Packed with Purpose | October 23, 2026
56% of professionals feel genuinely valued after receiving a thoughtful gift from their employer.
A work anniversary arrives during a busy week. A new colleague joins a remote team. Someone completes a project that took months of hard work. A thoughtful gift can give each moment the attention it deserves and make appreciation tangible.
New 2026 corporate gifting research shows how much that matters. Among people who have received a gift from their employer, 56% say a thoughtful gift made them feel genuinely valued, and 42% say it made them want to keep working with the sender. (These answers reflect corporate gifts from any source.) [1]
In other words, a thoughtful gift carries real emotional weight. It can help people feel valued and make them want to continue the relationship.
For HR teams, those findings point to a useful starting question: what would help this person feel recognized?
Nearly 3 in 4 full-time employees (74%) have received a corporate gift.[2] With gifting this common, the details of how you do it matter.
For HR leaders, the practical opportunity is to make recognition specific. Choose an occasion that matters to the employee and connect the gift to what you appreciate about them.
Explore the 2026 State of Corporate Gifting Report for the full findings on recipient preferences and relationships.
Start with how the gift will be received. Will the gift arrive at home or at an office? Is it intended for an individual or a team? Do you know about dietary preferences or other details that would help you choose well?
Let those answers guide what you send and how. A shareable assortment may suit a team celebration, while a gift for a remote employee should be easy to receive and enjoy at home. When possible, offering a choice lets employees pick what suits them.
Make the message personal, too. Thank someone for supporting a colleague, handling a tough stretch or contributing all year. That detail shows what you noticed and why you are celebrating them.
An employee milestone gifting program helps HR teams plan ahead for the moments that deserve acknowledgment. Work anniversaries, onboarding, and birthdays create natural, recurring opportunities to connect.
Decide which occasions to recognize, set a budget, and choose who will write each message. A manager may be best placed to describe an employee’s contribution, while HR coordinates timing and delivery.
Include employees across locations and work arrangements. Consistent planning helps ensure that someone working remotely receives the same care as a colleague in the office. Leave room for individual preferences, including how people like to be recognized.
A gift that gives back comes with a story to explore. Treats made by a business that creates jobs, for example, invites employees to discover the people and purpose behind what they’re enjoying.
Pair that story with a personal thank-you. Your message recognizes their contribution, and the impact story shows the care behind your choice. Together, they make your recognition feel truly thoughtful.
Every Packed with Purpose corporate gift tells this story for you. Our products come from purpose-driven businesses, and each gift includes a Stories of Impact Booklet that introduces employees to the makers, causes and communities their gift supports.
Consider onboarding, work anniversaries, birthdays, team accomplishments, and holiday appreciation. Choose occasions your organization can recognize consistently, then tailor the message to the employee or team.
Read the full report to bring recipient insights into your employee appreciation and milestone gifting plans.
Sources and Methodology
[1] PwP analysis of PwP/Harris Poll survey data. Weighted cross-tabulation of respondents who selected an employer as a corporate gift source (n=712). The 56% and 42% findings concern thoughtful corporate gifts that made respondents feel valued or want to keep working with the sender. The questions do not attribute those experiences to a particular gift source. Respondents could select multiple sources and experiences.
[2] 2026 State of Corporate Gifting Report, Chapter 2. Research commissioned by Packed with Purpose and conducted by The Harris Poll. Base for the 74% finding: full-time employed adults (n=918). The figure covers corporate gifts from any source.
The survey was conducted online in the United States from July 23 to 24, 2026, among 2,007 adults ages 18 and older, including 1,133 corporate gift recipients. Percentages are weighted and rounded.