Secret Santa gifts for colleagues: 20 safe, useful ideas · Santamigo
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Secret Santa gifts for colleagues: 20 ideas that suit anyone
· 5 min read
Drawn a colleague for Secret Santa? 20 useful, neutral ideas that are easy to open in front of the team, sorted by type of colleague, plus what to avoid.
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A good Secret Santa gift for a colleague is useful, neutral and fine to unwrap in front of the whole team. Something for their desk, a treat to share or a small comfort for working from home works almost every time. Below are 20 ideas sorted by type of colleague, from the person you sit next to every day to the one you only know by first name.
What makes a good gift for a colleague?
Three quick questions sort most ideas. Can they use it at work or at home without it feeling personal? Does it stick to the budget the organiser set? Would you be comfortable if the whole office watched them open it? Three yeses and you're on the right track.
For an office swap, £10 to £20 is a sensible guide. If yours is on the tighter side, our list of Secret Santa gift ideas under £20 goes well with this one. And if you're the one running it, our office Secret Santa guide covers setting the rules from day one.
Which gifts make a desk nicer to work at?
These are the safe bets: they get used every day, and your colleague will think of you when they do. For the plant, go for one of the cacti or succulents, which cope fine with a long weekend and nobody watering them.
Treats have one big advantage: they can be shared at tea break, and even if your colleague isn't keen, someone else will be. Just keep any allergies or diets you know about in mind.
A coffee tasting set
around £15
A few different origins to try, beans or ground depending on the office machine.
What should you get a colleague who works from home?
If they're often at the kitchen table rather than the office, aim for something that makes those days more pleasant. And if the swap happens by post, order early so the parcel arrives before the big day.
At the office or at home, gifts for the desk are hard to get wrong.
What do you buy a colleague you barely know?
In a big team, this is the most common case. Stick to everyday things that are well made and carry no personal message. A simple object that lasts beats a joke gadget that ends up in a drawer.
Gifts that feel too personal make people uncomfortable: perfume, clothes, toiletries or beauty products. Steer clear of alcohol as well, since not everyone drinks, and of anything bulky they'll have to carry home on the train. And stick to the budget: a gift worth far more than the others is as awkward as one that looks rushed. Our article on bad Secret Santa gifts covers the other pitfalls.
How can you find out what they'd like without giving yourself away?
The easiest way is to look at their wish list. On Santamigo, every participant can fill one in, and your person's list shows up on your page. If your colleague hasn't written anything, send a note through the anonymous messaging, which comes with the free version, and ask whether they're more of a tea or coffee person without revealing who you are. You can also share our tips for a Secret Santa wish list with the team before the draw.
