5 steps to the perfect year-end gift for your employees.

The coziest gift-giving month of the year is just around the corner: December. A time to look back and reflect, but also to plan ahead. You review the year, assess results, and – most impor­tant­ly – thank your employees for their efforts.

A year-end gift is more than a nice surprise. It’sa powerful token of appre­ci­a­tion and recog­ni­tion. And that’s exactly what helps employees thrive. A sincere gift boosts happiness at work, engagement, and motivation. It strength­ens the connection between colleagues and with your company. In short: it helps build a strong company culture, one smile at a time.

Did you know that 9 out of 10 employees already receive a year-end gift? Yet only 6 out of 10 are truly happy with it. A missed oppor­tu­ni­ty, especially since this single moment accounts for nearly 70% of the annual gifting policy budget.

Feeling over­whelmed by choice? No worries, we’re here to help. In just 5 simple steps, we’ll guide you to the perfect year-end gift. With over 150,000 smiling employees and counting, Kadonation knows what works, thanks to years of experience and market know-how.

Before choosing the perfect gift, it’s smart to first think about your budget.

In Belgium, the average value of a year-end gift is around €45 per employee**. Still, €40 is often the magic number. Why? Because it’s the maximum amount you can give tax-free: neither you as an employer nor your employee will pay taxes on the gift.

Do you also have employees in the Nether­lands? Then different rules apply. Gifts and holiday packages for staff are considered mixed expenses with limited business deductibil­i­ty under Dutch tax law. They are only partially deductible for income or corporate tax purposes.

One employee might love a good bottle of wine, while another dreams of new headphones or a relaxing spa day. No surprise then that there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to year-end gifts. Our market research* shows that 1 in 4 employers opts for a gift card that lets employees choose their own gift. A smart move, because 2 out of 3 employees say a multi-brand gift card is the ideal way to celebrate the New Year.

Giving your employees a flexible gift card clearly works. We see it in the variety of categories people use the Kadonation Gift Card for: fashion and elec­tron­ics are top favorites, but relaxation and personal care also rank high. Discover all our gift partners here.

Want to combine freedom of choice with a tangible gift? No problem. At Kadonation, we offer a range of fun mini gifts that pair perfectly with a Kadonation Gift Card. That way, you give something to unwrap right away, and something to look forward to.

A gift with a personal message leaves a lasting impression. According to our market research, gifts that come with a heartfelt note are the most appre­ci­at­ed. That’s why Kadonation combines meaningful moments with smart technology. Through Kadonation Select, our gifting platform, you can easily offer every employee a gift that feels personal.

A personal touch goes a long way. It’s no coin­ci­dence that gifts with a custom message are the most valued: appre­ci­a­tion truly resonates when it’s genuine and directed at the individual.

At Kadonation, we blend tech with emotion. With Kadonation Select, our intuitive gifting platform, you can effort­less­ly surprise each team member with a per­son­alised gift. Add a name, include a warm message or go all out with full branding in your company style. Whether you’re gifting one colleague or a thousand employees, our platform makes it easy.

How do you make a gift personal?

• Include their name
  Including your employee’s name instantly makes a gift feel thoughtful and familiar. You can easily per­son­alise the Kadonation Gift Card, gift packaging, and even the gift itself with the recipient’s name.

• Deliver a message
  A heartfelt message goes a long way. Include a personal note or invite colleagues to write something too. Peer-to-peer appre­ci­a­tion adds even more meaning to your gift.
  
  With Kadonation Select, it’s all effortless: write a warm message with the help of our AI assistant and invite colleagues to contribute their digital wishes. One gift, many voices, and that makes all the difference.

• Apply your company branding
  Want a gift that fits your brand? Absolutely possible. With our user-friendly design tool in Kadonation Select, you can per­son­alise every part of the experience. From the physical or digital gift card to the email and even the activation and redemption pages, all can be styled in your brand identity.
  
  Even physical gifts can be fully customised. Choose packaging in your brand colours, add a message, and create a gift that truly reflects your organ­i­sa­tion. Recog­nis­able, thoughtful, and tailored to your story.

Sus­tain­able business isn’t just a trend, it’s a necessity. And every conscious choice matters, even when gifting. By choosing a sus­tain­able gift, you show that your organ­i­sa­tion cares not only for its people, but also for the world around them. It’s a meaningful way to make a lasting impression and contribute to a better future, one gift at a time.

At Kadonation, you’ll find plenty of sus­tain­able options:

• A large part of our selection includes fair, ethically made products that respect people, animals, and the planet.
• We work with a lot of sus­tain­able, pro­gres­sive suppliers such as Wondr, Iwas, Redopapers.
• We have gifts in bamboo, from recycled fibres, flowers and plants, recycled paper, sus­tain­able chocolate, little trees, …
  

And the Kadonation Gift Card is a sus­tain­able choice too. Here’s why:

• For every €500 we sell in Kadonation Gift Cards, together we plant 1 tree as part of the WeForest project. They’re taking up the fight against global warming with projects in Tanzania and Zambia.
• Our gift cards and boxes are printed on FSC paper. This means that at least 70% of the fibres come from sus­tain­ably managed forests and/​or recycled fibres.
• To reduce our carbon footprint, we work with local producers as much as possible. You’ll find a nice range of their products on our gift platform Kadonation Select.
• Completely paper-free? No problem! We offer digital alter­na­tives too.

Timing is everything. When you give your gift can be just as impactful as the gift itself. The perfect moment depends on your company culture and traditions.

Discover our end-of-year gifts

*Research com­mis­sioned by Kadonation and carried out by InSites Consulting – 2,000 employees – Spring 2021
** own analysis based on more than 100,000 gift cards sold