The choice gift: why more and more companies are letting their employees choose

There is an understandable feeling among many HR managers and office managers when it comes to choice gifts. It feels like the easy way out. Like saying: "we couldn't choose, so figure it out yourself." And that is not the image you want to project. You want it to feel like a gesture, not like a brush-off.

But that feeling does not match what happens in practice. And the numbers prove it.

The problem with "the same for everyone"

Imagine this: you buy the same Christmas hamper 200 times. A box full of cheese, wine, some nuts, and a candle. Well-intentioned, carefully selected. But out of those 200 people, some do not drink alcohol. Some are lactose intolerant. Some already have six candles at home. And some just feel it doesn't suit them.

The result: a significant portion of those gifts ends up unused in a cupboard, gets given away to the neighbours, or appears on Marktplaats. We see this happen every year: from karaoke sets to e-readers. This is not because people are ungrateful. It is because a gift that does not suit the recipient is no longer a gift. It is a logistical transaction with a bow on top.

Choosing IS personal

Turn the reasoning around. What is more personal: receiving something someone else picked out for you based on an educated guess, or choosing what you actually want yourself?

The idea that a choice gift is impersonal only holds true if you believe the giver determines what is personal. But the recipient determines that. An employee who chooses a yoga mat for herself because she has just started yoga feels more seen than if she received a set of wine glasses for the third time. Not because those wine glasses are bad, but because they do not suit her.

The personal touch is not in what you give. It is in the freedom to choose what suits you. And this freedom of choice works especially well when you need to arrange gifts for a larger group of people.

What the numbers say

With choice gifts through Cadeo, 95% are actually redeemed. That means 95 out of 100 recipients actually choose and receive something. With traditional hampers, waste is significantly higher—think of all the products that go unused, get passed on, or end up on Marktplaats.

Translate that into money. If you order 200 packages and a large part of the content remains unused, that is budget you spent on appreciation that nobody feels. With a choice gift through Cadeo, you only pay for what is actually redeemed. Every euro goes towards something that someone chose themselves and actually wants.

The objection that is valid (and how to solve it)

There is a valid objection to choice gifts, and we are not going to brush it aside: a choice gift lacks the element of surprise of opening a physical box. That ritual—the box on your desk, peeling off the paper, seeing what's inside—that is fun. It gives a feeling of Christmas, of celebration, of attention.

If you find that physical element indispensable, then combine them. Send a personal card—physical or digital—with a message that matters. Make the moment of receiving the choice link just as special as the moment of opening a box. A well-written or spoken (video) message from your manager feels no less significant than a box of stuff someone else picked out for you. It feels different. And for most people, it feels better.

How it works

The concept is simple. You choose a budget per person (from €15). You personalise the choice portal with your company name and a personal message. You send the link to your employees, clients, or partners. They choose from 1,200+ products—from sustainable design products and local brands to outings, experiences, or gift cards. The gift is delivered to their home. No collecting delivery addresses, no boxes at the office, no stress about dietary requirements or allergies.

So: is it impersonal?

No. It is the opposite. You give someone the freedom to choose something that truly suits them. And you guarantee that your budget ends up where it belongs: on a gift that makes someone happy. Not on a gift that ends up on Marktplaats.

Schedule an introduction and we'll show you what it looks like.