20 Occasions for Corporate Gifts

A gift can be a meaningful gesture with a lasting impact. When someone receives a gift, the recipient gets a physical demonstration that they are on the giver’s mind. A gift can be a powerful demonstration that someone is valued and understood. Overall, gifts can enhance the bond between the giver and the receiver. 

As more corporations look at ways to improve employee experience and employee retention, corporate gifting becomes instrumental in these efforts. Corporate gifting is sending a gift from a business to employees or clients. While spending money and effort on corporate gifts may seem an unproductive use of company resources, corporate gifting yields many benefits. Some of the benefits of corporate gifting include:

• Improving employee and client relationships
• Building brand recognition
• Encouraging loyalty
• Improving employee retention
• Creating a more healthy company culture

To gain the benefits of corporate gifting, human resources and leadership must come up with a plan, budget, and plan for execution. As part of planning, the company must decide which occasions will be met with a gift from the organization. Below are 20 circumstances where you might consider giving the perfect gift.

20 Occasions for Corporate Gifts

1. Sales Kickoff

At the beginning of the year, when sales teams are coming together to set goals and expectations for the coming year, add a corporate gift. Including a gift at the start of the sales year can be both a staff appreciation gift and a way to encourage further success in the coming year. 

If you are wondering what types of gifts to give for this occasion, consider something that will help them be more successful in customer acquisition. Doing this can improve morale while eliminating potential frustrations and barriers that might present themselves as the year progresses. 

2. Juneteenth

As a new U.S. national holiday, this can be a great way to raise awareness of the meaning behind the holiday. Juneteenth celebrates the day enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were told of their freedom two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. For many African-American communities, Juneteenth is Independence Day. 

Giving a gift as a way to celebrate Juneteenth can be a meaningful way to enhance an organization’s DEI initiatives. Most importantly, it will create a more inclusive and safe workplace. 

For this occasion, the corporate gift should come from a Black-owned business. Doing so will demonstrate support for those communities and raise awareness among your employees of the various companies they can support.  

Read more: 12 Ways to Mark Juneteenth in the Workplace

3. Valentine’s Day

While Valentine’s might seem like a holiday only celebrated among couples, it is a holiday to celebrate your relationships in general. Corporate gifts on Valentine’s Day can be a way to show appreciation for the relationships your employees are building within the organization.

Especially on a holiday that can make many feel lonely, your gift might be the only acknowledgment they get that day. This acknowledgment can be a reminder that their employment also provides them with meaningful relationships. 

4. Staff Appreciation Day

Staff Appreciation Day is a shoe-in for an occasion to give corporate gifts to your employees. Honoring the holiday is an already-established tradition where you can focus on seeing to it that your employees know how much they are valued and loved. 

The nice thing about this holiday is that you will have complete control over what type of appreciation gift you want to send. Corporate gifting for Staff Appreciation Day can be a small token of gratitude, like a group appreciation card, or a more elaborate demonstration of your appreciation, like a group activity. It is entirely up to you. 

5. International Women’s Day

Women comprise half of the workforce but face many challenges in the corporate environment. International Women’s Day aims to celebrate women while also educating them about the issues they face, like the gender pay gap. A corporate gift can be a way to celebrate your female employees and all they bring to your organization.

For this occasion, gifting doesn’t need to be only for women, but can include the entire organization. Through gifting products from female-owned businesses, you can demonstrate your support for female entrepreneurs and let employees experience firsthand what women bring to the table.

6. Stress Awareness Month

Your employees experience stress. That’s right, no matter what you do, they will inevitably experience stress at work. Because stress is a universal human emotion that can directly impact an employee’s mental health and performance, an employee gift can help them cope with their stress. 

There are many corporate gift ideas on how to help your employees handle stress. Here are just a few: 

• Hire a professional to come and offer massages during work hours. 
• Send a gift basket of self-care items
• Gift a spa experience
• Provide stress balls or other stress-relieving items. 

7. Earth day

Whether your company is emphasizing becoming more eco-friendly or you simply value nature, an Earth Day gift can be a great way to show your appreciation to both nature and your employees. Also, the nice thing about this occasion is that there are many inexpensive gift ideas.

Whether that is celebrating Earth Day with a company hike or providing your employees with a desk plant, the opinions can be simple and low in cost. 

8. Administrative Professionals Day 

Administrative professionals play a major role in the day-to-day function of an organization. From handling scheduling, ordering supplies, and other administrative duties, they provide a more efficient workflow for those they support. Administrative Professionals Day is the company’s opportunity to demonstrate that they are an essential part of the business. 

One corporate gift idea for this occasion would be to send a group thank you card from members of the organization. Many administrative professionals feel underappreciated and like their work goes unseen. This can be the perfect gift to show how much team members appreciate their efforts in creating an efficient work environment. 

9. National Intern Day

Interns spend the entire work experience focused on learning the skills of the trade. They do this while typically being underpaid (if paid at all), doing the undesired jobs, all while attending school.

If your company has interns, this can be the perfect occasion to recognize them. A corporate gift for an intern can boost their morale while improving their overall opinion of the career and company.

Additionally, an intern gets a complete understanding of the company’s culture. Ensuring they are appreciated will enhance their positive opinions and open the door to potential paid positions in the future. 

10. National Boss’s Day

A boss takes on a lot of responsibility for the organization’s success. They are likely spending many hours outside of the work day working. National Boss’s Day is the perfect opportunity for a corporate gift. Because the value of a good boss is undeniable, take the time to show how much you appreciate their leadership and guidance. 

Read More: 7 Ways to Celebrate National Boss’s Day (even if you’re remote)

11. National Holidays

A variety of national holidays can be an occasion for a corporate gift. These serve as a nationally designated time when you can easily schedule workplace appreciation. These holidays include:

• Mothers day
• Father’s day
• 4th of July
• Thanksgiving
• Halloween
• Christmas
• New Years
• Hanukkah
• Quanza
• Easter

12. Birthdays

A birthday is an important milestone in an individual’s life. Whether it is a more significant milestone birthday or another year, the staff member deserves recognition on their birthday. A personalized gift for an employee’s birthday can be a simple way to bring joy to their day. Moreover, a birthday is a designated day where you can focus on one employee and is easily adapted to all employees. A corporate gift for a birthday can be an inclusive way to show appreciation for all employees. 

Read more: 30+ of the Best Employee Birthday Gifts

13. Having a baby

Welcoming a new baby into your life is a big deal. It is a time of excitement and nerves. A corporate gift for a new baby can be one of the best ways to show the new parent that the company has their back. Especially because children can change the way an employee engages with work, celebrating this with them shows that you are embracing this new change. 

As the employee feels this support, this can significantly impact their attitude toward the organization as their family needs change. 

14. Work Anniversary

A work anniversary is the perfect occasion to demonstrate how you appreciate an employee’s hard work and dedication over the last year. A corporate gift for a work anniversary is a universal occasion where you can acknowledge all employee’s contributions to your workplace. 

Some of the best corporate gifts for a work anniversary are:

• Give a small bonus
• Give them the day off/extra PTO day
• Send them a group work anniversary card
• Gift baskets of some of their favorite things

15. Graduation

Graduating takes a lot of perseverance to reach, especially if they are working through school. Whether it is a group graduation ecard or a desk accessory, a graduation gift will demonstrate to them that you are proud of what they’ve accomplished. 

Also, for many, graduation means they become a greater asset to your organization. Now equipped with greater knowledge and a degree, they can bring new insight to your organization. If you wish for them to remain at the company, how they see the organization becomes vitally important.  Corporate gifting for graduation is an instance where employee retention is directly impacted. 

16. Promotions

Receiving a promotion is a major professional milestone. The employee likely spent years dedicating themselves to improving the company. So when they achieve a promotion, it is cause for celebration.

An organization can use this time to celebrate with a gift, like a custom gift of something unique to their new position. Celebrate the promotion with them by giving them a gift, whether new business cards, a curated gift box, or commissioned artwork for their office.

17. Retirement

Every employee has dreamt about retirement at some point in their career. As the new opportunity to enjoy their life in a new way arrives, they will close a significant chapter in their life. Sending corporate gift along with retirement wishes is a great way to celebrate the legacy of the employee while cementing the good things that happened in their career. 

Occasions for Corporate Gifts to a Client

Client gifts can be advantageous for improving client relationships, loyalty, and brand awareness. Many occasions can be a time when a business gift would be appropriate.  However, here are some occasions unique to corporate gifting for a client:

18. Welcome

When beginning a professional relationship with a new client, a gift can be a great way to demonstrate your gratitude for their trust in your services. It can also show that you will treat them as essential to your business. Gift ideas for this occasion include a gift box, a selection of desserts to share, or branded swag with your company logo.

19. Closing gifts

Unique to real estate, a closing gift can be the perfect way to celebrate a successful purchase of a property. Marking this occasion with a present will demonstrate gratitude for their business and keep doors open when the time comes for them to purchase again. A gift for this occasion should make their new house feel like a home. So, think of welcome mats, dinner kits, and decorations.

20. Referral gifts

A happy client is likely to refer others to your business. As a way to show gratitude for these loyal customers helping you obtain new customers, consider a referral gift. These gifts can range from discounts on products to more personalized items. Whatever you decide to gift, a referral gift is a great way to show you appreciate them while continuing to open doors. 

Find an Occasion that Meets Company, Employee, and Client Needs

While giving a gift for all of these occasions is not exactly realistic, each can be paired with the perfect gift basket or business gift that will make the recipient feel appreciated.

To help with deciding which occasions you will celebrate, look at these occasions and see if any of them line up with a specific goal or value the company is emphasizing. For example, if the organization seeks to improve DEI efforts, select an occasion or two that promote that initiative. 

As your team develops a corporate gifting system that works for the company, employees, and clients, your workplace will become more unified and an overall more enjoyable place to work, improving the quality of customer service given to your clients.