When people recognize what we’ve done and how far we’ve come, we feel seen. And that’s powerful. That’s why acknowledging employee anniversaries is so important.
At work, recognition is a key motivator. In fact, it’s so important that 83.6% of employees say recognition affects their motivation. What’s more, 77.9% would be more productive if they received more recognition.
It could even help with retention. 71% of employees would be less likely to leave if they were recognized more frequently at work.
So what, exactly, should you recognize? Here are examples of employee anniversaries to celebrate that will supercharge engagement.
Employee anniversaries to celebrate
Here are some employee anniversaries and milestones worth celebrating:
First day
Celebrating someone’s first day in a role makes them feel valued and like you appreciate them choosing to work for you over another business.
Several places I’ve worked at have taken people out for lunch on their first day. It’s a particularly nice gesture if they don’t know the area and aren’t sure of the best places to eat.
This is also a good bonding experience for new team members to get to know each other better. They can chat casually outside of the intense onboarding that happens during the first days on the job.
End of probation
Passing a probationary period is a huge milestone for employees, especially in tough industries or businesses.
Birthdays
I always think it’s important to celebrate birthdays, even in small ways. A simple “happy birthday” in Slack or on Workrowd can make a difference. It’s one of the most obvious employee anniversaries that can make people feel seen and special.
Customer reviews
Did someone get a really great customer review? That’s something to celebrate! It demonstrates what high-quality customer service within your organization looks like, setting an example for the rest of the team.
First year (and other yearly employee anniversaries)
Completing a full year on the job is a big deal. It shows that person has survived probation and onboarding and has become a vital part of your team.
Beyond that, celebrating these employee anniversaries annually can help keep your people feeling engaged and energized to take on another year.
Finishing big projects
When someone has completed a big project, either on their own or on a team, celebrating that milestone shows that you recognize what they’ve done and how hard they’ve worked.
Promotions
Promotions are always something to celebrate. They show someone has worked hard and achieved great things within your organization.
Safety milestones
Going days, weeks, months, or even years without health and safety incidents are huge achievements. This is especially true in industries where health and safety are vital to company success and employee health.
Sometimes celebrating employee anniversaries of something not happening is important, too!
Revenue targets
Did a person, team, or the company as a whole hit a revenue target? That’s definitely something to celebrate!
Company anniversaries
As centuries-old household names become things of the past (just recently British brand WH Smith announced it was leaving main streets after being around since 1792), celebrating company anniversaries in addition to employee anniversaries is essential.
It shows the difference employees make, how much they’ve contributed over the business’s history, and how far the company has come. It’s a meaningful, fun way to celebrate the past, present, and future of the business.
Retirements
Retirement is a pivotal time in someone’s life. Regardless of how long they’ve been at your company, celebrating an employee’s retirement shows that you appreciate the effort they’ve put into your business and the key role they’ve played.
It also marks their transition into a new period of their life.
Ways to recognize employee anniversaries
Here are some ways to recognize employee anniversaries:
Shoutouts
This is the simplest thing on the list, but it really does make a huge difference. Giving someone a shoutout in a meeting, a Slack channel, a krowd, or somewhere else colleagues can see is a meaningful way to celebrate employee anniversaries.
It can also help to create a culture that celebrates employees, encouraging people to celebrate their colleagues in turn. Doing this makes a big difference to teamwork and employee morale.
Extra day off
An extra day off, for example for someone’s birthday, shows that you value employees’ lives outside of work and want them to take time to rest or celebrate with loved ones.
An extra day of PTO could also be a way to reward employees at the end of a particularly stressful or long-term project, allowing them to recover and unwind so that they don’t burn out.
Away days
For corporate milestones, away days can help you come together as an organization to celebrate, reflect, and plan for the future. You could do a combination of celebrations like activities or meals out, alongside planning sessions.
Team activities or retreats
Another option to celebrate team or corporate milestones is to give teams a budget and allow them to organize their own activities or retreats. This is particularly useful for larger organizations that may struggle to find a venue big enough to hold everyone.
It also enables managers to cater to their team’s preferences so no one feels forced to do an activity they’re uncomfortable with in the name of corporate politics. Making these annual, bi-annual, or even quarterly gives your team employee anniversaries to look forward to.
Vouchers
A voucher to spend on a meal or a service is a simple way to celebrate employee anniversaries and show you’re thinking of them.
Treats
As an alternative to a voucher, you could get them a little treat such as donuts, chocolate, gift card, etc.
Something special
For bigger employee anniversaries, what about something special?
For example, when someone I know retired she received a carriage clock; another received a watch for 35 years of service. The gift doesn’t have to be related to timekeeping—these examples are a coincidence—but they were high-quality items that both people still have and cherish the memories behind.
Company merchandise
For company milestones, branded merchandise celebrates both employees and the business. It also means that employees become walking advertisements for your organization if they wear or use that swag out and about.
Decorate their desk
This is a nice way to inject personality into the office for birthdays or other employee anniversaries. Streamers, balloons, cake…have fun with it. You could even tailor it to their fashion sense, favorite color, favorite cake, etc, to show you’re really paying attention.
Conclusion
Celebrating employee anniversaries and milestones shows your team that you appreciate the time and effort they put in to help grow your business every day.
Connect your employees with Workrowd
Another way to show your employees how much you appreciate them is to keep them connected. Help them organize and sign up for team initiatives, join employee groups, and build bonds with their colleagues with Workrowd. Our platform is the one-stop-shop for all your engagement initiatives.
Get in touch today to book your free demo and find out more.
