Best Options for Buying an appropriate Leaving Present
Buying a leaving gift for someone who has been with a company or organization for a long time is generally easier than choosing a leaving present for a colleague you know little about. You can choose a leaving present that is appropriate for any colleague when you discover more about out that person, and if you consider the main reason why your colleague is leaving the job.
♦ Gift buying for a senior colleague
A long serving colleague will probably have formed some strong workplace friendships, or have had social contact with colleagues outside working hours. Friends and co-workers who know your colleague well will be able to help you with ideas about the most acceptable type of leaving present.
Your colleague's hobbies and personal interests can provide plenty of good ideas for choosing a leaving present. Gardening tools, kitchen equipment, a set of travel luggage or sports equipment, for instance. Someone who enjoys a lot of sport might like to receive gift membership to a sports facility or a lifetime ticket to a local stadium.
Colleagues who like high-tech gadgets are quite easy to buy for, provided you know which ones they already have, and what type of gadget they would really like to own.
♦ Choosing a present for a colleague who has to leave
When a colleague leaves a job for a specific reason, such as having a baby or relocating to another part of the country, you can have a better idea about what would be an appropriate leaving present.
A woman who is leaving to have a baby will usually list the items she will need when the baby arrives. A suitable leaving present should be chosen from that list.
Someone who is relocating to another area, or moving to another country, will probably also be moving to a new home. A household item that is practical or decorative would be a nice leaving present for anyone setting up a new home.
A colleague who is leaving to advance a career or to get ahead in a profession could be given a nice new leather briefcase, or a smart laptop bag could make an appropriate present.
♦ Choosing a personal gift for a colleague you know well
When choosing a leaving present to give as a genuine token of appreciation, or a symbol of friendship, your gift choice will be more personal. An item of jewelry or a small collectible item could be a long-lasting reminder of the time you both worked together.
Choosing a leaving present for a colleague does not need to be a hard decision to make when you consider his or her outside interests and reasons for moving on, or when you want to give a personal leaving present to a valued colleague.
