What Employees Really Want This Holiday Season: 2025 Insights Every Leader Needs to Drive Stronger Results in 2026

As companies prepare for the 2025 holiday season, one thing is clear: employees continue to crave meaningful recognition at the end of the year. This year’s Holiday Gifting Report from Snappy shows that when companies give thoughtful holiday gifts, the impact is both emotional and operational. Employees feel more valued, more connected, and more motivated, effects that ripple far beyond December. 

Snappy’s 2025 Holiday Gifting Report reveals that corporate gifting remains one of the most effective and efficient ways to strengthen culture, reinforce appreciation, and support long-term engagement. But more importantly, when we compare last year’s results to the findings in our 2024 Holiday Gifting Report, one trend is unmistakable: the value of thoughtful gifting is not fading. In fact, it’s becoming more essential as employees navigate another year of shifting workplace realities. 

The story behind the numbers is both consistent and compelling. Employees want to feel appreciated, and the holidays are a powerful moment to reinforce that connection. Here’s what stood out in this year’s data. 

‍Trend #1: Holiday Sentiment is Stronger Than Ever

The holiday season continues to be a moment of heightened emotional significance for employees, and this year’s survey underscores just how much people are looking for connection and celebration.    

‍Growing Excitement and Rising Expectations

• 50% of people say they are much more excited about the 2025 holiday season compared to last year
• 58% of people wish they had help managing their holiday gifting responsibilities
• 70% say they’ve received holiday gifts they did not want or use. 

These numbers paint a picture of a season filled with anticipation, but also frustration. Employees are excited, but they’re wary of irrelevant or impersonal gifts. 

‍How This Compares to 2024

In Snappy’s 2024 report, one of the biggest themes was the emotional value of recognition during a year marked by workplace fatigue and shifting expectations. The 2025 data reinforces that trend and amplifies it. 

• Employees are more excited now than last year
• They are still receiving gifts they don’t want
• They expect companies to be thoughtful: if a gift misses the mark, it can backfire

This reinforces a larger truth: holiday gifting is not just a tradition. It’s a cultural moment employees care deeply about 

‍Trend #2: Holiday Employee Gifting Is A Massive Opportunity Still Being Missed

One of the most striking findings from this year’s report is just how many employees still do not receive any holiday gift from their company. 

‍2025 Findings 

• 47% of employees did not receive a holiday gift from their employer last year
• 67% of employees want to receive a holiday gift

Nearly half the workforce is receiving no recognition during one of the most emotionally important seasons of the year, and two-thirds want that moment of appreciation. 

‍How This Compares to 2024

In 2024, Snappy’s findings revealed that employees overwhelmingly wanted gifts instead of parties and strongly associated gifting with feeling valued. The tone of that study was clear: missing the moment means missing an opportunity to build connection. 

The 2025 results sharpen that insight even further. Appreciation is no longer a “nice to have.” Employees explicitly expect holiday recognition, and failing to deliver leaves cultural goodwill on the table. 

‍Trend #3: Timing and Personalization are Make-or-Break Factors

‍Employees Prefer Gifts in December

Customers often ask Snappy when to send their holiday gifts. Is before Thanksgiving best? Should they wait until after the New Year? 

84% of employees prefer to receive holiday gifts in December, especially mid-to-late month. 

Getting the timing right creates the moment, but what you say and how you say it make that moment meaningful. This year’s survey shows employees are paying attention. 

‍Thoughtfulness and Personalization Matter

• 62% say thoughtfulness is important (with 19% saying it is extremely important).
• 82% expect a thoughtful, personalized note with their gift

This is a powerful signal: the holiday note attached to the gift matters almost as much as the gift itself. 

Employees are increasingly looking for meaningful, personal gestures that acknowledge their contributions. 

‍Trend #4: The ROI of Holiday Gifting: The 2025 Numbers Prove It Works

One of the strongest themes in the 2025 survey is the tangible business value of gifting. Gifting isn’t just sentimental, it moves the metrics that matter. 

A Meaningful Gift Boosts Satisfaction and Stays With Employees

• 67% say a meaningful gift increases job satisfaction
• 37% say the impact lasts 3-6 months
• 24% say it lasts more than a year

This means a holiday gift isn’t just a one-day feel-good moment. It meaningfully shapes the first half of the upcoming year. 

• 58% feel more positive about their workplace
• 43% feel more connected to their team and company culture
• 31% feel more engaged at work
• 31% are more likely to recommend their company as a great place to work
• 29% are more likely to stay in their roles longer
• 27% feel more motivated to take on extra work
• 19% feel more inclined to collaborate with others

These aren’t soft metrics. They tie directly to productivity, retention, and culture. 

‍What Happens When Companies Give Nothing

The “cost” of doing nothing is real: 

• 23% feel less positive about their workplace
• 22% feel less connected
• 18% feel less motivated
• 17% feel less engaged
• 14% are less likely to recommend their company
• 9% are less likely to collaborate

In other words, inaction is a decision, and the impact is negative. 

‍How This Compares to 2024

In 2024, Snappy’s study found that meaningful holiday gifts improved morale, retention, and satisfaction, and that employees overwhelmingly preferred gifts to celebrations or events. 

The 2025 data doesn’t just confirm those findings, it intensifies them: 

• More employees tie gifting to culture and belonging
• More associate it with workplace positivity
• And the “do nothing” downside is clearer and more measurable

The year-over-year conclusion is clear: holiday gifting is one of the simplest, highest-ROI levers companies can pull. 

‍Trend #5: Employees Want to Select Their Own Gifts

Holiday gifting has historically landed flat when employers choose items that don’t match individual tastes. Gifting alcohol to the entire organization when there are non-drinkers or sending turkey dinners to employees who do not eat meat will miss the mark by miles. Employees want something personal: 

75% of employees want to choose their own gift

What they will choose: 

• 35% something they want to treat themselves to
• 30% something they need and don’t already have
• 24% an experience, such as tickets to a concert or a spa visit

The message is clear: employees value autonomy, variety, and memorable moments. 

In 2024, Snappy’s survey uncovered the same theme: employees wanted choice and appreciated having curated, flexible options that allowed them to select something personal and meaningful. 

The consistency of this trend across the years proves that choice-based gifting is no longer optional. It’s the standard employees expect. With Snappy, you send your recipients a collection of gifts, and they select the gift they love most. 

‍Trend #6: Bad Gifts Hurt More Than No Gift At All

Here’s one of the most important insights of 2025: 

• 25% of employees have received a gift they did not want from an employer
• 42% say a bad gift makes them feel less appreciated than receiving nothing

A misaligned or low-quality gift doesn’t check the recognition box. It erases it. Companies need gifting systems that ensure every employee receives something they genuinely appreciate. 

‍Trend #7: Employees Prefer Gifts to Parties

The shift from large, in-person events to more flexible recognition options continues. 

67% of employees would rather receive a gift than attend a company holiday party. 

This mirrors the 2024 finding that employees prefer meaningful gifts over company events. For distributed teams, hybrid teams, and remote workforces, gifts simply work better. 

‍Trend #8: Giving Back Matters: Employees Want Charitable Options

One of the most meaningful findings of 2025: 

60% of employees want the option to donate the value of their gift to charity. 

Offering charitable gifting options helps companies reinforce their mission, support employee values, and create space for employees to give meaningfully. 

‍What The 2025 Data Tells Us About the Future of Holiday Gifting

The biggest takeaway from the 2025 Employee Holiday Gifting Survey is simple: 

Holiday gifting works. It boosts morale, improves culture, strengthens connection, increases satisfaction, and supports retention. 

When compared to the 2024 report, one thing becomes undeniably clear: employees’ need for meaningful recognition is not going away – it’s growing. 

The companies that invest in thoughtful, personalized holiday gifting aren’t just spreading seasonal cheer; they’re strengthening their culture, supporting their employees, and setting the tone for a better year ahead. 

Holiday gifting matters. When companies get it right, the impact lasts far beyond the season.

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