Why your organisation should celebrate more

Employees need to feel the love

Head of Human Resources at FedEx Bangladesh, M A Mannan says, "Employees want to be appreciated. They need managers to help them feel valued. No employee seeks to be mediocre." According to him, management needs to develop a culture of bringing its employees together, and they must make time for celebrating employees to create a work environment that is both positive and reinforcing.

Even if your organisation is facing tight financial times, celebrations provide a cost-effective way of fuelling engagement and higher levels of performances. Mannan advises that managers dedicate a budget solely for the purpose so that occasions can be celebrated at ease and with minimum worries regarding funds. 

Apart from just motivating employees to continue delivering excellent results and be even more productive with the next set of projects, celebrating can also unify the team around a positive outcome. If your organisation has its share of lone wolves, employees who struggle to get along, show them how they helped to achieve a common goal.

Maintain your employer brand

Monjurul Alam, Head of Human Resources at AFC Group, believes that occasions and success must be celebrated because it is important for effective employee relations and positioning the organisation as a great employer brand.

At AFC, they celebrate big events on the organisational level, but teams have programmes on their own—be that getting dinner of coffee together. "We celebrate significant national and international days, if it's been a good year in terms of profitability, and people's successes—be that a team's or an individual's, big or small," he says.

When you show your employees that no achievement or new initiative is too small to celebrate, you're essentially setting off a wave of good vibes and inspiring employee and client loyalty. Be it word-of-mouth, positive press, or praise from industry people, it's going to shine the spotlight on your organisation. M A Mannan suggests that companies reflect the company's values and business strategy throughout their celebrations. Acknowledging the milestones you've crossed and the achievements that your employees have made sustain and enhance your ability to keep moving towards your vision.

Make a mark in your industry

For the third year anniversary of our automobile publication Shift, Executive Motors Limited made a wonderful gesture by bringing in cake for the team. As John Coleman of marketing and advertising firm The VIA Agency says: "Don't forget to celebrate the success of those outside of your own company. Industries are microcosms that inevitably involve a lot of horizontal movement from one company to another. Creating a fun sense of camaraderie where competition is friendly makes passing the torch something that's bittersweet—instead of just bitter." Think about Madchef's Friendship Day post that gave a nod to competitors Takeout.

This can subtly point out your organisation's contribution to the industry and community, gives your existing marketing programs a boost, and balances the ups with the downs. Express gratitude for the upticks and ensure that you are identifying and promoting when your organisation is in a good place and enhance the time you spend in an optimistic state of mind.

You don't need to formally schedule a celebration with your HR department weeks in advance, but a practice of celebration allows everyone to let loose once in a while. Camaraderie within and outside an organisation ensures that employees and partners stick around for the long haul.