A Gift Five Generations Can Agree On

When I think of my Grandma Liz, I think how terrible her cooking was and yet how much I loved it. From her homemade chocolate éclairs (I now realize she had split the custard, which essentially made a scrambled egg filling inside) to botched casseroles, I’ve got to hand it to her…she tried. The interesting part is I have no memory of how terrible these things tasted, only the memory of cooking by her side in the kitchen, and her frequent “Oh darn!” followed by laughter when something inevitably went awry.

The memories are about the connection, presence, and togetherness that I felt during these moments together. My husband and I are expecting a baby girl this January, and we are naming her after my dear Grandma Liz. I think about all the things she would have passed down to our little Lizzy, if Grandma Liz were still with us. But I am comforted knowing these funny memories of cooking inedible food will be shared with her, as her namesake.

Last month I talked about food being the “great connector” across cultural differences, but it’s also the great connector across generations. When families get together for holidays, there are sometimes up to five generations in one home, and the thing that brings them all together is a meal.

They can’t count on conversations around politics, pop culture, or sports to create kumbaya moments…but man, they can count on Grandpa Bob and Gen Alpha tween Penelope agreeing that it’s the best steak and mashed potatoes they’ve ever had in their life!

We live in a time where generational differences are noticed, debated, and at the forefront of our conversations, especially in the workplace. Sometimes I think about what it would have been like to work alongside a “Grandma Liz.” We were more than 50 years apart; she was born during the Great Depression, and I was born during the Digital Awakening. And yet it’s not far-fetched these days to work alongside someone who could be your grandparent. Five generations under one roof, only now the roof is an office and we are all on Zoom trying to unmute. What could go wrong?

So, when I think about common ground that unites each and every generation at work, it’s the same thing that unites them at home: food, family, and tradition.

Many HR departments are overthinking their gifting strategies. When we think of a multi-generational workforce, what is a gift that everyone would want? Too often, the answer becomes another branded item that gets used once or forgotten altogether. But the gifts that really stick are the ones that ripple outward, becoming less about the things themselves and more about the memories they create.

Picture an employee being thanked at work with a thoughtful holiday gift, already imagining the meal they’ll share with family at home. A meal has always brought people together, no matter what generation they belong to. That’s the kind of gift I’ve seen create value across a workforce: one whose meaning reaches beyond the office. It’s one of the reasons I’ve enjoyed partnering with Omaha Steaks. Their holiday gift guide gives companies a place to start with gifts that turn appreciation at work into an experience shared around the family table.

Somewhere down the line, someone you love will have their own kitchen memory, just like my Lizzy will. An ordinary moment that becomes, without anyone planning it, the kind of forever keepsake that gets passed down. That’s what matters most; it’s less about the gift, and more about who they choose to share it with.

See what some clients of Omaha Steaks had to say about gifting across generations:

“In healthcare, relationships can span decades and generations. We wanted a holiday gift that felt personal and would bring some joy to the whole household. Omaha Steaks does that. The gift arrives at one person’s doorstep, but it often ends up around the family dinner table with parents, kids, and grandparents all sharing the experience.”

— Director of HR, National Healthcare Organization

“We’re a multigenerational company, so we understand the value of traditions that get passed down. A food gift has a way of bringing back memories, someone remembers having it as a kid, and now they’re sharing that same experience with their own children. It connects people in a way a typical business gift simply can’t.”

— Executive Assistant, Family-Owned Manufacturing Company

Find a Gift Every Generation Can Agree On

Explore the Omaha Steaks Business Holiday Gift Guide or connect with a Business Gift Expert to help create an employee gifting program.

Lucy Lantis is an entrepreneur, a Fulbright Scholar, and an organizational facilitator. Through her firm, Inward Inquiry LLC, she helps organizations and teams create people-first cultures rooted in their mission and values. This article was written in paid partnership with Omaha Steaks as part of a content collaboration exploring workplace recognition.