In September 2021, nearly 4.4 million Americans, or 3% of the workforce quit their jobs as part of what is being deemed The Great Resignation.

Employees are leaving their jobs in droves looking for better opportunities, more pay, and companies that will treat them with respect and dignity.

According to Gallup:

The cost of replacing an individual employee can range from one-half to two times the employee’s annual salary — and that’s a conservative estimate.

So an employee making $50,000 per year will cost between $75,000 to $100,000 to replace.

If you think gifting is expensive, then try replacing employees!

We have a list of core principles that make for a great corporate gift.

The 7 Keys to a Great Corporate Gift

  1. Practical

Make sure your present is beneficial to the recipient. A gift that can be used daily (or at least 3-5 times a week) is unquestionably more valuable than a fancy item that practically has no use.

  1. Personalized

To stand out from the crowd, offer your gift in person, along with a customized message describing why you chose the item and why you felt they would enjoy it.

  1. Best-in-class

It’s a gift. You absolutely can not compromise the quality in any way. So, try getting a product of the highest quality within your budget. Longevity should be your topmost priority in this case.

  1. Luxury

To find an appropriate gift for employees, browse their social accounts to determine their interests and hobbies. Perhaps get them something they wouldn’t buy for themselves but would appreciate a lot if given to them.

  1. Handwritten Notes

Don’t underestimate the value of personalizing your message by hand-delivering it or penning a handwritten note clarifying your intentions. Notes are always a way to add a special touch to anything.

  1. Including Inner Circle

Another point to remember when you’re giving a gift is how you can make it useful for the recipient’s family. If their spouse or other family members are able to use the gift, you will ingratiate yourself further in their hearts and minds.

  1. Continuity Theme

Try to create a theme or pattern with your gifts. In this way, you can make sure that the employees are looking forward to getting your gift. Multiple gifts can snowball an emotional impact on the employees.

Here are 9 Christmas gift ideas to give to your employees.

Varidesk

As more of your employees will be working from home, a Varidesk is the perfect way to help them set up their home office.  

With a Varidesk, your employees will be able to have a desk that accommodates both standing and sitting positions.  With the push of a button, the desk will change its height. 

Varidesk is also the perfect gift for a continuity-based gifting program.

You can start with a desk, then you can gift storage, a chair, and other office accessories.  You will build loyalty by helping your employees build their own home office.

Cutlery

A beautifully designed set of cutlery is one of the best ways you can show your appreciation to your employees.

As part of an overall gifting strategy, they have a lot going for them.  First, a nice set of cutlery is best in class, meaning they will last forever.  

Next, they are a luxury gift most people won’t buy for themselves.  Most of your employees will have a set of knives they purchased from Costco, but a beautiful cutlery set isn’t something on the agenda to purchase.

You can also personalize your cutlery set with a nice inscription telling your employee what they mean to you.

And finally, everyone in the house will use it.  So when your employee needs to work an occasional late night, their spouse may not be as annoyed because they’re using the cutlery set you gave them to prepare dinner.

Refresh Glass

customized refresh glass

Refresh Glass is one-of-a-kind household glassware made from recycled bottles.  You can engrave each piece of glass to personalize it with your employee’s last name.  

It’s also great for a continuity theme.  This year, you can gift your employee a set of custom glasses.  Next Christmas, you can gift them a custom carafe set, and then the following year, you can gift them a custom vase for their dining room table. 

Your employees will be delighted to sing your praises when their holiday guests ask where you got the gorgeous glassware and tell the story about how each glass is made from a recycled bottle.

Beautifully designed and environmentally friendly:  definitely a conversation starter.

Virtual Experience

Your employees work hard all year round. Sometimes, they need a few moments to find something to take their minds off of work.  

A virtual experience is a perfect way to do that.   

People will always be able to think back fondly on the experiences they’ve shared with their family and friends.  Once again, your employees will sing your praises as they tell their friends and family about the amazing experience that you provided for them.

There are numerous companies that offer virtual experiences that can blow your team’s socks off.  Everything from appreciation dinners to zoom trivia and more.  Contact us 1 on one for recommendations.

Aura Frames

aura frames

An Aura Frame will sync up to a camera and display pictures in real-time.   So your employees will get to see a running collage of curated pictures of their kids and grandkids every time they sit down at their desk to work.

You will be gifting them one of the greatest gifts they can ever receive:  their memories.  And each time they look at their Aura Frame, which will be multiple times per day, they will think warmly of you and the thought you put into giving them such a sentimental gift.

Luggage

If you’re like most businesses, your employees will do a lot of traveling.  In fact, 12% of all travel is done for business.

One of the best employee Christmas gifts you can give your employees is a beautiful set of luggage for them to take to conferences and meetings as they travel across the globe.

Luggage makes a great Christmas gift for many reasons.

First, it can be part of an overall gifting program.  You can gift your employee a carry-on bag first, follow it up with a stow-away bag, and then finally gift them the main check-in bag.

Every member of the family will use it, especially when they go on family vacations.

And finally, durable luggage is one of those items that gets passed down from generation to generation.  

Glassybaby

If you’re looking to gift your employees something that will be the center of dinner conversation and have them speak fondly of you then look no further than Glassybaby glassware.

Once again, this is one of those gifts that will not only be loved by your employee, it will also be loved by their spouse as well.

Here’s what our co-founder, John Hall, had this to say about GlassBaby

“I was given a Glassybaby votive from the company’s founder after we met at an event and she said she wanted to work with my company. My wife fell in love with the product and constantly mentions it to me. I’m a believer in the “Happy wife, happy life” principle, and when my wife is happy, I have warm feelings about the person who gave her that gift. I’ve worked with the founder on different projects since, and I can’t see myself ever not advocating for Glassybaby.”

So when you ask your employee to work a little later on a project or travel for a few days, their spouse won’t be *as* annoyed because they’ll be drinking a glass of wine from the beautiful Glassybaby glassware you purchased for them.

Corkpops

corkpops

Corkpops are “magical” gifts to give to your employees who are wine enthusiasts.  For those who are known to open a bottle of wine for company, know the hassle of trying to remove the cork.  

You twist, you turn, you hope it doesn’t break while still in the bottle.  But with corkpops, you push one button and the cork is instantly removed.  No fuss.  No muss.

LSTN Music Accessories

lstn music

When your employees are in deep work, chances are they are listening to their favorite playlist.  

When they are at the gym, they are probably listening to their workout playlist.

When they are going for a walk or trying to quiet their mind, they probably have a playlist for that too.

How about gifting them a beautiful zebrawood headphone set?  Zebrawood not only looks amazing as part of an electronics accessory, but it is a sustainable material that is environmentally friendly.  

Now, every time your employee is in deep work, they will think fondly of you fondly as the audio that is being pumped into their ears.

Final words

With so many people leaving their jobs to look for better opportunities, the winners are going to be the employers who are best able to foster employee loyalty and increase retention.

By gifting your employees personal, best-in-class, luxury items that they wouldn’t otherwise buy for themselves, you can show that you care about them.

Schedule a call with us to create an Employee Christmas Gift strategy.