Celebrating Milestones in Hybrid or Remote Workplaces
“Remember to celebrate the milestones as you prepare for the road ahead.”
Do you know whose words are these? Nelson Mandela. And like his quote, we have also forgotten to celebrate important milestones for people at work.
With busy work schedules, we often miss crucial milestones that play a big part in other's life. It can be a personal event like marriage, parenthood, home-ownership, etc., OR a professional milestone like promotion, work anniversary, project success, etc. These events carry special importance for people & they care to celebrate them.
But what happens in a remote or distributed work setting? The same old robotic automated emails or messages? Even if people connect on a video call, very few can contribute & it feels rushed.
Are these sufficient? You know no one is cutting a cake on your special day. It's disappointing when people aren't around to congratulate you on accomplishing a key result. It makes people feel alienated or lose motivation when they don't receive external validation.
Why celebrating milestones is important?
Keeping the team motivated and enthusiastic is difficult, even when things are going well. Celebrating personal milestones helps establish a social fabric in the team. You know your relationship goes beyond day-to-day transactional work. On the other hand, professional milestone celebrations remind people how far they have progressed and that their efforts have been worthwhile.
Sharing in the achievement of people and recognizing their hard work will enhance your culture of gratitude and motivate the entire team. Some benefits of celebrating milestones are listed below:
High engagement -> Greater profitability
When you celebrate employees' achievements, you show them that they are cared for. People who feel valued at work are more engaged and satisfied. According to a Gallup research from 2017, organizations with engaged employees are 17 per cent more productive than companies with employee dissatisfaction. Still not convinced? Companies with a highly motivated workforce saw a 21 per cent increase in profitability.
Reduced Turnover
It's no wonder that satisfied employees stay longer. Celebrating work achievements is an excellent approach to making your staff feel special, respected, and appreciated. Recognizing and celebrating significant events in your colleagues' life fosters company loyalty, and you can be convinced that whenever the moment arises, the people you've looked after will look after you.
Your Dream Company Culture
We can't promise that celebrating employee milestones will result in tiny little colourful unicorns parading around the workplace and the lounge reeking like chocolate chip cookies, but we can guarantee that you will have employees who are proud to be a part of your company, proud of their work, and have a wonderful relationship with peers. That, in our opinion, is a workplace culture worth striving for. Making your employees feel valued and cherished is a guaranteed method.
The big picture
When employees can witness that their work has a direct impact on a company's performance, it drives them to do their best. Recognizing workplace achievements demonstrates that their work contributes to the organization’s missions and purpose. Furthermore, tying that individual's accomplishments to your organization's values and purpose can be a terrific chance for you to deeply cement your values and principles and ensure your mission is apparent to the entire team. This helps to build a cohesive team that is determined to bring the organization ahead.
Milestones celebration: how to do it?
There are no actual "standard procedures" for commemorating workplace successes. Team members and the company culture should determine how you recognize and congratulate your people.
Not everyone enjoys public accolades or presents. Not everyone is excited by the same things. Nevertheless, you may still strengthen social bonds while appreciating each individual in their special way. But then there is the issue when people aren't present in the same building.
So much hassle? Nope. Not quite so.
Engagement tools like Revvi have developed the answer to a simple yet effective method for fostering trust and inclusion among remote teams. Don't skip out on celebrating your peer's personal or professional successes just because everyone is not together. Celebrate any meaningful occasion with a customized group card, whether it's a birthday or an anniversary, a promotion or a work anniversary, a wedding or parenting.
Presenting…. The Milestone Celebration board!
People can add personalized messages and celebrate any occasion for their team members. They can include memories, pictures, and videos to add that personal touch. Additionally, you can download the entire board as a group card and cherish it as a remembrance or a testimonial!
Just as families celebrate personal events, people leaders can and shall mark significant milestones for their people. "The more you praise and enjoy your life, the more there is in life to celebrate", Oprah Winfrey famously stated. It is undoubtedly true in business as well.