Let’s face it. Most work anniversaries are average or boring. One gets a notice from LinkedIn.com or a generic flier displayed on the Company’s Whatsapp page.
Maggie has been working with Blue Collar PLC for five years. Last week was her anniversary. Over the years she has grown from being an intern to a Marketing Manager. She has contributed to an elevated brand contribution and supported the sales team and the management team in various roles during her tenure. In five years, she became a mother. Oh, did I mention that her child started school on the day of her work anniversary?
As I pen this blog, it has been three weeks since her work anniversary, the Company held its Christmas party for 2024 and she wasn’t mentioned or at least given a certificate.
Work anniversaries are obviously associated with the passage of time, there’s more to consider than mere tenure.
Employees are twice as likely to leave during the month of their work anniversary than during any other month. Why? The primary needs of a person are to be appreciated, and to understand that he/she contributes to a purpose bigger than them.
Work anniversaries are sometimes forgotten. A forgotten work anniversary—or one that conveys that acknowledging the work anniversary was an unwanted chore—can trigger an employee who is unsure of how supported they are to think the organization doesn’t care about them. Or it can go the other way.
Too often, work anniversaries are celebrated just because that seems better than doing nothing—but without an intent to achieve anything specific for either the employee or the organization.
It doesn’t have to be that way. There are specific, valuable outcomes that work anniversaries can achieve. As with all things in life, a lack of intentionality gets in the way of achieving something great. If you don’t know where you’re going, you’re not going to get there.
If Maggie’s leader asked me why work anniversaries are worth the time and money spent on them, here compelling answer:
A genuinely appreciative acknowledgment of the employee’s contributions to the organization over the past year can greatly reassure an employee who is worried about how they’re perceived—and strengthen the perceived organizational support even for employees who aren’t on the fence.
A work anniversary is a celebration of the hallowed moment when a person became a part of something larger than themselves. Work anniversaries are intertwined with several powerful core needs and emotional triggers that have been wired into humans for tens of thousands of years.
If you want to improve how your organization celebrates work anniversaries and simultaneously improve both employee morale and performance, think bigger than time.
Start with the simple things.
- Let the MD draft a handwritten message of how that employee has impacted the organization over the last year.
- Read it out in a meeting or staff gathering.
- For employees who have served for more than five years, give them their flowers, gifts and a paid for vacation.
Here is an example of a heartwarming note Maggie’s boss would have written. Has she done that Maggie wouldn’t be looking for jobs elsewhere despite being the best employee.
Dear Maggie,
It has been a palm-pleasing five years at BlueCollar.
You have grown from an intern to a Manager during the five years. Celebrate! You have also impacted our clients like Sarah who has grown her business because you helped her get her tax clearances quickly. Your legacy is beautiful and goes beyond the paycheque.
You have also became a mother; diligent and wise. As your son starts school today its worth celebrating you. We are blessed to have you.
You have taught us all of the abiding truth, “Dream come true to the diligent and humble”
Enjoy your day!
PS: A $100 shopping voucher is enclosed to help you celebrate. You can have been booked into Serena Hotel for the weekend with your son- all expenses paid. Have fun!
