Stuck for a way to encourage festive exchanges in your workplace? HC provides some ideas.
Secret Santa
Assign everyone a co-worker for whom they have to buy a gift – but ban everyone from revealing their gift-receiver. Draw names from a hat and make sure there’s a spending limit or guideline so that all is fair.
White elephant
Each employee wraps a gift and leaves it around the office. Workers take it in turns to select and open a gift, with the option to steal the previous opener’s gift or select a new one – gifts are usually weird or funny items, or unwanted items they’ve chosen to re-gift.
Gift auction
Each employee buys a gift that will be put on display. Assign each individual a set number of points (100 usually works well) and let employees bid their points away for gifts.
Book exchange
Have workers bring in a copy of their favourite book. Each person then draws names out of a hat, and gives their book to that person. As well as receiving a gift, this can be used as an opportunity for workers to learn a little more about each other.
Gift grab
Tell employees to bring in a small, wrapped gift within a certain price range. Put a number in a hat for each participant – these will determine the order in which they select their gifts. Employees can steal another’s gift – but they cannot steal their own back.
Coffee mugs
Most people enjoy a cup of tea or coffee at work – so make workplace gift-giving easy by limiting gift options to fun or decorative mugs. Assign everyone a random recipient and set a price limit – the same as Secret Santa. Encourage employees to fill the mugs with Christmas treats, such as chocolates or tea assortments.
