Overview
Employee recognition and appreciation are at the heart of a great HR function. &Open connects to your HRIS and people platforms so you can send thoughtful gifts and gift invitations at the moments that matter most — automatically and at scale. Whether you're marking a new hire's first day, celebrating a work anniversary, or supporting a team going through a tough period, &Open helps your HR team act with genuine care and personal touch.
Your key use cases
Welcome new hires
Make every new employee's first week memorable. A welcome gift triggered by your HRIS on their start date shows people they're joining an organization that genuinely values them — before they've even had their first one-to-one.
For example: when a new hire's start date is reached in your HRIS, a gift invitation is automatically queued for their HR business partner to review and send, with the employee's name pre-filled and a personal welcome message.
Celebrate work anniversaries
Recognize the loyalty and contribution of long-serving employees with a gift that marks each milestone. Annual anniversary gifts are a simple, consistent way to show your people they're noticed and appreciated.
For example: your HRIS triggers an annual anniversary notification; the HR team or manager sends a gift invitation with a personalized note — no manual tracking required.
Support employee wellbeing
Show care during difficult personal moments — parental leave, bereavement, long-term illness, or periods of high pressure. A thoughtful gift communicates that your organization sees the whole person, not just the employee.
For example: when an employee goes on parental leave, their HR business partner sends a curated gift collection focused on rest and wellbeing, timed to arrive on their last day in the office.
Recognize exceptional performance
Move beyond generic employee of the month plaques. &Open lets managers and HR teams send a meaningful gift invitation to employees who've gone above and beyond — quickly, personally, and without procurement headaches.
For example: a manager wants to recognize a team member who delivered a critical project under pressure; they use the &Open platform to send a gift invitation within minutes, from a pre-approved budget.
Mark life events
Celebrate the moments in your employees' personal lives — a new baby, a wedding, a graduation. These gestures build genuine connection between the organization and the individual, and they're the kind of thing people remember for years.
For example: an employee announces a new baby on your people platform; HR is notified and sends a gift invitation within the week — chosen from a curated selection appropriate for the occasion.
The right integration for you
Integration | Best fit | Typical setup time |
HRIS via Merge.dev | Teams using Workday, BambooHR, Personio, HiBob, or another supported HRIS; trigger gifts from employee records and lifecycle events | 1–2 weeks with IT support |
Direct API | Teams with a custom internal HR system or people platform not covered by Merge.dev | 1–3 weeks with engineering support |
HubSpot or Salesforce | Organizations that manage employee records alongside customer data in their CRM | A few days to 2 weeks |
&Open platform (no integration) | HR teams who want to send individually or manage a smaller gifting program — no technical setup needed | Immediate |
Who else needs to be involved
IT or your HRIS administrator — needed to configure the Merge.dev connection or API integration and manage data permissions. Your &Open contact will guide them through setup.
Finance or procurement — to approve gifting budgets, set up billing, and agree on per-employee spend limits and occasion types.
Legal or compliance — to review your gifting policy, particularly around tax implications for employee gifts and any relevant local regulations.
Senior HR leadership — to define which employee moments are in scope for gifting and set the overall recognition strategy.
Getting started
Talk to your &Open contact about which integration fits your HR tech stack.
Loop in IT or your HRIS admin to begin the Merge.dev or API connection.
Work with &Open to select gift collections appropriate for each occasion type (new hire, anniversary, wellbeing, etc.).
Define your trigger moments and set per-occasion budgets with your &Open contact.
Decide whether gifts are sent automatically or reviewed by the HR team in &Open before sending.
Run a pilot with a small employee cohort before rolling out company-wide.
Ready to get started? Reach out to your &Open contact or email hello@andopen.co and we'll help you build an employee gifting program your people will remember.