Choosing one company gift for an entire workforce can be difficult. Employees have different styles, sizes, interests, work environments, and preferences. A gift that feels perfect for one person may not be useful to another.
Employee choice gifting gives recipients a curated selection of options while allowing the company to maintain control over the budget, branding, and overall experience. It combines personalization with a process that can work for teams of different sizes and locations.
What Is an Employee Choice Gifting Program?
An employee choice gifting program allows employees to select their preferred gift from a group of company-approved options.
Instead of sending everyone the same item, a company may offer choices such as:
- Premium apparel
- Drinkware
- Bags or travel accessories
- Technology products
- Home and lifestyle items
- Wellness gifts
- Food and beverage options
- Branded merchandise
- Non-branded premium gifts
Employees typically receive access to a custom online shop or selection page where they can choose their gift and provide any required information, such as size, color, or shipping address.
Why Employee Gift Choice Matters
Choice makes a gift feel more personal without requiring HR teams to select a different item for every employee.
An employee choice program can help:
- Accommodate different preferences
- Reduce apparel sizing issues
- Serve remote and hybrid employees
- Avoid giving employees items they will not use
- Simplify address collection
- Create a consistent experience across locations
- Give employees a more active role in recognition
- Reduce unused merchandise and unnecessary inventory
The company still controls the available options, which means every gift can align with the brand, occasion, and budget.
When to Offer Employee Gift Choices
Employee choice gifting can work for one-time celebrations or recurring recognition programs.
Employee Appreciation
Offer a curated collection of gifts that lets employees choose how they would like to be recognized.
Work Anniversaries
Create different gift levels based on years of service. Employees can select from options within the appropriate milestone category.
Holiday Gifting
A holiday choice program helps companies serve employees with different tastes, dietary preferences, and lifestyles. It can also make the experience more inclusive for teams that celebrate the season differently.
Company Milestones
Celebrate an anniversary, acquisition, rebrand, or major achievement with gifts that employees can select and enjoy.
New Hire Onboarding
Allow new employees to choose apparel sizes, colors, or other welcome kit elements before the gift is assembled and shipped.
Wellness and Recognition Programs
Choice shops can support wellbeing initiatives, performance awards, incentive programs, and other employee engagement efforts throughout the year.
How to Build an Employee Choice Program
A successful choice program begins with a clear purpose and a carefully edited selection.
Define the Occasion and Budget
Decide what the program is celebrating, who is eligible, and how much the company plans to spend per recipient.
Choose a Balanced Product Assortment
Offer enough variety to make the selection feel personal, but avoid overwhelming employees with too many options.
A strong assortment may include a combination of:
- A practical everyday item
- A premium branded product
- An apparel option
- A home or lifestyle gift
- A wellness option
- A food or beverage experience
Decide How Branding Will Be Used
Some companies want every option to include their logo. Others prefer a combination of branded and non-branded gifts.
Subtle branding often works well for premium programs. A logo can be placed on one hero item, the packaging, an insert card, or the online storefront.
Plan Inventory and Fulfillment
Determine whether products will be ordered in advance, purchased after employees make their selections, or managed through a combination of both approaches.
Bundled’s kitting services can support product receiving, inventory management, storage, packaging, assembly, shipping, and return management.
Make Redemption Easy
Employees should be able to select a gift without navigating a complicated process. Keep instructions clear and request only the information needed to fulfill the order.
Keep the Experience Human
Technology can make an employee choice program easier to manage, but the experience should still feel personal.
Include a thoughtful message explaining:
- Why the employee is receiving the gift
- What the company is celebrating
- How to select an item
- When the selection must be completed
- When the employee can expect delivery
Custom packaging, personalized cards, and carefully selected products help the program feel like recognition rather than a transaction.
Simplify Employee Choice Gifting With Bundled
Bundled creates custom corporate gifting programs for employee recognition, milestones, onboarding, holidays, and company celebrations.
Our team can help curate the products, create the online selection experience, manage inventory, collect recipient information, assemble gifts, and coordinate individual shipping. Companies maintain control over the brand and budget while employees receive a gift they are excited to choose.
Contact a Bundled Gifting Pro to create an employee choice gifting experience for your team.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an employee choice shop?
An employee choice shop is a custom online experience where employees select a gift from a curated group of company-approved options.
Can employees choose apparel sizes and colors?
Yes. Choice programs are especially helpful for collecting apparel sizes, colors, styles, and individual shipping information.
Can employee choice gifts be shipped to home addresses?
Yes. Gifts can be packaged and shipped directly to employees at home, at the office, or across multiple company locations.
Can a company control the available gifts and budget?
Yes. The company approves the product assortment, branding, eligibility, and budget before employees make their selections.
