The stiff competition in the talent market necessitates organizations build robust employee reward and recognition programs to drive employee engagement and retention. Celebrating employees’ personal milestones needs to be integral to such programs.
Celebrating personal milestones of employees, such as their birthdays and anniversaries, provides the organizations with an effective way to assure employees that they are being valued as individuals by their employers
This boosts their sense of loyalty and commitment to the organization.
The impact of such actions on the organization can last a long time and boost the morale of the employees significantly.
It can also help establish an emotional bond between the employees and the organization.
Celebrating employees’ milestones should be an integral part of the employee reward program.
These are essential personal milestones:
1. Birthdays
2. Weddings and Wedding Anniversaries
3. New Born/ Parenthood
4. Work Anniversaries
Remembering and celebrating birthdays is one of the best ways for organizations to show employees that they value and care for them.
Hence birthdays one of the most important personal milestones should be part of the employee rewards program.
Birthday wishes can be triggered automatically from an employee rewards and recognition platform on the employee’s birthday.
Managers and team members should receive these notifications. Also, co-workers should be able to wish them through the platform.
Weddings and anniversaries are critical personal milestones in the lives of employees.
Therefore, celebrating such milestones creates a family-like emotional bond between the organization and the employee.
The employee rewards and recognition platform can trigger wishes automatically on the employee’s wedding anniversary.
Managers and team members can also receive these notifications.
Becoming a parent is among the highest points in any person’s life.
Hence, by being a part of the celebrations, the organization can create a deep and long-term connection with the employee and his/ her family.
Celebrating work anniversaries of employees, especially those who have served for long, is critical to making them feel valued.
So, by celebrating work anniversaries, organizations can express their gratitude towards such employees.
They can acknowledge and appreciate their loyalty and commitment over the years.
It is important to integrate personal milestone celebrations into employee recognition programs to boost engagement and motivation levels.
So, simply throwing a party at the workplace may not be enough to get the desired results.
So, here are a few ways to celebrate the personal milestones of employees effectively:
Also, consider offering paid time off to employees on birthdays and anniversaries so they can spend time with their loved ones.
Sponsor experiences such as dining, visits to amusement parks, adventure trips, etc., on birthdays and anniversaries.
Give wedding gifts such as gift vouchers or vacation packages to their employees who have just married.
Similarly, organizations can offer gift cards, baby gift hampers, or even cash to employees who have recently become parents.
Felicitate them in a public forum in front of their colleagues and present them with certificates and gifts.
Celebrating the personal milestones of employees as part of their employee rewards and recognition programs can help organizations motivate their employees and drive their performance, commitment and loyalty.
Lead author: Sagar Chaudhuri, the Co-Founder and CEO of HiFives. He is an HR Tech Evangelist with over 25 years of corporate and entrepreneurship experience. In the past, Sagar has worked in leadership roles with companies such as Genpact, Infosys, and ICICI Bank. He has an engineering degree from IIT Kharagpur and an MBA from IIM Lucknow. Connect on LinkedIn
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