Diwali – the festival of lights is one of the grandest celebrations in India. These celebrations are marked with the joy of giving and sharing.
Giving gifts during Diwali helps create emotional bonds between givers and receivers. In the corporate world, Diwali celebrations help to foster a sense of belonging and loyalty between employees and the company.
As an HR professional, you are responsible for planning, executing, and managing the entire process of Diwali gifts for employees. If you’re new to this annual tradition, we’ve curated a list of best practices to help you create a memorable Diwali gifting experience.
Start by learning about your employees
Diwali gifting is a heartwarming ritual that can strengthen rapport between colleagues. However, for Diwali gifts to have an impact, you must pick the right gift. But you won’t be able to decide on exciting Diwali gifts for employees if you are not aware of what your employees like or dislike.
Your Diwali gift ideas for employees must begin with their interests and preferences. You can get this information by conducting surveys or polls using a customized corporate gifting solution. It allows you to create custom surveys that will help you in gathering information to tailor the Diwali gifting experience.
Diwali gifting experience must reflect company culture
Diwali gifts for employees help create a sense of community and harmony. As an HR, you will be able to do so only when you align your Diwali gifting experience with the values the organization holds, and workplace culture.
For example, if your company culture is modern and new-age, giving traditional sweet boxes as a corporate Diwali gift may not cut it. Additionally, it is important that your Diwali gifts reflect company brand messaging and the motto to create consistency.
Personalization is a must in Diwali gifts for employees
Most companies hire groups of diverse people hailing from different backgrounds, cultures, motivations and experiences. Which means the Diwali gifts for employees must reflect the diversity of your workplace. You can do this by personalizing the gifts, and show that every employee’s uniqueness is celebrated and valued. HR leaders can make this happen by including personalized messages for each gift or embossing their names on the gifts.
Promote sustainability to promote responsibility
Being a HR, you might be tasked with creating awareness for social issues including environmental conservation. You can leverage the Diwali gifting experience to promote eco-consciousness and sustainability by selecting gifts that are biodegradable. There are multiple Diwali gifts for employees that promote the idea of sustainability like earthen kitchenware, plantable pencils, reusable water bottles, tote bags, etc..
Prepare a budget beforehand
One of the most critical phases of the Diwali gifting process for HR leaders is to strike the right balance between financial feasibility and quality gifts that will be well received. The ideal method would be to decide on a budget to purchase Diwali gifts for employees so that you can put a cap on spending. It will avoid budget overshoots and simplify the process of procuring gifts.
Explore experiential gifting ideas
More and more employees are giving up the idea of physical gifts and opting for experiences that create lasting memories. If it suits your workforce, you can explore multiple experiential gifting options like adventure outings, wellness vouchers, and concert tickets. It will help you personalize Diwali gifts for employees, while also aligning the practice with your workplace culture. Additionally, you can host a Diwali celebration day at the office that will build camaraderie between employees, and add to the positive work environment.
Zaggle Propel – Your Diwali gifting experience specialist
HR leaders can pull off a fantastic Diwali gifting program only if they have access to all the right tools. In addition to enough funds and procurement vendors, they must have access to a solid automation tool to offer Diwali gifts for employees seamlessly. With Zaggle Propel, an all-in-one employee and channel partner engagement and incentivization platform, you can get access to features like-
- Global rewards platform curating a wide range of gifts and merchandise.
- Customized polls and surveys to gain information on employee preferences.
- User dashboard to get all your employees on a single platform for effective communication.
- AI-driven reports and analytics to evaluate employee engagement.
