Can you believe it’s already November? With the annual Leeds Christmas Lights Switch On this Thursday and the local favourite German Christmas Market kicking off this Friday, it seems like the festive season is officially underway!
Christmas is a time of giving, and buying presents for your team can be a nice way to show everyone just how much you appreciate them. This can also be a great way to boost team spirit, improve your company culture, and encourage a good work-life balance.
Whether you’re organising an office ‘Secret Santa’ or simply want to give your staff a well-deserved reward, we’ve rounded up our top festive gifts with something for every budget.
1. Team experience
As a business owner it can often be hard to find time to stop and think for a second, let alone plan out a personalised gift for each of your employees. Especially at such a busy time of year. One way to get around this is by investing in an experience for the whole team. You could spend a day at the races, treat your team to a spa day, or even take a trip to Alton Towers! Not only is this a great way to give back to your team but it’s also sure to bring them closer together, which can boost employee productivity…
2. Gift card
It’s hard to go wrong with a gift card. It should be easy enough to find a relevant gift card for different employees, and you can customise how much you want to put on the card depending on your budget. If you really don’t know someone well enough to choose a specific gift card, then a gift card that they can claim at various outlets would be more suitable.
3. Festive hamper
If you want to give a more personalised gift, why not make up your own festive hamper? Include their favourite box of chocolates, some luxury coffee, a jar of delicious honey, or anything else that’s edible! If you put some thought into it, this can be a really meaningful gift. Of course, if you’re too busy to create your own, Marks and Spencer offer some incredible Christmas hampers.
4. Book
This can be a simple but meaningful gift for any bookworms in your office. If you know these employees well, and you’re a fellow bookworm yourself, it could be a nice touch to get them a new book to read over the festive break. If you’ve read the book already, this can also offer a mutual talking point for when you get back to work.
5. Chocolate
If you’ve been sticking to eating healthy snacks in the office recently, it’s only right to have a little treat at Christmas! Chocolate can be quite a common Christmas gift, so if you have any diet-conscious employees be careful not to go overboard. Why not treat your team to some light-but-luxurious chocolates?
6. Charity donation
If you really want to make a difference at Christmas, why not give a charitable donation on behalf of your employees? A more personal gift could be making a small donation to a charity of each employee’s choice. But of course, if you have a large number of employees this may not be very practical. If this is the case, you could make one donation to a specific charity on behalf of your whole team. It could be a good idea to have a vote on which charity to donate to. This way, your employees get to decide for themselves where their Christmas gift is going, and no one will feel left out.
7. Alcohol
Like chocolate, alcohol is quite a generic Christmas present. But it’s hard to go wrong with a fancy bottle of fizz to pop open on Christmas Day. Or if you know your employees’ favourite drinks, why not get them a bottle of that? Of course, it’s important to double check for anyone in your office that doesn’t drink.
8. Board game
This won’t break your budget, and it can be a nice gift for your employees to enjoy with their families over the festive period. Your options are endless too. You could get one of the more engaging board games like ‘Pictionary’ or ‘Would I Lie To You?’. Or if you want a more nostalgic option, you could get them a classic like ‘Risk’ or ‘Cluedo’.
9. Office essentials
Why not get your team something they can put to good use in the office? Depending on your budget, you could even put together an office hamper. Include items such as a desk calendar, desk plants, or a silent mouse. Put some thought into this and you could find some really useful gifts. Is there someone that always lets their coffee go cold? They’d certainly appreciate this USB mug-warmer…
10. Kit out the office
Instead of buying each of your employees an individual gift, why not splash out on something that everyone can use? Whether that’s a new microwave for the office kitchen, a communal snooker table, or some comfy sofas for your team to chill out on their break…
11. Thank you
We did say ten gifts, but a simple thank you can go a long way… You can buy as many luxurious Christmas gifts as you like, but being nice to your team all year round is the most effective way to show your appreciation. And it always helps to be extra nice at this special time of the year!
Buying gifts for your team at Christmas can be a great way to improve employee engagement. But buying gifts for clients and suppliers can also help to strengthen relationships. Last year, we gave our residents Hotel Chocolat Christmas Crackers, which went down a treat!
At Carrwood Park, we understand the importance of a loyal and engaged team, which is why our buildings were designed to encourage a positive company culture. From the many plants around our luxury business centre to the Molton Brown hand lotion in our bathrooms, we know how much of a difference the little touches can have on your team.
We’d love to show you around our high quality serviced offices in Leeds. Why not take the next step in your journey to business success and arrange a viewing today?
