An assessment into the trends in workplace gifting has uncovered some interesting statistics about how employees are contributing to group gifts. An employment recruiter says that employers should work together with employees when it comes to gifting.
This comes from James Congdon (WithFrontier.com), who shared his insights into how employers should approach office gifting with Digital Journal. This is in association with the firm GroupTogether.
Congdon suggests employers should give employees the choice to celebrate milestones: “It should be a choice – whether or not to celebrate personal milestones.” He thinks that employee gifts should be encouraged so that bosses can show gratitude towards employees.
Group gifting in the workplace has long been a tradition, whether it’s to celebrate birthdays, say farewell to a colleague, or show appreciation for someone’s hard work. However, with the rising cost of living, office gifting is evolving, and more people are thinking about how to make these gestures more thoughtful, yet budget-friendly.
The current trends is that while fewer people are chipping in for group gifts, those who do are contributing more, suggesting coworkers are chipping in more for those they work closely with, rather than chipping in a little every time the hat gets passed around.
The number of people chipping in for group gifts has decreased by almost 20 percent from 2021 to 2024. However, the average contribution per person has increased from $24.98 in 2021 to $28.40 in 2024.
In terms of how often this practice occurs, 43 percent, according to a survey, of people chipped in for a group gift for either colleagues, friends or family members two to three times within a 12-month time frame, and 11 percent contributed four to seven times. The survey was conducted in October 2021 to 1,022 GroupTogether customers.
In light of the views of employees, the same poll signals that many employees said they still felt it was important to show appreciation, with 47 percent agreeing that it’s important to demonstrate gratitude, especially for colleagues they like.
Interestingly, 16.7 percent of people also hope their colleagues will chip in for their own farewell gift, showing that this is still a normal office gesture.
Congdon expand on the choice concept: “In terms of celebrating events, it should be a choice really. I think that part of the induction should include a series of questions and options around this. Do they want their birthday acknowledged? There may be reasons they don’t. Same with anniversaries and marriages. Ultimately it’s down to choice but if the employee is all for it then they absolutely should be celebrated.”
In order to maintain grifting as something positive for the workplace culture, Congdon recommends:
The power of words
Sometimes, the most meaningful part of a gift is not the price tag, but the words that accompany it. A heartfelt message in a card can convey deep appreciation, gratitude, and respect, all without costing a thing.
Group gifting options
One of the most cost-effective ways to show appreciation is through a group card and gift from the whole team. If everyone chips in a little, this can provide an appreciated gift.
Gift cards are a great option
Gift cards are some of the most sought-after gifts, with 80 percent of employees preferring gift cards over other forms of non-cash incentives.
