It's hard enough to pick up a gift and a colleague who, in fact, is a sign of attention and respect. Despite the fact that birthday - not a corporate celebration, presentation must be maintained, but at the same time enjoyable and rewarding for the future owner.
If you know for a long time colleague and aware of his hobbies, you should give him an invitation to the prestigious fitness club or swimming pool (if he / she likes to do sports), a useful attribute for fishing (if he can not imagine life without fishing), leather beautician or certificate for the purchase of luxury cosmetics (if a colleague is always carefully watching their makeup).
If you're nice to know a colleague, but rarely encounter on business issues, birthday greetings in this case will be a sign of respect, which has nothing to do with the close and friendly relations. In this case, a suitable gift will be the status of business accessory - a beautiful pen, diary or notebook good - in short, everything that can be useful to him in the work.
If a co-worker you have established a warm relationship, you are communicating closely enough on business issues, but it is not well know about his hobby, give something that will surely enjoy. The original set of stationery for the office or a paper holder, set of darts, decorated unconventional way to become a good choice.
Once you have decided on a gift, we should also think about how to present it. You can just pass it with warm wishes from hand to hand. You can, of coming to work early, leave a gift on the table colleague, and you can decorate with colleagues Office balloons, which are attached congratulations - in this case a birthday exactly remember.