7 Great Corporate "Thank You Gifts" That Don’t Suck
The very word “corporate” makes us want to roll our eyes. Stuffy suits. Uptight executives. Dozens of strict guidelines. Company politics that nobody really wants to play…
And maybe that’s why the idea of a corporate thank you gift isn’t all that exciting. But guess what? It can be. We don’t care how rigid or traditional your company may be, there’s absolutely no reason that a corporate thank you gift has to be a bore.
Ready to impress your employees or bosses with the best thank you gifts of all time?
Maybe you want to say thanks to an executive that just gave you a great raise or a major promotion. Maybe you’re looking for a way to say thanks to your subordinates who pulled off a pretty impressive job on that last big project. Whatever the reason, here are 7 corporate thank you gifts that don’t suck.
Forget About Tradition – It’s 2019 People, Come Up With Some New Ideas!
When you think about corporate thank you gift ideas, the same old boring ideas always come to mind…the fancy pen…a gourmet box of cheese and cured meats…cellophane wrapped baskets full of bath products…a desk clock you’ll never look at…a charitable donation in your name to an organization that you don’t really care about…blah blah blah…
Listen up: no one wants those gifts. No one. Not anybody. Ever. Get them out of your mind right now.
We’ve got some way better gift ideas to prove that just because you’re trapped in the corporate world (don’t deny it - you know sometimes you feel suffocated) you can still give a gift that’s got some attitude and style.
The Gift of Relaxation
There’s a good chance that if you’re working in a corporate environment, you’re probably dealing with your fair share of stress. But we’re not talking about buying some neck massager from Brookstone. We’re talking a full hour (or more) massage. Gift cards aren’t all that personal, but they’re usually well received. The trick here? Make sure the gift card is for the best spa in town.
Don’t get a generic $100 gift card for some shopping center spa chain. No, no, no, no, no. Find a high-end spa in your city and give an amount that more than covers the cost of the service. There’s nothing worse than giving someone a $100 gift card for a massage that costs $120. Don’t make them have to throw in an extra $20 bucks plus a tip. If you go this route, make sure the gift recipient doesn’t have to shell out any extra money of their own.
Make Life a Little Bit Easier with Housecleaning Services
No one wants to work all day then have to go home and clean the house. And with so many affordable cleaning services out there, there’s almost no reason to do so anymore.
There’s a good chance that your CEO or VP already has a cleaning service or a housekeeper that does the dirty work in their home, so this idea is better for the boss to give employees a little further down on the corporate ladder.
Check out sites like Care.com for housekeeping services or hire a local cleaning service. Pay for a few weeks or a few months of cleaning services in advance – then let the recipient worry about scheduling the services when they want them.
If you happen to give this gift to someone who already has hired help, that’s okay too. It’s a perfectly giftable gift, so it definitely won’t go to waste.
Surprise Them With an Experience
Unique corporate thank you gifts can be hard to come by, but they do exist. And this is one of our favorite gift ideas on this list.
Most people that work in the corporate world know that it’s hard to find that work-life balance. So why not give them a gift that encourages them to spend some time with their husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, or kids?
A helicopter ride around the city. A dinner cruise out on the water. Tickets to a sporting event or, better yet, a playoff game to their favorite sport.
Prefer something a little less extravagant? A cooking class for two with a professional chef. A round of golf at the best course in town. A photography lesson. A day of wine tasting at a local vineyard. There are so many ways to give an experience, you’re only limited by your imagination and – of course – your budget.
Booze, Booze, and More Booze
We hate to toot our own horn…(well, not really)….So here it goes….toot! toot!
When it comes to the best corporate thank you gifts, we’ve got them all right here. It’s true…a few paragraphs above we put the kibosh on giving someone the gift of a food basket full of cheese and crackers. And you know why? Because that’s a total bore. But when you add some booze to the mix it’s a whole different ball game.
We’ve got our California Wine Crate packed with coffee, nuts, chocolates, and Cali-grown wine. If that’s not for you, check out our spirit-specific gift sets like The Executive with Johnny Walker Black Label Scotch or the World of Whiskey, which, as the name suggests, includes whiskeys from around the world. Whatever type of alcohol you’re looking for, we’ve assembled them all into some of the best corporate gifts on earth.
And don’t let the name fool you – yes, our BroBaskets have been crafted with men in mind, but we know lots of ladies that work hard, play hard, and love to drink just as much.
Sweet Treats Make Everyone Happy
Don’t get all angry that we included a food gift when we said earlier that no one wanted food baskets. Some food baskets are actually pretty amazing. And the truth is, it’s hard to find anyone on earth who doesn’t love a box of chocolates.
But we’re not suggesting you buy a box from your local grocer or even a box from Godiva (they’re good, but they’re expected). Instead, find the fanciest and most decadent chocolate shop you can and give the gift of sugary goodness and sweet, sweet indulgence.
Not sure where to find amazing chocolate gifts? Check out this post from Eater for a list of the best chocolatiers from coast to coast.
The Daily Escape
Regardless of the job you do, there’s a good chance that every now and then, you need a bit of a break. And that’s exactly why we’re completely obsessed with VR headsets. With the ability to escape into a new world, virtual reality headsets are topping the wish lists of everyone we know that doesn’t already have one.
There are lots of models to choose from, so you can do some research to find your favorite model, but we like the Oculus Go for $200. If you’re on a tight budget but still want to gift a cool VR experience, check out the Google Daydream View – it’s super affordable at only $94. (Just know that the Daydream View is intended for use with Android phones, not iPhones).
The Gift of No More Noise
Whether you’re the executive of a company with investors calling every five minutes or a brand new hire with a boss breathing down your neck, we all wish we could block out the world around us sometimes. And that means blocking out the unnecessary noise. This is exactly why we think everyone deserves a pair of noise cancelling headphones.
Maybe you’re buying a gift for a frequent flyer who wants to relax in flight. Maybe you’re buying a gift for someone who leaves the office only to go home to noise from their husband, wife, or kids. Either way, zoning out to music or listening to your favorite podcast without interruptions is like a gift in itself.
Headphones vary considerably in terms of features and prices, but Sony makes a variety of great models that range in price from $40 to $350. Perfect for any budget.
Here’s the Takeaway:
Regardless of who you’re buying for or what the occasion is, the best corporate thank you gifts are the ones that people actually want to receive.
When it comes to thinking of gift ideas, it can be easy to fall into the traditional trap of buying an engraved pen or a gift basket full of cheese. But those ideas are cliché. They’re a snooze-fest. They’re played out. And no matter how much money the gift may cost, they only prove one thing: that you didn’t bother to put any thought into the gift.
In 2019, people want cool tech gadgets. They want experiences. They want something that can help them unwind at the end of the day. Whether that be a massage, a unique night out, a VR headset, a bottle of booze, or a sweet, sweet box of chocolates, it’s all about escape. Something that helps you escape from the routine of day-to-day life is just about the best gift you can give or receive.
