Pick the perfect office Secret Santa gifts with our cheat sheet

We’ve all been there. You draw a name in the Secret Santa, and…blank. You’re looking at a familiar name, but you can’t think of a gift. You can’t even go and ask their work-friends, because everyone will know who you’ve drawn.

Don’t sweat though, we have you covered. Use our Secret Santa cheat sheet for a bit of inspiration.

By the way, if this seems like a lot of gift ideas to take in at once, get in touch with our team! With just one of our Love2shop Gift Cards, or Digital Reward Codes, your staff can pick the perfect gift for themselves.

The kitchen wizard

The person in your office who gets a kick out of delighting the team with treats. Hasn’t turned their oven off since March, and thinks Bake-Off is for “casuals”.

DON’T: Try to take on the champ at their own game by baking something. You’re wading into deep waters, there.

DO: Give them their own cheat sheet apron! The skirt of the apron has common unit conversions for quick reference, so there’s no more trying to Google “2/3 Cup in ML” with doughy fingers.

The health nut

Rarely seen without a protein shake, never seen with refined sugars.

DON’T: Go for supplements, powders, or gym equipment – they probably already have it all. And trust us, you’ll never be able to pick the right blend of powders, pills and oils they like.

DO: Buy shakers and shake balls. If your gym-aficionado is anything like ours, it doesn’t matter how many they’ve already got, they’ve got an eye on one more.

The gourmand

You’re having coffee, they’re using home-ground Arabica beans in an AeroPress. You made steak and chips, they reverse-seared a 28-day dry-aged ribeye joint with fondant potatoes.

DON’T: Think you have to impress or one-up them. Their interests might be niche, but it doesn’t mean they’re a snob.

DO: Buy them a cookbook from the chef of that one restaurant you heard talking about back in February.

The social butterfly

They can’t turn down a chance for a chat, and their social side brings some positivity to the office every day.

DON’T: Go for chocolates. They don’t need the energy, they get their buzz off other people.

DO: Buy them a conversation-starter mug for their drinks. They need a chance for a talk, so give them exactly what they want.

The modest mouse

Comes in on time, works with their earbuds in all day, clocks out on time. You never hear them say much, but they never miss a deadline either.

DON’T Assume that because they’re quiet at work they’re a champion introvert outside the office.

DO: Check out what kind of phone they use and buy them a charger for that brand. It doesn’t matter how many chargers you have, the amount you need is always one more than what you’ve got.

The remote worker

Rarely seen, occasionally heard, but always valued. Could be manning an outpost away from HQ or just working at home full-time.

DON’T: Scour their Facebook for clues on what they’re into. You might accidentally like a photo from 2012.

DO: Hit them up with some streaming services. Netflix, Amazon, Disney Plus, any of the big hitters would be great.

The boss

It doesn’t matter how good they are as a boss, they’re the closest thing to the short straw in a Secret Santa.

DON’T: Try to hit a home run by breaking the price limit. It’s not cool and your boss won’t really be able to enjoy the gift if it’s expensive.

DO: Lean into the discomfort a bit. Get them something like a desk name-plate that says “THE BIG CHEESE”.

The workaholic

The person on your team that lives for the job. Emails at 10pm, in the office (or on Teams) at 7am. Likes to talk shop at Friday drinks.

DON’T: Try to imply they need to slow down a bit. It could come off as a judgement.

DO: Either make sure the time they do take to relax is worth it with a nice bottle of wine, or keep them well-caffeinated with a supply of fancy coffees.