The best farewell gift for colleagues

“Friends are family that you choose” – so the saying goes. But then what are colleagues? The 'family' brought together on the basis of economic strength and with whom one often spends more time than the real one? It's a shame when valued team members leave the company! And especially in times of home office, it is particularly difficult to say goodbye. This is exactly why we have put together ideas for you on what you can do to say goodbye.

It's the final countdown

Farewell parties are a roller coaster ride of emotions! It is often sad when a nice team member or long-time colleague leaves the company. At the same time, it's also nice to celebrate the time we have together and to be happy about the time we have together that is still left. Especially when approaching retirement or a sabbatical, it's a nice idea to create a countdown. You can use sites like Counting Down or Time and Date to create and share individual countdowns.

Look back on the time together

Retirement ceremonies often involve giving speeches—sometimes a little longer than necessary—pens being handed out and hands being shaken. This is not always possible at the moment and may have been a bit outdated in the meantime. With the help of online tools, you can make the farewell party for your colleagues much nicer, more visual and more interactive. And we also have alternative suggestions for the fountain pen... but more on that later ;-)

Send your colleagues a physical farewell gift

Even if (or precisely because) the farewell party is taking place online, you should think about a physical farewell gift. Of course, you could also give an online voucher or credit note. However, especially in the digital context, it is nice to also bring in a physical component. If this is then supplemented by a greeting card, it rounds off the whole event. It is important with the gift that you plan enough time for coordination and shopping. You can vote for the farewell gift with tools like Doodle or in a specially set up Slack channel. Also, remember to write in the event invitation that the incoming package should only be opened at the event.

Sweeten the farewell with a joint chocolate tasting

...or: it's best to unpack together! Instead of a farewell gift, you can of course also create an event around the gift and not only make your colleague happy, but the whole team. Our – admittedly obvious – suggestion would therefore be a joint chocolate tasting . This definitely makes saying goodbye easier and will be remembered for a long time!

Arrange a reunion with the team

Who does not know that? It's much easier to say goodbye "for the moment" than forever. And while everyone usually agrees that you should stay in touch, it happens far too seldom. If the colleague is particularly important to you, you should also follow up your words with deeds. Set up a Doodle and look for a 'Digital Coffee' appointment 4-6 weeks after the farewell party. It is best to plan three minutes at the end of the celebration so that everyone can register directly. You can then enter the date directly in the calendar and you already have something to look forward to!