The dos and don'ts of gifting

How to ensure your gifts pack a punch 🥊

Gifting is a powerful way to nurture connection, and thoughtful, well-timed gifts can play a big part in employee appreciation strategy. There are proven links between employees who feel appreciated and increased levels of productivity, engagement and positive work culture.

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As everyone who’s ever received a pair of novelty socks knows: there’s a big difference between good gifts and gifts that feel like an afterthought.

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We’ve put together these gifting dos and don’ts to help avoid sending underwhelming, ineffective gifts – and make all presents for team members feel meaningful

The Dos ✅

• Make it personal - Generic gifts can feel as if no thought or effort went into the organisation. Connect gifts to employees’ hobbies, or consider gifting experiences instead of physical gifts – you’ll be surprised how memorable they can be. For a simple, effective idea add a personal message to every employee gift - watch here to see how easy Huggg makes it to add a personal message.

• Gift fairly - Make sure no one is left out of your gifting strategy, from new recruits to team leaders. Keeping gifting consistent is also important: if one half of the office is enjoying a delivery of brownies while the other half is stuck in traffic, it inevitably sparks feelings of awkwardness. With our group send feature you can be sure every employee receives their gift at the same time – for big smiles all round.

• Make gifts meaningful - Get creative with your gifting! A gift card will never have the same impact as a physical gift or a gifted experience. As well as choosing gifts that feel personal, we think an element of surprise also goes a long way to making a gift meaningful. No one needs to jump out of a cake, this is more about finding gifts that team members haven’t seen before. Luckily Huggg does the hard work for you: we’re always adding quality new gifts to our ever-expanding range.

• Stick to your budget - You’ll be surprised how quickly budgets can get swallowed up by a few Friday drinks. The last thing you want is to run out of budget before every employee has received a gift! Gifting regularly and consistently will leave more of an impression than one big gift per year, and you don’t need to spend a fortune on team gift ideas. There are gifts to suit every budget on our platform, from everyday pick-me-ups like a Caffè Nero hot (or cold) drink, to stunning flowers by Bloom & Wild.

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The Don’ts ❌

• Forget to consider sensitivities - Bearing employee lifestyles and dietary requirements in mind is key to gifting appropriately. Nothing shows you care more than catering to all requirements, so no one feels left out of the party. Our gifts with choice let recipients choose from a range of gifts, so you can be confident they’ll receive something they can enjoy and love.

• Gift in place of the basics - Employee gifting should never be a substitute for fair pay and good working conditions. Avoid using gifting to cover for management mistakes or oversights, it will inevitably send the wrong message and make employees feel their wellbeing and concerns aren’t taken seriously. Employee gifting is most effective when used for celebration and reward – an added bonus on top of fair compensation.

• Forget to plan - You know what makes us cringe? The birthday cake that’s three days late. A good gifting strategy is built on careful planning, so no important dates pass you by. Never miss another reason to celebrate with our handy schedule and send feature, which allows you to arrange gifts in advance – and avoid a last-minute dash to the shops. Smart gift planning is key to making employees feel cared for, every day of the year.

• Leave it until the last minute - It may take a little while to perfect your gifting strategy, but it can be even more frustrating when left to the last minute – with gifts sold out online, and missed delivery slots. If you ever find yourself in a gifting emergency, sending a gift with Huggg means you can be sure hardworking employees will get their treat delivered to their inbox instantly.