New job gift ideas that survive the desk move

New job gifts go wrong in one direction: too big. They've got a bin bag of desk stuff to carry to a new building and a first day to survive, so anything bulky becomes a burden before they've even started.

The good ones are small, useful and personal. Something for the new desk, something for the first Friday night, or something that makes them laugh in a building where they don't know anyone yet.

Below is what to buy by budget and by relationship, what it should cost, and the ideas worth avoiding.

What to spend in the UK

• A colleague you work with occasionally: £5 to £10, usually a shared card and something small.
• A close colleague or team member: £15 to £25.
• A whole-team collection: £3 to £5 a head, which normally lands at £30 to £60 in total.
• A close friend or partner: £25 to £50, and this is where a keepsake makes sense.

Gifts for the new desk

• A coaster set, because every office mug ends up on a pile of paper otherwise.
• A print for the wall or shelf, so the new desk looks like theirs on day one.
• A pin badge for the lanyard or bag, which is the cheapest way to make someone smile.
• A desk name plate for the colleague whose job title has just changed.

Gifts for the first week

• A hand-poured candle for the Friday night after the first week.
• A card the whole team signed, which is the one thing they'll actually keep.
• A bookmark or notebook for anyone facing a fortnight of induction reading.

By who they are

• First ever job: something encouraging rather than sarcastic, plus a card that says you mean it.
• Internal promotion: mark the promotion, not the move. A desk piece works better than a leaving gift.
• Leaving for a rival: keep the joke light and the gift genuinely nice.
• A friend outside work: a candle or print, and a card that says the thing you'd say out loud.

What to avoid

• Anything branded with the old company logo. They're leaving.
• Big framed items and plants, which have to be carried on a train.
• Joke gifts about their old boss, if the card is being signed by the old boss.
• Alcohol, unless you know for certain that they drink.

Candles

Hand-poured in the UK, for the end of a long first week.

Coasters, prints and desk pieces

Small things that make a new desk feel like theirs.

Pin badges

For the lanyard, the bag or the notice board.

New job cards to go with it

Blank inside, printed in the UK, posted first class.

Where to shop next

• Congratulations messages
• What to write in a congratulations card
• Congratulations on your promotion
• Work anniversary messages
• New job card messages
• New job gift ideas
• Buy a new job card
• Shop new job cards
• Shop promotion cards
• Shop congratulations cards
• Shop new job gifts
• Thank you messages for your boss
• Leaving card messages for a colleague
• Leaving do ideas
• Work colleague leaving gift ideas
• Work party ideas hub
• Office birthday ideas
• Retirement party decorations
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Gifts to make someone smile
• Thinking of you gifts
• Funny New Job Cards for Colleagues - shop the range

Frequently asked questions

How much should you spend on a new job gift?

For a colleague, £5 to £10 on your own or £3 to £5 a head in a team collection. For someone you're close to, £15 to £25 covers a candle or print plus the card.

Do you give a gift for a new job or just a card?

A card is the minimum and it's genuinely enough for most colleagues. Add a small gift for anyone you've worked closely with, or when the whole team is chipping in together.

What's a good new job gift for a woman or a man?

The same things work for both: a candle, a coaster set, a print or a pin badge. Choose by what their new desk looks like rather than by gender.