Retirement is widely known as the point where someone has to stop their employment with a company completely. There are many reasons why someone chooses to retire, and old age is one of the most common reasons why someone does so. Currently, there is an increasing number of individuals who opt for semi-retirement and reduce their original working hours.
As your business ages one year after another, you may have a handful of employees who are preparing to retire. During this time, you may want to show how much you appreciate your colleagues or employees. However, do not fret if you are having trouble searching for that perfect retirement gift. Here are some of the top tips to pick the best retirement gifts for your colleagues.
Gather colleagues together for group gifts
You can start by asking around to see who can chip in. This will be more appropriate and significantly cut down on cost. You can view retirement gifts as joint gifts unless you share a close relationship with the retiree. Ensure that you get colleagues who shared the gift to sign a card that includes personal messages. Oftentimes, a heartfelt and well-written note can mean a lot to a person. You should still write something even though a preprinted card is chosen.
Let your creative juices flow
It is a great idea to come up with a gift that uses references to the things the retiree has sold, bought or created on the job. For instance, your colleagues and you can present an IT engineer with a clock that is constructed out of scrap computer parts, such as unused disks. With this battery-operated and shiny clock, the retiree can hang it in his or her home, allowing them to reminisce the good times during their working years.
Consider the hobbies of the retiree
It is a good idea to purchase a gift that is closely related to a hobby that your retiring colleague or employee indulges in or has expressed interest in pursuing after retirement. If you notice a retiree owns Santa Clara pottery, you and other colleagues can pool money in to purchase him or her a piece of handmade pottery to add to their collection as a centerpiece. Gifts that are thoughtful include gadgets, show tickets and sports equipment; you can give such gifts to techies, music lovers and athletics respectively.
Sudden retirements that are not planned
Not all retirements happen as planned and may occur out of sudden. There are certain individuals who are more apprehensive about the idea of being away from the working world and fear they may no longer be of use. Retirements that are forced or unplanned become increasingly common due to business closures, buyouts and layoffs. Under such circumstances, you should steer clear away from saying condolences or congratulations. What you can do is to tell the retiree that you were honored to have had the chance of working and meeting with him or her. Consider their retirement as a life transition rather than an abrupt exit from the workforce.
Know that it’s ok to be sentimental
Did you know that the best retirement gifts can come in the form of remembrance letters that are written by hand, scrapbooks or even photo albums? Colleagues and bosses alike can give something to retirees that help recall positive memories of what he or she did in their professional stint with the company and it can be very meaningful. It is therapeutic for your retired colleague or employee when he or she looks through old company cohesion photos. Sometimes a retiree may feel a little sad that they are no longer working for a company that they had fostered a familial connection with. Hence, a photo book can make their transition to retired life a little easier.
Award retirees for their loyal and long service to the company
Another awesome way to show your appreciation to a retiree is to consider giving away employee service awards, which can be personalized and their details can be engraved on the crystal as well. This type of awards can be presented to employees who have worked in a company for at least five years and more than two decades of continuous service. Other employees who are aware of such awards are less likely to jump ship when a better opportunity arises. Such awards show that the company acknowledges employees for a job well done during the years of service they put their heart and soul into.
Gifting retirees with meaningful and physical mementos can help etch their contributions onto milestones that push the company towards success. Though the journey is not an easy one, all the effort and time put into one’s work are definitely worth it and done for a greater cause.
Call Crystal Plus today to find out more on how you can personalize your own company gifts, trophies and awards. It is always a good idea to gift your retirees with something nice!
