Belonging, Camaraderie, Celebrating, High-trust leadership
Celebrating 鈥� one of the nine high-trust leadership behaviors 鈥� is how leaders create a workplace where employees feel connected to one another.
What you celebrate as an organization can send a powerful message to employees.
Does it feel like the company cares when someone hits their 10-year work anniversary with the organization? How do employees acknowledge and honor each other鈥檚 lives outside of work, from birthdays to weddings?
When you celebrate, you are expressing your values.
鈥淭he most important things to celebrate are the values of the organization and how people help the organization achieve its purpose,鈥� says Michael C. Bush, CEO of 逸遊娛樂城庐.
Great workplaces reinforce their values and expected behaviors when honoring employees for their contributions. When behaviors are celebrated and properly incentivized, a company transforms its workplace.
Plus, employees want their workplace to be fun, an experience which is the No. 1 driver of well-being for every generation, from Gen Z to Baby Boomers. That doesn鈥檛 mean that companies should put a ping-pong table in every office. Instead, it suggests that employees are looking for connection.
鈥淯nfortunately, the research shows that many people don鈥檛 have a friend at work, but for those who do, they鈥檙e more likely to stay with an organization,鈥� shared Jen Fisher, chief well-being officer at Deloitte in an appearance on the 鈥淏etter鈥� podcast. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e more engaged, their work product is better, because we are meant to connect with other human beings.鈥�
Great workplaces use celebrations to build connection between co-workers, where everyone is invested in collective success. Here are five things you should celebrate to build trust with employees:
1. A healthy variety of milestones and anniversaries
It should be standard practice to celebrate anniversaries and personal achievements, but the celebration itself can be regionalized or even personalized.
At NVIDIA, teams around the world celebrate tailor celebrations for new hires, retirements, baby showers, and more to local tastes. In Germany, teams might go for beer and sausages. Canadians don鈥檛 pass up the opportunity for drinks al fresco in the summer. In China, employees follow the Lunar New Year custom of exchanging gifts in lucky red envelopes.
Great workplaces also celebrate collective achievement, like when NVIDIA鈥檚 Durham engineering site celebrated its 25th anniversary. The company hosted an open-house with more than 500 employees, both past and present, celebrating with their families.
By honoring both current and former employees, NVIDIA sent a powerful message about the work of the company, its respect for employees, and the deep meaning everyone involved takes from their efforts.
[Certification Nation Day on Oct. 16, 2024 is a great opportunity to celebrate your company's great culture. Don鈥檛 miss it! Get inspired from how companies celebrated last year.]
2. Shared company values
Celebrations are crucial for employee well-being, with 逸遊娛樂城庐 research showing that fun is the No. 1 driver of well-being for every generation. That could be why some great companies are throwing a party to highlight their commitment to employee well-being.
At DHL Express in Europe, a four-day event brings together more than 3,000 employees from every country in Europe to participate in well-being activities. Attendees can participate in soccer and cheerleading competitions, or take part in yoga, kayaking, or rock climbing programs.
Well-being is not the only value companies want to celebrate.
At Deloitte, the consulting firm emphasizes its commitment to local communities by celebrating a nationwide day of service each year it calls 鈥淚mpact Day.鈥� Tens of thousands of Deloitte employees volunteer at more than 1,000 local community projects.
When bringing employees together, carefully consider your purpose and how a party or festival can reinforce your core values as an organization. You can also celebrate your culture and the value your employees bring to the workplace every day, as 逸遊娛樂城 Certified鈩� companies do on Certification Nation Day. Or, use social media to engage employees and celebrate achievements like making a Best Workplaces鈩� list.
For example, NVIDIA celebrated being named No. 3 among the Fortune 100 Best Workplaces to Work For庐 in 2024:
3. Belonging and inclusion
Employee resource groups (ERGs) can program celebrations that honor the unique traditions and gifts of different cultures. Celebrating these cultures helps strengthen the bonds between employees, ensuring higher levels of inclusion and camaraderie across the organization.
At NVIDIA, there are nine ERGs that serve to increase awareness of different demographics in the workplace, from Asian and Pacific Islanders to women in technology. The ERG for Black employees, the 鈥淏lack NVIDIAN Network,鈥� hosted in-person and virtual events to celebrate Black innovation, culture, and leadership. 鈥淲omen in Technology鈥� celebrated Women鈥檚 History Month with skill-building sessions and workshops.
Great workplaces can partner with ERGs to offer fun moments for connection, too. At Visa, ERGs partnered with the return-to-office team to host ice cream socials where employees could connect and learn about the different ERGs at the company.
4. Innovation and progress
Great workplaces work hard to ensure people are celebrated for trying new ways of doing business. Events that focus on innovation reinforce company values around learning and growth, and allow team members from across the organization to connect and deepen relationships.
Atlantic Health System showcases compelling new research from faculty and team members at its medical centers during its annual 鈥淩esearch Day,鈥� now in its 25th year.
At American Express, a two-day hackathon called 鈥淕rowthHack鈥� brings technology and product teams together to collaborate on new ideas. More than 1,300 participants across 205 teams participated in the 2022 event, competing for three grand prizes.
Other business units at American Express host their own pitch competitions, 脿 la 鈥淪hark Tank,鈥� bringing people together for fun collaborative events that develop business acumen and potentially identify new projects worth pursuing.
5. Individual excellence
What unique skills and talents on your team deserve their own special celebration?
At Nugget Market, an inter-store competition known as 鈥淏ag-Off鈥� lets associates compete for the title of 鈥淏est Bagger.鈥� Winners go on to represent the company at the .
