30 Classy Ways To Celebrate Work Anniversaries (Remote and In-Person!)
How would you feel if it’s your birthday and no one ends up wishing you? That will be pretty disappointing, and it may ruin your mood for the rest of the day. Amidst a busy schedule, it’s quite obvious for us to miss out on special occasions. However, as professionals, there’s one particular event that we shouldn’t forget, i.e., the work anniversary of your colleagues and employees.
Work anniversaries carry a lot of emotion for professionals who started working for a company and gained several experiences. It reminds them of their struggles and the good times spent with the team members. As such, celebrating work anniversaries has become an inevitable part of today’s company culture.
Further, such celebrations in the workplace positively affect employee engagement and motivate employees to stay connected with their jobs.
Therefore, to help you plan the perfect work anniversary celebration at your workplace, I have listed some great ideas.
30 Best Work Anniversary Celebration Ideas for Making Employees Feel Special
1. Work Desk Explosion
No, it’s not about setting off a bomb at your employees’ desk on his/her work anniversary. How would you feel coming to your workplace and finding your work desk already decorated with thank you cards, nice anniversary quotes, balloons, and personalized tokens of appreciation?
That’ll mark the beginning of a fabulous day at work, isn’t it?
As a manager or an HR personnel, you can plan something similar to surprise your employees on their work anniversary. Furthermore, it asks everyone in the workplace to convey their wishes by writing them on cards to their peers to achieve this milestone. And then fill that employees’ work desks with these wishes.
2. Granting Them a Day Off
A busy schedule at work is often responsible for disrupting an employees’ work-life balance. Allowing them to take breaks to rejuvenate and to spend some time with their loved ones is very impactful. Letting them enjoy their work anniversary by giving them some “me-time” is a great way to set the tone in the right way. This instills the thought that you care for your employees and acknowledge the importance of personal time.
3. E-Gift Cards
The world is going all digital today, and even workplaces are adapting to this changing scenario. Long gone are the days when paychecks and gift cards came in a sealed envelope. Sending out E-gift cards to an employee on his/her work anniversary helps you get flexible in gifting. An employee can use the gift cards against anything from online shopping, traveling, or booking tickets for a movie or park.
4. Silly Trophies
Work anniversary does not always need to be formal. Adding a little fun to it is fine. You can consider giving the employees celebrating their year anniversary silly trophies like “Best Downloader”, “Always on Leave”, and more. Thus, adding some fun to your daily work environment also makes it a memorable day for the employees’.
5. Personalized Gifts
Sending out pre-formatted emails wishing the employees on completing a year of service may not be fruitful. We, humans, love it when someone gifts us something personalized. Similarly, your employees too will love it when you get down to them on a personal level.
As personalized gifts, you can consider gifting them accessories such as a coffee mug or a shirt with their name on it. Also, you can gift them books based on their preference which is always a great idea. This way, you also get to know your employees on a personal level and pave the way for a great employee-employer relation.
6. Letter of Appreciation
Letter of Appreciation is another great way to appreciate an employees’ work and thank them for services over the year. Even a letter of appreciation can have a personal touch to it and vary from employee to employee. A well-written letter of gratitude thanking the employees’ for the loyalty and efforts in running the company is one of the best things which he/she can desire to have. Moreover, it helps boost the employees’ morale and motivates them to further their work quality.
Related article: 50 Best Words of Appreciation for Employees
7. Getting Them a Gym Membership
Healthy employees are like the jewel to the crown for every organization. But sometimes, amidst the hectic schedules at work, the employees put aside everything, which even includes their health.
As an employer, you can change this by encouraging the employees to embrace a more healthy lifestyle. On employees' work anniversary, you can gift them the chance to achieve the greatest wealth, i.e., “HEALTH”! Giving your employees company-sponsored gym memberships on their work anniversary will surely help them kickstart their health journey.
8. Executive Dining
Good Food Is Good Mood. Who doesn’t like to enjoy a nice meal amidst a rich ambiance? Executive dining is one of the best privileges you can get your employees on their work anniversary.
As the saying goes, “Food is the way to everyone’s heart.” You can opt for booking a table for your employee celebrating a work anniversary in an up-class restaurant. Employees feel appreciated when they know that they are being treated for the good things in life. This is very helpful in fostering positive feelings towards their work and superiors.
9. Recognition From The Top Level
Every one of us would feel good when our work and efforts get recognized by the top management. Getting the employees recognized by the top-level executives on their work anniversaries will raise their morale. This helps to improve their professional relations as well as get attuned to the management’s expectations. However, recognition from the top-level management shouldn’t be just limited to year-old anniversaries. Employee recognition for good work done should take place frequently for an efficient workforce.
10. Give Them The Spotlight
Nothing could get better than getting recognized for years of service in front of their peers. Also, let everyone know that today is one of their colleagues' work anniversary. Put up some of their most exciting pictures on the company's bulletin board and pin-up their long list of achievements. Encourage their team members to put up their rendition of their fond memories about him/her. You can also feature them along with their triumph over the company’s social media pages.
All in all, make it into a celebration worthy for an age-old comrade who helped you achieve your company's objectives. This way, it benefits the employers in two ways; First, it helps in employee recognition. Secondly, it motivates the rest of the workforce.
11. Promotional Opportunities
Not all employees work hard for money; sometimes, it’s more about earning the top spot. Employee work anniversaries provide an excellent opportunity for employers to upscale the roles for deserving workers. Announcing promotions based on the employees’ performance or their years of experience is one of the best ways to make work anniversaries memorable. This motivates and gives every employee an equal chance to prove his/her mettle at work and earn the top spot.
12. Appreciation From The Peer
Everyone is so busy with their work nowadays that they hardly would remember their co-workers’ work anniversaries. Work anniversaries hold equal importance like birthdays for professionals. You can make the moment when they look down on their years of service exceptional through peer appreciation. Fill up the employees' mail with messages of appreciation from the co-workers for one day.
And with the use of today’s technology, everything is now available with just a click. Here at Vantage Circle, with the power of cloud technology, we created an effective tool for employee recognition and appreciation making the task much easier for you.
13. Upgrading Their Work Desk
Amongst all the things at a workplace, an employee's work desk holds special significance for him/her. It is here where the ideas take birth, and the company's growth is also determined on certain levels as the employees spent most of his/her day at their work desks. Giving them an upgraded work desk with new pieces of equipment and other amenities will surely bring a smile to their faces on their work anniversary.
14. Master of The Day
This one idea is especially for the employees who have spent more than 5 or 6 years in the organization. They are highly experienced and are very familiar with the company culture. As an honor for their services, you can make these employees feel like a boss and run the show around the workplace for a day. On their day of work anniversary, you can introduce your employees’ to the new recruits. And then make the employees take up the orientation sessions and inspire them for their journey ahead.
15. Primo Parking
Does your company reserve premium parking spaces for the top executives?
If yes, then there is another great idea to make your employees feel privileged and important on their anniversary. Allowing employees access to the prime parking spot for their vehicles for a week beginning on the day of their work-varsary is an effective way to show their importance. Such acts would further motivate the employees to work hard and achieve the same spot permanently.
16. Give Them “The Space”
Most of the time, employees prefer having their desired space in the workplace. However, it may not be the case for all employees. An employee who performs the best in a quiet and crowd-free environment may get his/her work desk among the others. And it’s always not possible to allow them to shift as they like.
However, this can be made as to one of their work anniversary gifts. Giving the employees the liberty to choose their desired space on their work-varsary is a very subtle way to motivate and boost their productivity.
17. Depicting Their Journey
Remembering the long journey in an organization can be both fun and emotional for an employee. On the day of an employees’ work anniversary, you can play a video or series of photographs. Doing this on the sidelines while appreciating the employee will make the event even more special for them.
You can plan this by getting the videos and photos from the employees’ co-workers. And then further compiling and playing it during the appreciation event. Especially for employees serving long-term, depicting their journey as a timeline of their professional life will make it both inspiring and memorable for everyone.
18. One on One With A Pro
Every one of us has an individual interest and your employees are no different. Their interests can be about anything like painting, singing, dancing, football, tennis, carpentry and more. To make the employee work anniversaries more interesting and memorable, you can give them an hour or even a day with an expert from their area of interest. This shows how much the employer cares for employee satisfaction. And it also instils a positive emotion in the hearts and minds of the employees’ for their respective employers.
19. Get Them A Hot Wheel
No! It’s not the toy set. Here the deal is real. We all dream of owning or riding a posh car at least once in our lives, and your employees are no different. Making this dream come true for a day is worth the effort they put in at work daily. As an employer, you do this by hiring a luxury car service to celebrate their work anniversary. The joy which an employee will have on receiving a wow ride will be immense, and they would remember it for the years to come.
20. Open Up Stock Options
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) allows the workers to invest in the company where they are working. Such programs let an employee buy company stock at a lower price than what is offered in the market. ESOP can be opened up for employees who have served the company for five or more years on their work anniversary. This way it also acts as a very effective employee retention strategy which an employer can implement
21. Educational Sabbaticals
It’s your employees who make you win at every step. Their development and career advancements directly impact the productivity of the organization in a positive way. And it’s never too late to learn anything new. Having said so, what could be better than supporting an employees’ quest for knowledge. Particularly for employees who had spent more than 7 years or equal in the organization this could be a very awesome gift to mark their work anniversary.
As a token of appreciation for their years of service, you can support your employees with educational sabbaticals. This will let them explore new avenues and explore the best out in them and will also let them achieve their dreams.
22. Company Sponsored Trip
Travelling is therapeutic.
Employees who have completed ten or more years of service deserve more than just appreciation or rewards on their work anniversary. They might have taken several trips at their own expense. So, sponsoring a trip can be both a memorable and meaningful token of appreciation. Employees who stay loyal to the organization for the long term always deserve the best. And nothing could get better than a company-sponsored trip for this purpose.
23. Take Up Their Cause
Your employees may work 8 to 10 hours a day for you, but at the end of the day, they are humans too. Like all, they may also support a charitable cause and actively participate in improving society's society. Sponsoring or taking up a social cause in which they are engaged is a very subtle gift an employer can vest upon them.
This is especially true for any employee who has spent most years serving the institution, like 10,15, 20 years, or more. Lending a hand to their philanthropic efforts not only makes up for a nice anniversary gift but it also makes for a strong CSR initiative.
Also read: Corporate Philanthropy- How It Benefits Employee Engagement?
24. Host Creative Workshops
Commemorate an employee's years-long success by helping them in learning new skills and reigniting their creative spark. You can also host a lunch and learn session where your employee can share their work experiences. Such activities strengthen both the sense of camaraderie and the level of collaboration between teams.
However, all workshops don't need to be work-related; in fact, it's preferable if they aren't. You can arrange workshops on self-development or mindfulness at work that demonstrate to employees that you care about their well-being on a personal level.
25. Roll Out The Virtual Red Carpet
Celebrating work anniversaries has a unique advantage in remote working. That is, you can welcome family and friends to join in the celebrations.
Also read: Work From Home Policy: A Definitive Guide For Managers
You can start by creating a presentation of their important milestones with congratulatory notes. You can host a virtual party where every one of the team joins in. You might tell some intriguing or hilarious stories about the employee, or you can ask if their closest coworker has anything to say about the special event.
Sending employee care packages are also a terrific way to show your employee how much they mean to your company. Such surprises have a big impact and make employees feel valued.
Related blog: 10 Best Virtual Team Building Activities for Remote Employees
26. Order Them A Cake
For those with a sweet tooth, sending a sweet treat is a fantastic virtual work anniversary idea! You can order a cake, and the whole team can join the cake cutting through a conference call. Make the event even more special by sending a batch of customized cupcakes to the entire staff from the bakery.
27. Upgrade The Tech
Technology is the key to establishing an effective and productive workforce. Your employee is probably in need of new tools and technology after years of service.
To express gratitude and dedication, commemorate the anniversary by updating the staff member's technology. It’s best to start the process by inquiring about your employee's technological preferences. The idea is to gift the technology that the employee actually wants.
28. Write A Great Linkedin Recommendation
Your employees contribute so much to the company. They, in turn, deserve your support! Make a fantastic LinkedIn recommendation for your employees who are celebrating their work anniversary. Describe every incredible skill your employee possesses, but make it brief and sweet.
29. Arrange A Session On Career Planning
Celebrate an anniversary by organizing a career planning session tailored to the employee's needs.
During this session, invite employees to an open-ended conversation about anything and everything they might like to do in the company. Make it obvious to employees that they are free to discuss any part of the business, even if they lack knowledge or experience in that area.
This discussion will help them determine what they truly want to do and where they are going next.
30. Boss For The Day
Allow an employee to be "the boss" for a day on their work anniversary. They can't make major policy changes, but they do receive some nice advantages. Like having the best parking spot in the lot or selecting their own seating arrangement for the next year. Not only that, but they also get to propose a new business idea to work upon.
Many of these new thoughts contribute significantly to the growth of businesses.
The Bottom Line
Employees who dedicate a considerable number of years of service at work deserve all the applause. It is their hard work as well as their loyalty that makes companies thrive.
Similarly, you can express your gratitude towards them by acknowledging their accomplishments. Celebrating employee work anniversaries is one of the few occasions when you can try out a variety of new things to make them happy.
You can start by trying any of the ways listed above but remember genuine appreciation always comes from within. So, don’t forget to say out loud, “HAPPY WORK ANNIVERSARY.”
Celebrating work anniversaries is an important part of today’s company culture. Here are the 23 best ways to make work anniversaries memorable for them.
Working as a SEO Analyst and Content Marketer at Vantage Circle, Angshuman always stays curious and is passionate about learning new things. Got any question? Drop a mail at editor@vantagecircle.com
