Employees have a life outside of the office that will always have some effect on their work. We all know this, but we sometimes forget how it can impact team bonding, team communication, and personal work satisfaction. Take the time to remember, celebrate, or show extra support for employees throughout their lives- beyond their productivity or achievement of company goals. We’re all humans, and we all experience stuff– good and bad. How you show you care for your employees says a lot about your company culture and the connectedness of your team.
Here are some ideas of how to show your employees how much they mean to the team;
Birthdays
In a recent branding exercise with Pauly Ting, we were asked to describe Qimple if it was a holiday/special event. We decided ‘celebrating someone else’s’ birthday’ was most fitting. We make a point to celebrate everyone’s birthday with cake or cupcakes, cards, and acknowledging them on our corporate social media. Our product manager, Aaron, always digs up a funny YouTube video to share on Slack. Taking a little break to celebrate someone’s birthday is our way to make them feel special. We have a small team, so we can do this often. Some larger offices hold shared birthday events, celebrating the birthdays of multiple employees within that month or a larger time frame.
We have our own fun birthday traditions, and it’s easy for your team to establish some too. Whether it’s cake, a birthday lunch, office pot-luck, internal birthday email, decorating their desk, etc.- there’s lots you can easily do that engages whole team. Melissa Grothues, Manager of Company Culture at digital-telepathy, makes an effort to ensure birthdays at her company are filled with surprise and delight- incorporating stuff like Darth Vader piñatas, team bingo, margaritas, and more! She believes being less predictable about celebrations encourage more team camaraderie and are more meaningful.
Personal Milestones & Achievements
Engagements, weddings, babies, professional designations- all of these events usually bring joy and excitement to your employee. You can tell, because you can feel an energy shift that radiates through the whole office. Taking the time to celebrate with your team member shows you’re excited for them. Small gifts, a lunch, or a celebratory toast are great ideas to show you also share in that happiness. We’ve had some pretty awesome news in our office lately (!), so we recently took the end of an afternoon to celebrate with a few drinks.
Work Anniversaries
Taking the time to acknowledge a person’s time with your company is a great way to show them you’re grateful to have them on the team. Even if it’s only been a year, having someone (their manager, the CEO, or HR) stop by their desk and thank them, or send them a personalized email with a gift card. Start a tradition of giving each a special mug, T-shirt, or more unique company gift once they reach certain year milestones. Doing something small for ‘Qimpleversaries’ have been a way for us to show we’re paying attention to the great impact the team member is making, and that we’re reflecting on how important their presence is to making Qimple a great place to work.
Professional or Personal Achievements
It’s really awesome to see employees take initiative either with work or on their own to improve their skill-sets, keep learning, or use their talents. Maybe your team member just participated in an intense marathon, got their black belt, performed in a play, or completed Toastmasters– these are all examples of personal achievements that show their unique personality and self-motivation. Dropping them an email to say you’re proud of them, or even taking the time to ask them about these accomplishments. Congratulating them shows you’re impressed and supportive of their passion outside of their work. Some companies have implemented ‘brag boards’ to show off employees’ success and achievements.
When someone completes an important course or professional designation, make a big deal about it! Send an internal email blast, write a blog or video celebrating them, share the news on social media, or throw them a small office party. Make sure your employee knows you’re proud of them for taking the extra time to develop skills that not only benefit their work with your company, but their whole professional journey. Want to go big? Some companies have started giving their employees out-of-the-box ‘experience reward programs’, such as offered by our friends at Blueboard.
Bereavements
This is a tough one. Unfortunately, we all go through loss from time to time, and it can really affect our whole lives, including our work. Taking time away to be with family, reflect, and regroup is crucial for most people. While a person is out of the office, there are things the team can do to show their respect and sympathies without visiting them (which possibly reminds them of being away from their work). Cards and flowers are great gestures, or donations on their loved one’s behalf. While they seem like simple or typical gestures, they are still appreciated.
At Qimple, we like to pack a personalized gift basket for the team member and their family. We fill it with local goodies, coffee, teas, and other comforting items. It gives them something to snack on or serve when they have lots of family and friends around their house. Whatever you chose to do for your grieving employee, the most important thing is that you give the person some time and space to grieve and disconnect from work. When the return to the office, gently remind your other teammates to be sensitive to the situation and be willing to carve out some time to talk if the employee needs it.
It’s important to show your employees you care about them and take an interest in their well-being beyond the workplace. How does your company show employees they’re valued and supported?
For more of Qimple's view on HR Trends & Topics, check out our blog here.
