What to get a coworker you don't know well
Secret Santa or a leaving gift for someone you’ve barely spoken to. How to choose something thoughtful without pretending to know them better than you do.
A pleasant, useful gift is a perfectly good outcome here. Good coffee, a nice notebook, or a treat from a local shop covers most office exchanges comfortably.
If you’d like it to feel a little more personal, go by what you’ve actually noticed about their workday rather than guessing at their personality.
Start with what you’ve noticed
You may not know their hobbies, but you’ve probably seen how they work. That’s a better guide than a guess.
- What they drink
- A permanent coffee cup, a tea ritual, a favorite sparkling water. One of the easiest signals to go on.
- What they’re always short of
- A phone permanently at 4%, a pen they keep borrowing. A small fix for a daily annoyance feels considerate without being personal.
- How they keep their desk
- Bare and tidy, or full of plants and photos? It hints at whether something to display would be welcome, or whether something that gets used up is safer.
If you work remotely
There are fewer clues, but usually some: what’s behind them on video calls, what they mention in chat, what they share in a team channel.
Things that ship easily and need no sizing work best — a treat delivered to their door, or a digital gift card to somewhere they’ve mentioned. Check how your team usually handles this first; some send gifts through a shared service so nobody needs a home address.
Safe choices that still feel chosen
- A nicer version of something everyday
- A good notebook or a solid pen. Useful to almost anyone.
- Something local
- Coffee from a roaster in your town, chocolate from a nearby maker. It also gives you something to say when you hand it over.
- Small practical things, checked first
- A cable or power bank can be handy, but make sure it fits the devices they use. Anything bigger for their job is usually something the company should provide, not a colleague.
What to steer clear of
Anything about their appearance — clothing, fragrance, grooming products. Even when well meant, it can come across as a comment on how they look, which is especially awkward at work.
Jokes that depend on knowing them well. Without the shared history, they tend to fall flat.
Alcohol, unless you know it’s welcome. Seeing someone have a drink at one event doesn’t tell you much; people skip alcohol for all sorts of reasons that aren’t visible.
Going well over the agreed limit. Staying close to it keeps things comfortable for everyone in the exchange.