Gift-giving Tips

Employees and board members at Commerce Bank of Southwest Florida are already acquiring a taste for president and CEO Mark Morris’ homemade pickles.The treat—made from his mother’s recipe—is an annual holiday gift that Morris hands out in jars, each with a simple bow on top, to his 23 employees and 11 board members.

"[Colleagues] think it’s my wife that does it, but she won’t touch it. They’re amazed," he says. "I have people that wait for those pickles. I think everybody likes that personal touch."

Kimberly Payne, director of meetings and special events for the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples, remembers giving a client a picture frame that included a photo of a celebrity the client adored. The frame was the gift, but it demonstrated that Payne paid attention to and remembered her comments and preferences.

CPA firm Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Co. is "a little offbeat" in its gift giving, says principal Gail Markham. Instead of delivering gifts during the winter holiday season, the firm has sent its clients chocolates for Valentine’s Day, an ice cream truck during the summer and leaf-shaped cookies in the fall.

The firm takes an unusual approach toward employee gifts, too. On a Friday afternoon in December, each employee is given a $100 bill and told to go shopping. They have to spend it on themselves, and take the item to the company’s Christmas party to show what they bought.

Gift giving builds relationships and establishes goodwill, says Suzanne Willis, president of Willis Consulting & Communications. In the workplace, however, not just any gift will do. We asked several etiquette experts and experienced gift-givers in the business community to weigh in on how to buy appropriate—and appreciated—gifts for co-workers this holiday season.

Boss-to-Employee
Be thoughtful. Consider the recipient’s hobbies and interests when purchasing gifts for him or her, Willis advises.

Keep it appropriate. Stay away from items such as jewelry, clothing and perfumes, says Peter Post, director of the Emily Post Institute and co-author with his wife, Peggy, of The Etiquette Advantage in Business. One rule to go by: If it’s something you would consider giving your significant other, stay away from it. "I would even be careful about giving gift packs of scented soaps. [You might] think it’s a really nice thing, but the person wonders, ‘Do they think I have body odor?’"

Mix it up from year to year. "If you’ve done something for five years and everybody knows that on Thanksgiving everybody gets a 25-pound turkey, the year you don’t do it, you take away something they’re expecting," says Russell Budd, president and CEO of Professional Building Systems. "That gift will quickly be perceived as an entitlement."

Embrace the gift card. Gift cards to grocery stores, department stores and much-anticipated retailers that have recently opened in Southwest Florida are a good bet, employers say. Professional Building Systems gave its 100 employees Bass Pro Shops cards last year; the company had bought enough of the cards to be able to put its logo on them.

Think of those in need. Some businesses are following their employees’ desires to direct holiday gift budgets toward charities. Commerce Bank is one company that gives gifts and food to families in need.

Don’t give gag gifts. "Those things are really not appropriate in the business environment. What you might think of as humorous, somebody else might think of as disrespectful," Post says.
Avoid giving wine or other alcohol. For those who struggle with alcoholism—and you may not be aware of it—it could be a risky temptation. The gift could also be insulting to employees who don’t drink for other reasons, Post says.

Plan ahead. Wilma Boyd of Preferred Travel of Naples is one employer who did, ordering personalized stationery for her staff.

Save some of the gift budget. Distribute the remainder of those funds on employee gifts throughout the year. Commerce Bank’s Morris says sometimes his company acknowledges employees who have had a strong month by giving them gift certificates to restaurants and stores.

Company-to-Client
Budget carefully. "You shouldn’t be going into debt in order to send gifts," Post says. "Take a look at all of the potential people you have to give gifts to, and how are you going to be able to do that? You may suddenly discover that your grandiose plans of even a $50 gift for the client may not be in the budget."

Be charitable. Make a contribution to a local charity in the name of your clients. It’s a thoughtful way to show that they and the charity mean a lot to your organization, Willis says.
Make the card important. At Commerce Bank, the embossed greeting card with the company logo is signed by every employee.

Give something the whole office will enjoy. "Food items are something that everybody could share in, so that’s a really nice thing to send to the office as a group," Post says.

Taste or see the gift ahead of time. Jamie Lampitt, marketing director of Retina Consultants of Southwest Florida, likes to work with local companies because she can go to the facility, see the product and work closely with someone locally about delivery plans and other details.

Don’t play favorites. "You wouldn’t want to give one client something that has more value than something you give to another client. You want to have consistency across the board," Willis says.
Don’t waste money on novelties with a logo. "When you put your logo on an item, that’s promoting your company," Willis says. "While you want to do that, that’s showing someone you care about your company more than you do about theirs."

Respect restrictions on gift giving and receiving. Budd notes you’re not allowed to give gifts to public entities that are clients. "The best way to stay out of the red tape is to not do anything. The regulations are very strict," he says. Even some private companies have restrictions. He recommends calling ahead and asking whether the business has policies about receiving gifts.

Employee-to-Boss
Give it as a group. To avoid any impression that you are trying to compete for your employer’s favor, go in with other workers. That way, you can give golf clubs, tickets to a sporting or arts event or a gift certificate, and that will be much nicer than a $10 plant, Post says.