid
In the rare situations where employees do feel negatively about receiving a gift, it often shows a complete lack of common sense when it comes to picking the gift. When employees have been asked to list items that have made them feel worse off for receiving them, offending items have included ‘a company-branded lanyard’, ‘a 2-for-1 muffin voucher’ and ‘a $10 voucher – to a store in another city’. None of these scream ‘thank you, we appreciate you’!
Why Christmas Gifts Baskets & Hampers are well received by staff and customers.
If you’re looking for a safe, reliable choice, it’s hard to go past seasonal gift baskets and hampers. At Harrods in the UK, Tracy Finn, the head of corporate service says hampers continue to be a trusted top choice for employers to gift to staff and clients. She says their appeal is the fact they’re a tangible gift, and a carefully curated, beautifully packaged gift can create real impact when presented to you, plus, they can often include keepsakes that bring lasting memories.
“They can offer staff something they can share with their families, and tick the box of a gift a person would not normally buy for him or herself,” she says.
Corporate Gifting.
What you need to consider?
+ Your Budget. Your starting point should be your budget. Work through how many staff members and/or clients/customers you are looking to reach. A popular gifting technique we’re seeing is selecting a range of gifts at different price points and matching these to your different customer/client types. We recommend getting in touch directly with us to discuss your options and create a strategy that might best suit your budget.
+ Special Dietary Requirements. If you know your recipient is Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegetarian or Vegan, opting for a hamper or gift that meets their needs can really make them feel seen and feel you’re willing to go the extra mile for them. At MyGoodness we have many options to meet different dietary requirements – or, we can create something custom to meet your needs.
+ Customisation. If you have something in mind, but haven’t managed to find a gift basket option that quite captures it – or, you’d like to really surprise and delight your staff with something quite different – at MyGoodness we can design custom gifts to fit every budget or particular brief. See more at www.mygoodness.co.nz/corporate-custom-gifting/
+ Alcohol. A hamper including a fine wine, or a beautifully presented bottle of bubbles or Champagne have long been popular corporate Christmastime gifts. But, do make sure you have a good understanding about your recipient’s preferences when it comes to alcohol – whether it might be against their religious beliefs, or their personal health preferences. We offer plenty of choices when it comes to gift hampers with fine wines, Champagne or premium spirits, but these can also easily be switched out for boutique non-alcoholic beverages.
+ Corporate branding. We can help elevate your brand in a tasteful manner !! ift baskets or with branded boxes, cards, ribbons or baskets, the sky is the limit. Find out more about how to brand or customise your gift. This to link to www.mygoodness.co.nz/corporate-custom-gifting/
Gift basket troubleshooting:
We had a round of redundancies this year. Would a Christmas gift to employees be a bad look?
If it has been a testing year for your business and staff, a Christmas gift or token of appreciation will likely be well received, if it is within your budget. If you’re worried that staff may think it’s a bad look, an expert says that’s likely not the way they will construe it (provided you’re not looking at massively overspending on presents!)
Cary Cooper, Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health at Lancaster University Management School, says staff will understand that a token gift at Christmas doesn’t come in place of a colleague’s salary – it is simply a gesture of thanks. “And it is important to say thank you to staff at the end of the year,” he says.
Do I include a personal card? What do I write in it?
A personalised card can often be even more valuable to a staff member than a gift if done correctly. Where possible, handwrite a message (or have the direct line manager do it) with a personal note to show that you were thinking of them when you wrote the card. Maybe it’s an extension of best wishes to their family members (even better if you can use the name of their spouse or children), or mentioning holiday plans they have mentioned, or maybe it’s an acknowledgment of a project or piece of work they did that you particularly appreciated over the year.
Learn more about corporate gifting
Sometimes, the best way to come to a decision is to get inspiration from what proves to be most popular and effective for others. Our most popular Christmas Gift Baskets and Boxes at My Goodness include:
$40
At a truly great price point, this smartly presented giftbox includes a delicious figgy Christmas Cake from Te Mata along with a festive Molly Woppy Christmas Tree and divine Vergani Chocolate Pralines.
$129
To really deliver that ‘wow factor’ impact on delivery, this beautiful gift comes presented in a stylish wooden market basket with cotton lining, It’s perfect for the recipient to use again and again, whether for a picnic, or as storage in their kitchen. It comes filled with a premium selection of seasonal treats including a quality NZ Chardonnay.
$55
Customers love this festive decorate wooden tray, which offers terrific value – packed with fabulous Christmas treats, from fine French Truffles to festive shortbreads.
$69
This beautifully presented Christmas basket (with joyful candy striped ribbon and sprigs of holly), packs a lot of punch! Inside you’ll find premium sweet treats and snacks. This cheerful package is available in either a classic brown flax basket or a festive, vibrant green.
$365
If you’re looking for a top-tier gift to really send a message and spoil someone, this is the one. This beautifully crafted traditional English basket is a stunning homeware item on its own – which can easily be used for picnics to the beach or park for years to come. Inside, it features an enormous selection of carefully curated seasonal treats and premium wine.
$95
For a gift that really delivers a bit of drama and delight, you can’t go past the Pohutukawa Tower. Incorporating three delightful festive gift boxes, upon opening each of them you’ll find never ending treats, including a mouth-watering selection of chocolates, condiments, biscuits and a Rose Spritz.