The best bosses and leaders will show appreciation for those working under them. Your employees do a lot of the grunt work for your business; they’re in the engine room, making sure everything keeps ticking over. You couldn’t do this without them, which is why you should go the extra mile to demonstrate your appreciation.
One simple way to do this is by celebrating their birthdays. It shows two key things to your workforce:
- You actually know when their birthdays are
- You genuinely care about them
The key to being the best boss is ensuring the birthday celebrations actually mean something and aren’t just a small cake with a card. So, here are some top tips on how to celebrate:
Get Them a Worthwhile Present
Personal presents show your employees that you legitimately know them and respect their preferences. Don’t just give them a bottle of wine or an Amazon gift card; do some research and ask around so you understand what they’d actually like to receive.
If one of your employees loves going to the theatre, then you could buy them tickets as a gift or get them a voucher to use on ticket websites. If someone adores beer, you could get them a box of beers from around the world. It’s all about knowing the person and finding a present that appeals to their interests.
Go the Extra Mile With a Birthday Greeting
Cards are boring and show very little effort. As the boss, you have a licence to go the extra mile and purchase personalized birthday wishes for your employees. These birthday greetings are excellent; you basically pay someone to say happy birthday to them, but there’s no end to who can do this. It could be a celebrity the person likes, a group of people they know and love, etc. These types of messages are better than a simple card and show that you care.
Let Them Take a Half Day
Finally, what’s better than taking a half day on your birthday? Let every employee enjoy this benefit – or go one step further and give them the entire day off. If you opt for the latter, then be sure you plan the birthday celebrations for a different day; it’ll be very awkward if you celebrate when they’re not in.
Also, make sure this doesn’t come out of their allotted holiday days. It should be a special benefit that shows everyone you value their work and would love for them to have a more chill day on their birthday. This is how you celebrate an employee’s birthday at work. It’s all about knowing the person and catering the celebration to their tastes. Go the extra mile here – it’s always good to let your employees know you value and appreciate them. This is how you inspire a team to stick by you and work harder. Nobody will feel loyalty to a faceless boss who barely shows an interest in them; be the opposite of this, become a boss that always appreciates their workers.
