5 Best Ways To Celebrate International HR Day In 2024

If the 2020 remote work experience taught the corporate world anything, it was the value of an HR team in keeping a company running smoothly. So, as an organization, if you aren't celebrating International HR Day yet, we highly recommend that you start incorporating this tradition into your work culture.

But, first of all:

Why Is International Human Resources Day Celebrated?

International Human Resources Day, or IHRD, is a day dedicated to recognizing all the hardworking HR and people professionals who work tirelessly to ensure that a company's most valuable asset— its employees— is managed efficiently.

Think of your HR team as the proverbial North Star of your company. As a C-suit executive, you don't usually have the time to manage the most precious yet largest company asset, i.e., your employees. This is where your HR team comes in.

Your HR team is there to handle all of the grunt work—from hiring people to ensuring that people are actually happy working there. If not, they are given a smooth exit that will have them singing the company's praises long after leaving.

I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said that HR professionals are the personification of the iconic Friends theme song, "I'll be there for you."

When is International HR Day 2024?

International HR Day will be celebrated on May 20, 2024, which incidentally happens to be a Monday. Thus, by channeling the start-of-week energy, you can put your entire HR team in the celebratory spotlight for being the voice of reason and managing your employees during any major crisis.

What is the International HR Day 2024 theme?

The theme for International Human Resources Day in 2024 will be decided by the European Association For People Management.

They are planning to announce the theme for this year sometime between February and March. So, please come back to this space later to find out about the International HR Day 2024 theme.

5 Ways To Make International HR Day Truly Memorable For Your HR Team

1. Publicly Reward And Recognize Your HR Team

The only reason most global leaders were able to deal with a sudden overnight shift to remote work was because of their insanely capable HR team. This shift revealed how much baggage the average HR team carries for their organization.

The narrative that employees are the only ones who need to be engaged is quickly wearing thin. Appreciation should not be restricted to those in front of the screen. People who work behind the scenes should also be equally celebrated.

In this hybrid world, everyone— including your HR team— wants to be recognized for the efforts that they put in every day. This International Human Resources Day, make a point of recognizing the section of your workforce that acts as a link between top-level management and employees— namely, your HR team.

• HR professionals who were consistent performers
• Noteworthy HR initiatives that made a difference
• HR Of The Month

Since most HR professionals go years without being appreciated, publicly rewarding and recognizing them (especially on social media) can give a huge boost to their morale.

2. Start Addressing The Needs Of Your HR Team

If you're leading a modern organization, the chances are high that you already offer some form of employee survey or the other. However, limiting these surveys to your workforce can make you miss out on critical feedback from your company's core department— your HR team.

Your HR team is in the ideal position to get the actual perspectives of both sides- the management and the employees. They understand, better than anyone else, what goes into creating a culture that attracts and retains top talents.

That's why, when the HR team says that something is problematic, it's a much better idea to trust them and get the problem solved ASAP.

Taking your HR team's feedback can be through a 1-to-1 meeting or an anonymous pulse survey. Whatever medium you end up choosing for collecting feedback, the most important step is actually to act on that feedback.

3. The HR's Day Out

Even if your company is big on organizing frequent team lunches, it's highly unlikely that your HR team enjoyed them, given that they were the ones who made sure everything went smoothly.

This International HR Day, change the narrative and design a day plan where your HR team actually gets the chance to unwind and enjoy a day relaxing, having brunch, and maybe taking a stroll in the park after.

4. Gift Them A Care Package

In a world where they frequently prioritize the needs of the company and its employees over their own, this International Human Resources Day, give your HR team a self-care package that says, "Take some time out for yourself too."

Care packages make excellent gifts since they are highly customizable. The combinations are simply endless, from exotic snacks, scented candles, soaps, soft socks, and luxury chocolates to spa gift cards and more.

5. Make Mental Health Support Easily Available

If you believe that poor mental health is a problem that only your regular employees face, you are highly mistaken.

It's difficult enough to deal with mental health issues. But can you imagine the mental strain on those who have to spend most of their time looking out for others? In your workplace, this particular brand of superhumans are your HR professionals.

A recent survey for HRs revealed that:

26% feel they can become overly involved in employees' personal lives and/or mental health issues. Meanwhile, 23% have compassion fatigue from supporting struggling employees.

Compassion Fatigue

For people in supporting roles, such as the HR profession, it's easy for the boundaries to become blurred and cause responders' trauma. Without appropriate boundaries when discussing mental health issues with employees, HR professionals can be overly involved and succumb to compassion fatigue.

Suppress Personal Issues

It is a very understated fact that even your HR team is not immune to the occasional mental health issues. But, in the corporate world, HRs are unanimously expected to be the caregivers rather than the afflicted. Perhaps this is why most HR professionals tend to repress their issues. People in the HR industry are hesitant to put their hands up and say, "Can I get a little help here?"

The Solution?

The solution is not as simple as it appears. Having certified mental health counselors on staff to deal with employee well-being issues will significantly relieve the burden on your HR team and assist them in setting proper boundaries. Meanwhile, it is your responsibility as a leader to advocate for and extend mental health support to the HR team.

Conclusion

International HR Day will only be meaningful if you stop expecting your HR team to be flawless or "on it" all of the time.

The five strategies listed above might seem simple enough, but their effects will be huge. If you implement even one of the above strategies, you will have a happy and engaged HR team by the time the next International HR Day arrives.

Meanwhile, on this year's International HR Day, make a personal commitment to treat your HR team with the same patience, appreciation, and empathy that you do your other employees.

This article is written by Barasha Medhi who is a part of the marketing team at Vantage Circle. Barasha can be found either searching for interesting HR buzzwords to write about or looking at pictures of cozy Bel Air mansions. For any related queries, contact editor@vantagecircle.com.