Birthday celebrations give employers opportunities to engage their employees. It also shows your employees that they are appreciated by the company. Therefore, the question should not be whether or not companies should celebrate their employee’s birthdays. Instead, they should be more concerned with the how part of the question. It is not just enough to send Geburtstagswünsche messages to your employee as they celebrate this important milestone. Thinking carefully about their birthday celebrations can make a huge difference in the way an employee regards your company. And while not saying a nicely written Geburtstagswunsch has no impact on employee morale, throwing a party can be the difference between a staff leaving or staying with your company. In this article, we take you through how to celebrate an employee’s birthday at the workplace. Keep reading to learn more.
Tips to Pull Off a Great Birthday Party Celebration at the Workplace
1. Decorate their workspace
One guaranteed way to make staff feel regarded is to decorate their workspace. While confetti and steamers have a universal appeal, it’s important to ensure that the employee whose birthday you are celebrating is comfortable with the cleanup and the attention that this might generate. Also, you want to be sure that you consider their interests. For example, plaster their desks with colorful images of puppies if they love dogs.
2. Give the employee gifts
If there is an employee reward system at your organization, the simple idea to celebrate an employee is to present them with rewards on their birthdays. You can also encourage co-workers to give rewards.
3. Organize a birthday lunch or a team happy hour
Another thoughtful idea to celebrate an employee’s birthday is to schedule a time of fun for this specific event. Having a meal together is a guaranteed way of building stronger team bonds. If you also take this time to celebrate an employee’s birthday, this is even much better.
4. Write a note
Few employees can frown at a personal note written by their employees on their birthdays. It can be in the form of a thoughtfully crafted Geburtstagswunsch, a greeting card, or even a congratulatory message to staff as they mark this important occasion in their life. You only need to remember to make the message meaningful and personal.
5. Share company swag
Giving employees company swag like hoodies, mugs, cups, and T-shirts on their birthdays can work a treat. Although cheaper and less time-consuming on your part, it is no less important when it comes to showing employees that they are appreciated.
6. Give gift cards
Gift cards have a universal appeal to every situation, and they work even more magic if you tailor them to the interests or wish lists of the person for whom they are intended. Find out in advance the date of their birthdays and ask them to choose a gift card list from local restaurants, retail stores, bookstores, or even movie theaters. Ensure you include a small note reading: “Treat yourself”.
7. Donate to charity
You can also give your employee an opportunity to donate to a charity of their choice. Ask them to choose a non-profit organization and donate the item in their name.
8. Give them the day off
Giving your employees time off to celebrate their birthdays can be extremely rewarding. Some human resource professionals believe that this makes employees happier and also more productive. The time-off allows the employee to spend their birthdays next to the people they love. This is crucial in cultivating a great experience for the employee.
What Makes A Birthday Celebration Successful?
When celebrating employee birthdays, employers need to have great attention to detail. The secret to this is using automation with the right amount of customization. Below are the characteristics of a successful birthday party for employees.
Personal
Composing Geburtstagswünsche is fun in our younger days. However, when writing birthday messages for adult employees, you should put greater thought into it. Things you may want to consider including are funny anecdotes, recent work done, or even the impact that was made by their presence. This will make the birthday guy feel extra special.
Consistent
Consistency ensures that no employee is left out when celebrating birthdays. To help you ensure that every employee is onboard, consider adding their birthdays to the main calendar at the time of onboarding. But don’t forget to include workers working remotely in your birthday celebrations rota. Make sure also that the notifications of upcoming birthdays are received by key people in the organization, for example, managers. You can also use a tool like Employee reward platforms to automate birthday notifications and reminders.
Considerate
Some religions don’t celebrate birthdays, which is why you want to ask someone before you go ahead with the plans. If they don’t, a simple Geburtstagswunsch will often do the trick. Some people may also prefer to celebrate their birthdays privately. The onboarding time is the moment to understand your team members. Take this opportunity to ask them how they would want their birthdays celebrated. Some people don’t like attention, and these would be better served with a quiet email. Others may even have specific birthday traditions. If possible, bring the tradition to the place of work.
Tailored
For you to give your employee a truly meaningful experience, it is recommended to let them pick their own rewards. Take your employees’ interests, likes, and dislikes into consideration when organizing birthday lunches or giving out gift cards. It is okay to ask them what they want specifically. This is the guaranteed way to ensure that the birthday bloke enjoys their special day. Using an employee reward system enables workers to redeem rewards at their favorite stores.
Conclusion
The aim is to make your employee feel great when celebrating their birthdays. Fortunately, any of the eight methods we have discussed above can do the trick. Of course, birthdays are not the only way to appreciate your employee. Instead, you should recognize your employees continuously throughout the year. Recognizing and appreciating your employee will go a long way toward improving staff morale at your organization.