• Christmas

Get Ahead of the Christmas Rush: Tips from the Office Management Group

July 11, 2023
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3 min read

Get a Head Start on Holiday Gifting: Tips from Office Manager

Last year, we conducted a survey with the Office Management Group, a community of office and administration professionals in the UK and globally, to gather insights into how office managers plan and celebrate Christmas. With 68% of OMG members admitting they actually enjoy the task of Christmas gift-giving, it's no wonder why we wanted to tap into their expertise! 

In this blog post, you'll find some of the top tips that the OM Group shared with us last year to help you plan and prepare for a memorable and cheerful Christmas season.

 

Start Early, Beat the Rush

It may seem early to be talking about Christmas, but the results of the survey revealed that 24.4% of office managers begin their Christmas preparations in August, while 29.1% start in September. These early birds have proven that it's never too soon to get into the festive spirit. Only a small percentage, 11.8%, leave the task until November, and even fewer, 5.9%, wait until December. This goes to show that by being proactive and starting early you can avoid the stress and ensure a smoother holiday season.

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Streamline Gift-Giving with Huggg

Finding the perfect gifts for your team can be time-consuming. Our survey revealed that 47% of office managers spend more than one day organising gifts for Christmas. Consider using Huggg's gifting platform, which offers a convenient one-stop shop for all your Christmas gifting needs. Choose and personalise gifts for every colleague and client, and schedule them in advance to beat the Christmas rush.

Favourite Gifts: Food, Drink, and Hampers

Food and drink gifts are always a hit. According to last year’s survey, 46.8% of respondents prefer food and drink gifts, closely followed by hampers at 45.6%. Huggg's range includes a variety of options to cater to these preferences such as Harding Gomez hampers, Virgin wine boxes, and boxes of Hotel Chocolat.

Additionally, our survey revealed that 40% of members plan to send smaller gifts this year, while 35.4% expressed an interest in gifts that focus on staff well-being. Huggg's gift range covers these preferences as well, with a budget filtering tool and a carefully curated wellness gift category. Rest assured that every gift on Huggg's platform has been tested through mystery shopping, ensuring their quality and guaranteeing a positive gifting experience.

Inclusive Gift-Giving for All Employees

Include your entire team in the festivities, whether they work in the office or remotely. Our survey showed that 46.8% of office managers want to send gifts to both the office and the home. With Huggg's platform, you can easily send gifts to every employee, regardless of their location.

Overcoming Budget Constraints

Last year, with the ‘cost of living crisis,’ budget was a common concern when it came to team gifting. It will be interesting to see if this has changed in 2023 when we re-run our survey. 

Huggg offers high-quality gifts for budgets of all sizes. With options for micro-gifting and gift cards, you can find something that suits your budget and ensures everyone receives a thoughtful gift.

Gather Feedback for Improvement

Last year our survey revealed that only a small percentage of office managers ask for feedback or use employee engagement surveys to gauge the success of gifting. 

When you start planning your Christmas gifting this year, start off by considering how you measure the impact of gifts, so that you can continually improve and create a more appreciative workplace.

Get Ready to Gift with Huggg

Huggg's extensive range of Christmas gifts will be available soon so keep your eyes on our blog on on our platform to make sure you aren't late to the party.

By planning early, you can ensure that your gifts are thoughtful, meaningful, and delivered on time. We've already had a flurry of festive conversations to kick-start gift-giving plans. So, as soon as you're ready, our gifting specialists are here to help you plan your festive cheer.