For better or for worse, you spend a huge chunk of your day-to-day life with your coworkers. Whether you meet regularly in an office space or connect remotely, you collaborate on projects together, participate in the same meetings, and with any luck, develop a bond that also exists outside the hours of 9-to-5. Because you’ve grown to know and value them so much, when it comes time to purchase coworker gifts, you’ll want to get it right.
There are lots of different factors to consider when shopping for a gift for a colleague, or even a gift for your boss or superior — and the occasion for the gift is a good place to start. If it’s something as casual as a White Elephant party for the holidays, you may prioritize buying a gift that’s fun and inexpensive. On the other hand, if you’re celebrating a hard-earned promotion or choosing goodbye gifts for coworkers when leaving a job, it could be more appropriate to put the effort into finding a present that’s personalized or meaningful in some way.
It’s also worth keeping your relationship to the coworker in mind, since it’s natural that you’ll be closer to some more than others. If you’re shopping for a holiday gift for a colleague you’ve worked with for many years, you might have the same mindset as doing so for close family or friends. Alternatively, if you’re just getting to know this person, there’s nothing wrong with opting for something that’s primarily functional or somewhat generic. This list has a mix of all of the above, so you’ll be one step closer to that employee of the month award (at least when it comes to gifting).