We’re talking too many water bottles, socks that dont fit, luggage tag holders, etc
I’m sure I’m not the only one with the “box of unused tech swag” and throwing it all away feels like a waste.
Has anyone found a good way to put all this to use?
When I start at a company, I ask if there's a swag opt-out, and if they don't offer one I lobby for it. When I get swag I didn't request or want, I refuse the package or ship it back.
I'm happy to accept shirts or hats when I'm in a visibly customer-facing role or for an event, but the rest of the swag is pure and instant waste, and it makes me like the company less. I get why much of it is done the way it's done (minimum order sizes, quantity discounts, contract reqs, as comp bonuses thrown in with customer/event swag orders) but I don't want that shit in my house.
Swag is waste anyway. If you give it away, the only difference is that somebody else will throw it away (and you may feel better).
I was given a bunch of swag when I started my current job, and just left it in the corner of my cube. When I move on, I'll leave it behind right where it is.
I mean, we kinda all know that anyway, but somehow it reinforced it enough that I know find it actively distasteful.
Even the classic sales approach of buying coffee or a meal feels creepy know, but I've had to relearn to accept it because it's just so hard to fight every time.
When I tell people, the normal response is encredulous "but it's free?". It's really really not, the costs just aren't immediately financial.
(Gifts outside corporate life are generally fine, an actual human wanting to "manipulate" me into liking them more is generally expressing some level of affection. A corporation cannot do that)
Every know and again I get something funny enough that it gets me anyway.. I'm very fond of my all blue Rubic's cube from ibm for example, and I've got a few unbranded water bottles around the place.
Anything else I can't politely refuse just gets binned as soon as I can do so without a fuss.