How to Buy a Christmas Gift for a Co-worker

Despite spending a majority of your time with them, co-workers can often be hard to find gifts for.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Observe your co-worker's personality, noting things such as hobbies, favorite restaurants and what they typically do on the weekends.

2. Bring up such topics in passing conversation to gain more knowledge on what types of things they would enjoy.

3. Ask them about their own shopping habits and how they figure out what they want to get for everyone on their list for Christmas/the holidays. This can be important because if they say they make it a habit to never buy gift certificates because they're too impersonal and don't show any thought, then don't buy your co-worker a gift certificate.

4. Observe their office and take note of anything they may need or be lacking that a normal office may have like a calendar, picture frames or even a small fountain.

5. Think about what time period they're at in their lives. If they're recently married, gift certificates to major department stores would be greatly appreciated. If they've recently joined a book club, an Amazon gift card could be a hit.

Tips & Warnings

• In almost all circumstances (except for the very specific one mentioned above), a co-worker will appreciate a gift certificate. You can always play it safe and buy one from the eatery he frequents the most at work. Or present him with a coffee house card if he always comes into work with his morning Joe.
• Stay away from gifts that are too grand or expensive. Remember that not all co-workers give or expect to receive gifts, so this kind of gesture could put them in an awkward situation.
• If you didn't buy gifts for the whole office, then be discreet when handing out your few gifts. Do it at the end of the day or perhaps during lunch when fewer people are around.
• Don't be offended if you do not receive a gift in return. Remember that there is no straightforward etiquette on giving and receiving Christmas gifts from co-workers, and they're not obligated to get you anything.

Resources

• Top 10 Christmas Gift Web Sites