The days of switching names and rigging the office Secret Santa draw are coming to an end thanks to a new app on Slack.
Secret Santa App from Slack
The Secret Santa app is the highlight of a new holiday package of apps integrated on Slack. The collaboration platform used by thousands of small businesses today just launched the new section in its app shop last week.
You know how Secret Santa is supposed to work in the office. Your employees or partners put your names into a hat — for effect, a Santa hat helps — and then everyone draws a name. You buy a gift for the person you draw and then everyone gets together at the holiday party, let’s say, and exchanges them.
There’s always a spending limit involved and it’s usually not much, like $20 at most. It’s supposed to be fun.
But as soon as someone draws the name of someone who’s impossible to buy for, or they don’t like all that much, the name swapping begins. That’s a great way to create divisions and cliques among your employees.
The new Slack app aims to eliminate all that.
Instead, participants sign up to participate through the app and then the app sends secret notifications via email about their Secret Santa gift recipient. The app is free for Slack users.
The Secret Santa app will send messages to workplaces and does require permission to access profile information of workspace participants.
The app says it uses a “secret algorithm” to determine Secret Santa assignments.
Organizing a Party with Slack
The Secret Santa app on Slack is part of the Holiday Fun package now available. These are all apps that work within the platform and help your employees or your business partners plan a party or even a small get-together or quick lunch.
Here’s a quick look at the apps available right now on Slack:
If you all want to pile into a car and get a ride for a night on the town or need a way for your partying employees to get home safely, there’s a Lyft app. The Domino’s app allows you to equip your parties with pizza and refreshments. You can ask about party planning through the Polly app. And the Jukebot app allows you to pick how the beat drops at your party ahead of time so no one is “stuck” playing DJ.
The Rafflebot is also available to help with giveaways and gifts available outside your Secret Santa contest.
Images: Slack