Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

tremendous.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

101–110 of 309 posts

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#101

Post by bryanrasmussen »

jerlam wrote: post #49

Not just employee gifts, but nearly all gifts are valued less by the receiver than the giver. A gift represents a decision made on behalf of the receiver by the giver. In very few situations would the receiver make the same decision as the giver with the same resources. It's assumed that the receiver will use the same resources in an optimal manner, so gift-giving is a net negative. In some circumstances, gifts are v…

You should consider the communicative value of gifts, a communicative gift is one where someone likes something and believes that the receiver will also like it, this is not just I like TinTin comics so I will give the big book of TinTin to receiver because how could someone not love TinTin? I love TinTin so he's great!

A communicative gift is I know they won't like TinTin the way I do but given that they are a lesbian that wants to read lesbian focused literature maybe give them the Locas: Maggie and Hopey stories and they will get that you considered them in choosing what to get, but also to introduce something to them that you like that you value and that you hope they will value as well.

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#103

Post by Al-Khwarizmi »

m463 wrote: post #67
jerlam wrote: post #49

Not just employee gifts, but nearly all gifts are valued less by the receiver than the giver. A gift represents a decision made on behalf of the receiver by the giver. In very few situations would the receiver make the same decision as the giver with the same resources. It's assumed that the receiver will use the same resources in an optimal manner, so gift-giving is a net negative. In some circumstances, gifts are v…

That's what makes it easy to know what gift to give a kid - they will tell you.

If I always gifted my son what he asks, he would have nothing but cars and other vehicles. He wouldn't have discovered many other kinds of toys that he loves (as well as some that he doesn't, of course... one can't have a 100% success rate). Gifting can be a good way to expose people to new things that they might like, and this is even more so in the case of kids, as they ask from a much more restricted set of known things than adults.

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#104

Post by iakov »

kappuchino wrote: post #73

Weird. Did noone else notice the obvious? A prepaid/gift-card company rooting via a (sketchy) survey based article for prepaid/gift-cards as the number one gifts. How convenient. I would love see the numbers behind the survey and the questionaire and the selection method of the sample.

Right? This looks like a straight-up ad, especially if you check out OP's account.

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#105

Post by qikInNdOutReply »

Shares, shares are never a bad gift. Until they are, but then they are a good gift.

Also gifting is social MADness, as gifts imply fortifying alliances, i gifted you, the others did not gift, we are allies in social warfare, now, like it or not. Its trying to enhance a social bond, meanwhile the best gift is a respect for the life time of a human being. Not many companies who respect that, unless its expensive as hell.

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#106

Post by Tempest1981 »

deathanatos wrote: post #41
smsm42 wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it's cash-equivalent (i.e. I can actually use it in a store I commonly go to) then I don't mind even $5. I mean, it's not something that would make me particularly happy, but $5 is more than $0. I have also used some company swag for years (cups, water bottles, hoodies, scarves, backpacks, etc.) with no complaints, if it's not cheap-ass stuff but a proper product with a logo slapped on it, why not. I mean, if it's…

It's as the article says, a pittance. If you go above and beyond by some amount, you want to see that rewarded proportionally. Yeah, it's > $0 … but was it commensurate with the effort?

I remember a manager once giving me $100 to "have a nice dinner with my spouse" after working over the weekend. It was a nice gesture. Showed awareness of the sacrifice, even if it was expected.

Not full retribution, but we were all chasing the startup dream, or perhaps a bigger bonus later. There's some value in small short-term rewards, to show appreciation.

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#107

Post by Falkon1313 »

club_tropical wrote: post #5

Some of these are objectively bad ($5 grocery card) while others (team dinner) are basically complaints about a job/coworkers you hate (now these fools are taking your free time, too).

You certainly don't need to hate people to not want to go out to dinner with them. Not after 8+ hours of work. And often when there are team/company dinners, they are often an attempt to make up for lots of overtime and/or having to travel.

If after all of that, you would rather actually see your family for a change, or catch up with friends, or get some of your chores done that've been piling up due to work, or relax with some hobbies - then somehow you're painted as the bad guy who hates their coworkers and isn't a team player just because you don't want to spend 24/7 with them?

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#108

Post by lostlogin »

jerlam wrote: post #49

Not just employee gifts, but nearly all gifts are valued less by the receiver than the giver. A gift represents a decision made on behalf of the receiver by the giver. In very few situations would the receiver make the same decision as the giver with the same resources. It's assumed that the receiver will use the same resources in an optimal manner, so gift-giving is a net negative. In some circumstances, gifts are v…

> Not just employee gifts, but nearly all gifts are valued less by the receiver than the giver.

You need to try giving someone honey from a beehive you maintain. People seem to love it and come back for more. I have hundreds of kilos spare.

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#109

Post by lostlogin »

omnibrain wrote: post #80

This may be the first time, that I saw "406 Not Acceptable" in a Browser. As opposed to in Postman or an log file. How did this happen? Something between backend and frontend breaking under the HN load?

I thought it was a joke. Laughed then realised I didn’t really get it.

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#110

Post by watwut »

tboughen wrote: post #18
MichaelCollins wrote: post #11

> It’s also best to avoid socks. Everyone already has socks, and realistically, they will likely also get socks from someone else during the holiday season. What is this crap? Socks are the best gift. Didn't the author stop to wonder why everybody gives people socks during the holiday season? Because virtually everybody uses socks, because socks wear out fast, because new socks are the most comfortable and it's alway…

I’m glad that works for you, but it doesn’t for me. The one ‘life hack’ that’s ever worked for me is to own a single type of sock (white, cotton, Nike). The entire batch of 30 pairs was bought at the same time so they wear evenly, meaning all socks match with all other socks. When I get down to a few functioning pairs, into the bin they go and a new batch is ordered. My family knows not to buy me socks…

You can regift them. I will take them, genuinely. Or someone like me. There are never enough socks.
Post reply on HN