Christmas is merely weeks away and everyone is gearing up for the festivities to come. Even offices have their own rituals of gifting colleagues and staff members known as secret Santa. While many panic at the thought of being assigned a random stranger, you have us to back you up. Here are six tips to nail Christmas gifting in a professional space this year.

  1. Save the booze for close colleagues: If you don’t know them well enough, booze and wine is generally reserved for colleagues you work closely with, or your boss if you have a good relationship. Between choosing between cheap whiskey and a good bottle, we’re sure you’ll want to choose the latter, which is why these are to be gifted upwards in the hierarchy. If a close colleague or senior is your secret Santa, getting them a classy wine membership gift will thrill them!
  2. Avoid gifting perfumes to people you don’t know well: Perfume preferences are purely subjective and depend from person to person. There are many ways that this can turn out to be the wrong investment; after all, what use is a gift that someone wouldn’t ever use? If you know a colleague well enough to understand their style and favorite fragrance, a perfume is a great idea, but if that is not the case, just get them essential oils for aromatherapy kits.
  3. Ties, cufflinks, and tie pins are always winners: For men, gifting options are often thought to be limited in the formal setting. However, you can’t go wrong with accessories such as ties, tie pins, cufflinks and even socks! Many men love the accessories and would be very happy to receive sets for their secret Santa reveal. Grouping up a set that consists of a tie, pin and cufflinks, or tie with matching theme socks will be sure to brighten their day.
  4. Budgeted gifts don’t mean cheap: Secret Santa can be awkward if you don’t know a person well enough; the first question would be how much is too little or too much for the gifting budget? Slumming it out and giving cheap gifts reflects bad taste- there are several economical ways to give out thoughtful gifts other than diner coupons or Costco vouchers. Look up office gifting ideas and get one that matches your budget!
  5. Quilts, scarves and knitwear for the win: Winterwear and knitted gifts bring out the warmth in just about anyone, especially if you’ve made them yourselves. We know there are some incredibly talented people out there, which is why this is a special mention for the books. Don’t shy away from gifting one of your creations to a colleague who will appreciate it; you never know who needs an extra pick me up this holiday season.
  6. A box of chocolates to a lesser-known colleague: When in doubt, sweet treats can be lifesavers. Yes, these are not the most original, but when you know absolutely nothing about a person, get them a goodie bag of assorted sweets that don’t incite any possible allergies. Going gluten-free and with hypoallergenic ingredients is the best for organic products.

Wrapping Up:

With these six ideas under your belt, you can make Secret Santa a success for yourself and make someone’s day! We hope you enjoyed this blog, stay tuned for more holiday specials!