Farewell gift for a colleague: 12 ideas that go beyond a gift card
Someone is leaving the team or retiring. What do you give that actually stays with them? Twelve ideas that feel more personal than a voucher, plus tips on timing, budget and who coordinates.
A gift card always works, but it rarely stays with anyone. Two weeks later your colleague can't remember who gave what, and the voucher ends up on a grocery list. For someone who was part of the team for five, ten or thirty years, that's a missed chance. Below are twelve ideas we've seen work more often, grouped by style, plus what to avoid and how to coordinate it as a group.
What makes a farewell gift actually stick?
Three things come back in almost every gift people still mention years later. It's personal, so it doesn't exist in the same form for anyone else. More than one colleague contributed, so it feels like something from the whole group. And it stays somewhere, whether on a wall, on a shelf or in a drawer that gets opened now and then.
Anything that meets those three criteria beats a voucher. And a gift card can still be added on top as a practical extra. But the emotional part has to come from somewhere else.
Personal: something tied to this specific colleague
1. A book of handwritten anecdotes
Ask each colleague to write one anecdote, one line or one piece of advice on an A5 card. Collect them two weeks ahead, bundle them at a local printer or have them bound as a leather album. Cost: 30 to 80 euros. What makes it special is the handwriting, not the words. Five years later your colleague can still see who wrote what.
2. A framed team photo with a second layer
The classic team photo works, but gets stronger when you add something to it. Have everyone hold a small sign with one word that captures their work with the departing colleague. Or print the photo on canvas next to a small frame with signatures. 40 to 90 euros for something that ends up on a wall instead of in a drawer.
3. A playlist of the office years
Each colleague picks one song that reminds them of a moment with the leaver. Compile it as a Spotify playlist and design a cover with a team photo. Costs nothing and works surprisingly well for people who listen to a lot of music. Combine it with a bluetooth speaker or a small gift for anyone expecting something tangible.
Fun: something that gets the last day moving
4. A parody award
Make a trophy for something absurd the colleague was known for. Earliest coffee drinker. Most train delays. King or queen of reply-all emails. Get it engraved at a local trophy shop for under 40 euros. On the farewell drink you hold a short award ceremony. It works almost every time because it brings a laugh into a moment that can otherwise feel heavy.
5. A collage of inside jokes
Collect chat screenshots, office photos, small jokes only the team understands, and put them on an A2 poster or in a small book. For someone who stayed long, that's a time capsule. Don't do this if the colleague is leaving under less warm circumstances, it only works in a warm goodbye mood.
6. A short video compilation
Ask each colleague for a clip of up to 20 seconds: a thank you, a joke, a memory, a message. Edit them together. Someone with basic CapCut or iMovie skills can finish this in an evening. Play the video at the farewell drink. The colleague gets the file to keep. For remote teams this is often the best thing you can do.
From the whole group: something everyone contributes to
7. A shared experience instead of an object
For larger budgets (200+ euros): book something together. A cocktail workshop with the team, a restaurant dinner, a spa day or concert for the colleague and their partner. What you buy isn't the thing, it's the time. For someone retiring, that's often much more fitting than a luxury item.
8. A photo book of highlights
Collect photos from team days, holiday parties, old projects, office renovations, anything that shows how the colleague was part of something that grew. Put it together in a photo book via Albelli, Smartphoto or Bonusprint. 60 to 120 euros for something people actually pick up again.
9. One album with photos and messages from everyone
If you want to gather input from all colleagues quickly without one person doing all the work: put a QR code at the farewell drink or share a link on Teams. Everyone uploads a photo, a short video or a message whenever it suits them. The leaver receives one album with everything in it afterwards, including from colleagues who couldn't be there that day. Tools like Partylio let you set this up in about five minutes, without anyone needing an account. It works because it's zero extra work for you and still delivers something personal.
For after the last day
10. A subscription to something they enjoy
A yearly magazine subscription that matches their hobby. A streaming service for a year. A coffee bean subscription. Something arriving every month keeps them thinking of you for another year without a birthday or holiday. 60 to 200 euros depending on what you pick.
11. A book or plant with meaning
Not just any plant, but for example a small olive tree for someone who loves Southern Europe. A book from an author they enjoy, with a handwritten note from the team on the first page. Small gifts that say something. 20 to 50 euros.
12. An experience voucher with a concrete proposal
A restaurant or hotel voucher often goes unused because people never get around to booking. Fix that by proposing a date and handling the reservation yourself. For someone retiring: reserve a table for them and their partner at a restaurant they once mentioned. That small extra effort makes the difference.
Extra care with a retirement gift
Retirement adds something a regular farewell doesn't: a career that's ending. Often thirty or forty years of colleagues and projects this person watched come and go. That calls for a gift that reaches back further than the last few years.
What we've seen work more often here: get in touch with former colleagues who used to work with this person and left the team long ago. Ask them for a short clip or a written message. Include family too: partner, children, sometimes even grandchildren. What you get then is no longer a farewell gift from the team, but a collage from a whole working life. That carries a different weight.
A second tip for retirement: avoid gifts that hint at 'sitting still' (hammocks, garden chairs). Many people today experience retirement as a new phase, not as the end of something. Something for a trip, a new hobby or a volunteering context often fits better.
What to avoid
- Too generic: a bottle of wine without a card feels like something you had lying around
- Too expensive without coordination: if one colleague gives 80 euros and the others 5, it gets awkward
- Last-minute: start two to three weeks ahead, especially if you want something made or printed
- Purely material: anything without a card or a personal message feels unfinished
- Jokes not everyone shares: keep it warm, not awkward
How to coordinate as a group
One person takes the lead. Usually someone close to the leaver or the team lead. That person sends a message to the team with three things: the gift idea, the amount per person (usually 10 to 25 euros for a regular farewell, 25 to 50 for retirement), and a deadline.
For collecting money: a shared link via Payconiq, Tikkie or a bank account works faster than cash. For gathering input (photos, messages, videos): one central place where everyone can upload. Don't chase colleagues who don't respond too hard, some people just don't do this.
Timing at the farewell drink itself: you usually hand over the gift just before or after a short speech. Not at the very start (people aren't ready), not at the very end (people have left). About half an hour in works best. Keep the handover short, then give people room to walk up to the colleague afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
How much per person is normal?
For a colleague from your direct team after a few years working together: 15 to 25 euros per person. For someone who's only been with the company a year: 5 to 15 euros. For retirement after a long career: 25 to 50 euros. Look not just at the amount, but at what it adds up to across the number of colleagues joining in.
What if you only worked with this colleague briefly?
Join in with the group, keep the amount modest and write a short message that's honest about how briefly you worked together. Something like 'we only crossed paths for six months, but in that time you helped me with X, thank you.' Better than forcing something that wasn't there.
What's the difference between a leaving gift and a retirement gift?
For a redundancy or forced leaving, keep it warmer and less celebratory. The colleague isn't leaving by choice. Focus on appreciation for the collaboration, not on a big celebration. For retirement it can be more festive, with a look back at the whole career and input from people outside the current team.
How do you handle it when the team is remote?
For the gift itself: pick something you can order online and have delivered, or a voucher valid anywhere. For gathering input: one shared online place where everyone can drop photos, messages or clips whenever it fits. A short online farewell call with all colleagues does more than you'd expect, even when there's nothing to physically hand over.