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Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

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Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#131

Post by nindalf »

Gordonjcp wrote: post #129
nindalf wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your grand theory isn't new. The 1993 paper The Deadweight Loss of Chrismtas ( https://www.amherst.edu/media/view/104699/original/christmas... ) explores this in detail. The basic idea is let's measure what the gift cost and what the receiver valued it at. But not everything that matters can be measured and not everything that is measured, matters. The study should have accounted for the strength of relationship betw…

> Religion brings benefits to it's members, such as living longer, happier lives. [citation needed]

Ask and ye shall receive.

Association of Religious Service Attendance With Mortality Among Women (2016) - https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullar....

> Women who went to any kind of religious service more than once a week had a 33% lower chance than their secular peers of dying during the 16-year study-follow-up period.

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#132

Post by mcv »

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…

At my first job, the boss/owner of the company knew a lot about wine. As a result, the Christmas gift basket contained a lot of excellent wines that I wouldn't have been able to pick out myself. But I guess that's an example of expertise.

And of course it's not much use to someone who doesn't like wine (they may have had a non-alcoholic alternative).

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#133

Post by mcv »

allenu wrote: post #46

One place I worked had layoffs and project cancellations, so morale was way down. As a tone deaf move one day, we got an email saying as a treat because we appreciate you all being here despite how shitty everything is, you can purchase yourself a coffee and expense it (max of $10). That turned into more jokes than anything. Morale was horrible and they thought making people feel good was letting them buy coffee, whi…

Yeah, giving people an extra form to fill in is not the greatest gift. A better idea would be to go around and ask people what kind of coffee they want and then getting it for them.

It's still not going to significantly raise morale on its own, but at least it's not going to sink it further, and it focuses on the nice gesture instead of the bureaucracy.

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#134

Post by mcv »

unsupp0rted wrote: post #53

> A good gift gives employees a renewed fervor to work harder, helps them feel more motivated, and makes them feel more valued by their employers. Does it? I’ve never experienced this. A company is not a person. A good gift or a bad gift makes me feel the company made a business decision that affected me, just like any other business decision that affected me.

A raise. A raise is the best gift a company can give its employees. And a raise big enough to take an employee's financial worries off the table has a good chance of making them feel more motivated and more valued.

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#135

Post by TheOtherHobbes »

People feel bad if the subtext is "We're cheap and we don't really value you." Or "We own you so here's something branded with our logo for you to display."

But non-cheap high-status gifts can make a positive difference. I know one company ordered an upscale Christmas hamper for everyone, with home delivery. It had a very good effect on morale and was much appreciated.

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#136

Post by dathinab »

> Almost nobody wants company swag as an employee gift

It depends a bit on the swag but I have gotten some pretty decent "swag" over the years some of which I had been using privately for quite some time.

Through it depends on the context, there are quite a bunch of situations where giving someone a gift can feel more insulting then anything else.

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#138

Post by pheasantquiff »

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…

Long, interesting and thoughtful comment chain created by posting an, effectively, empty link on HN.

(reached the first page too!)

Re: Employee gift ideas that make people feel bad

#140

Post by bayindirh »

jasode wrote: post #121
bayindirh wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a very simplistic and very narrow perspective about gifting when looked from this side. I don't consider gifts as the items solely. The person who brought the gift spent some time pondering what would I like, gave his/her best shot. Spent time and funds to acquire this and gave it to me. Yes, it might not be the exact item I'd get; yes, it might not be crazy expensive (or just flat out cheap and simple). But…

>The thoughtfulness and kindness what makes a gift, a gift. That gift is priceless for me from now on. It can be a mug, it can be a pin, it can be a watch, or anything. Have a 75-year old friend that thought exactly like this and because of it, her house ended up being cluttered with tons of cat trinkets that she didn't want because her coworkers happen to find out "she likes cats" . So she had cat figurines, cat pot…

I understand where you are coming from, but in my case saying "My house a little bit too cluttered with these, can you bring me less/none of these from now on" is a very possible thing to do. It can be also said politely, and a real friend wouldn't take it personally, too.

I also tend to give out worn out or very old gifts to people who appreciate them. It's not easy as writing for me, too, but I know the real dangers of having an unintended hoarder's den.

On the other side of the equation, if my friend tells me that buying them these gifts creates mental load and clutter in their life, I'd listen. I'd instead gift experiences and/or expendables (e.g. gift cards), if he/she accepts.

I think these matters can be discussed, and it will certainly improve the friendship and the relationship between two parties.

If I can get enough information about people, I'd buy them what they like. This can be socks, gift cards, or just a box of chocolate.

I don't wish my gifts become burdens or pain points in one's life. I'd also not get offended if someone gives away something I gifted.

Being human and good relations is rooted in communication. No need to put this into hard molds and make people miserable by projecting our values over others under nice names. I buy gifts to make people smile. If I can learn what makes you smile most, I'll get that one. If not getting one will make you smile, I'll get you none.

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