"Here's how men and women ranked gifts from employers on a scale of 1
to 5 (most to least preferred).
Women
Money 4.3
Travel 4.1
Flowers/plants 3.8
Audio/video equipment 3.6
Food or candy 3.5
Books 3.2
Home furnishings/accessories 3.2
Computer software/accessories 3.1
Kitchen gadgets/appliances 3.0
Magazine subscriptions 2.8
Fragrance 2.7
Jewelry 2.6
Games 2.6
Photographs 2.4
Sports equipment 2.4
Clothing 2.2
Tools 2.0
Men
Money 3.9
Computer software/accessories 3.7
Travel 3.6
Tools 3.6
Audio/video equipment 3.5
Magazine subscriptions 3.4
Sports equipment 3.4
Games 3.3
Books 3.3
Food or candy 3.1
Kitchen gadgets/appliances 3.1
Home furnishings/accessories 3.0
Jewelry 3.0
Flowers/plants 3.0
Clothing 2.9
Photographs 2.9
Fragrance 2.9
A few years ago, Al Wasserberger, president and chief executive officer of SPG, a high-tech company in Chicago, gave chair massages to employees who had to work on Christmas Eve. The gift was a hit.
He recommends, ""Show the employees how much you value their individuality by choosing a gift only they would appreciate."" For instance, ""I had an employee who had a fascination with mob movies, so for Hanukkah I got him the Untouchables video and a Neff baseball bat. Carol collects hats, so I got her a hat. Another employee is a computer engineer and likes bass fishing, so I got him bass-fishing software. I didn't spend more than $50 on any of those gifts, but the impact was huge because the people understood the gifts were specifically picked out for them.""
DOLLARS AND SENSE
How much should you spend? According to the Lands' End survey of 600 employees:
* 32 percent expect their employers to spend nothing.
* 17 percent expect them to spend less than $25.
* 18 percent expect them to spend between $25 and $45.
* 31 percent expect them to spend more than $45 on a gift.
Whatever you spend, be sure all gifts appear to be of comparable value. ""The No. 1 guideline is the importance of equality. Sooner or later everyone knows what the boss gave everyone else; and a smart manager will keep the playing field level,"" says Yates.
But the cost of a gift is less important than its emotional value. ""If you're looking for stuff with impact, you don't have to spend a lot of money,"" says Wasserberger.
Of course, playing Santa for a large group of employees can be expensive. To save money without seeming like Scrooge, Sherri Athay recommends planning ahead so you can comparison shop and avoid priority shipping charges. And look for discounts, such as bulk discounts. ""A lot of retailers offer corporate or early-bird discounts,"" says Conran.
Spina suggests checking with your organization's purchasing department to see if it has discounts with any vendors.
Finally, Conran recommends, ""Work with a corporate gift professional at a retailer to see what you can get for your money."" Corporate gift professionals or personal shoppers can save time, provide ideas and tell you when desired items will go on sale. "
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