Virtual Cheers: Making Employee Birthdays Special In A Remote Setting
by Shahnawaz Alam Management 26 February 2024
As more companies have shifted to remote or hybrid work environments, traditional office celebrations and team bonding activities have become a thing of the past. However, that doesn’t mean employee birthdays should be overlooked or forgotten. In fact, with some creativity and effort, virtual birthday celebrations can be just as fun and meaningful as in-person ones. In this blog post, we’ll discuss creative ways to make your employees feel special and celebrated on their birthdays, even from a distance. Get ready to say “virtual cheers” to your team’s birthdays!
Adapting Traditional Office Birthday Celebrations To A Virtual Format
Transitioning office birthday celebrations into virtual space can be exciting and innovative. One traditional way to celebrate birthdays in the office is with a surprise cake or snacks, which can still be implemented remotely by having a treat delivered to the birthday individual’s home. Alternatively, consider a virtual “birthday cake” celebration, where team members can bring their dessert and share a celebratory moment on a video call. Another popular office tradition is the birthday card signed by all employees. This can easily transition online through digital cards or by creating a shared document where everyone can leave their birthday wishes.
Physical gatherings, like office parties or team lunches, can be adapted into virtual hangouts. These can be casual and fun, including team games, quizzes, or a relaxed chat session. Remember to be sensitive to time zones if your team is distributed globally. It’s all about maintaining the team spirit and sense of togetherness despite the physical distance. These adapted traditions celebrate the employee’s birthday and contribute to team bonding and morale in a remote environment.
Sending Personalized Birthday Emails Or Video Messages
One personal and effective way to make an employee feel special on their birthday is through a personalized email or video message. Managers or team leaders can take a few moments to craft a heartfelt message, recognizing the individual’s contributions and wishing them well. Alternatively, create a group video message where each team member shares a brief birthday wish. These messages not only celebrate the employee but also reinforce the company’s appreciation and recognition of their hard work.
Creating A Virtual Birthday Card
A virtual birthday card is a great way to let your entire team express their well wishes. Use tools like Canva or Adobe Spark to design a custom e-card that reflects the birthday person’s personality or interests. Invite the whole team to contribute by signing the card with personal messages or inside jokes. This makes the birthday individual feel loved and appreciated and helps maintain a sense of camaraderie within your remote team.
Gift Delivery
Gift delivery is another thoughtful way to celebrate employee birthdays in a remote or hybrid work environment. Birthday gifts for employees can make them feel appreciated and valued. Many employee birthday gifts, from custom-made goodies to subscription boxes, are available online. You can choose something that aligns with your interests or hobbies or even a gift card to your favorite restaurant or store.
If your company has branded merchandise, this could also be an excellent opportunity to gift an item to the employee. The key here is to ensure the gift is personalized and thoughtful, adding extra joy to their special day. Be sure to plan, considering delivery times, to ensure the gift arrives on the birthday.
However, if you are still confused as to what you should gift them as a birthday present, here are a few options that you may consider:
Attractive Vouchers
Every single person loves a gift on their birthday, and what is better than letting them choose their gifts? A valuable gift voucher just does the job. A gift voucher that they can redeem on any eCommerce platform to get an item of their choice is the best kind of gift you can give to an employee working in a remote setting.
Wellness Kit
There is just nothing better than giving someone health when they are aging. So, a wellness kit is yet another amazing gifting option when it comes to office birthdays. These kits may have some healthy snacking options, a fitness smartwatch, membership to a gym, and so on.
Recognizing Their Contribution
Everyone loves getting praised on their birthday. If the employee is efficient and has done quite a lot for the team, a little bit of appreciation can make their day even more special. A small speech as to how their efforts have only contributed towards the good of the team, their positive traits, etc, is a great birthday gift indeed.
Birthday Bonus
While this is a fairly new concept, a birthday bonus is something that can definitely make me happy. So, if the budget permits, you may surprise the employee with a good birthday bonus to make their day better. This is one of the best gifts you can give to an employee who is working in a remote setting. All you need to do is make a bank transfer, and the job is done.
Gift A Plant
Gifting plants is a very soft way to tell someone that they are indeed valuable to you. So, you are confused as to what you want to give as a gift: get a plant delivered to their house. A plant will always be there with them even when they decide not to be a part of the organization anymore.
Personalized Goodies
The Human Resource team from your organization can curate a nice bucket of all personalized goodies to send to employees working remotely on a birthday. You may add things like personalized t-shirts, key chains, mugs, pens, etc. Using their names, pictures, etc, adds a nice personal touch to the gifts. This may be one of the most amazing birthday ideas that will make remote employees feel valued and appreciated even when they are not present in the office.
Implementing A Birthday Leave Policy
Offering employees a day off on their birthday is a beautiful perk that can boost morale and show appreciation. This policy can be even more impactful in remote settings, fully allowing team members to enjoy their special day without work-related obligations. Ensure the policy is communicated and applied fairly to all employees. While it’s a simple gesture, a birthday leave can significantly affect an employee’s value.
Providing Birthday Gifts Or Vouchers
Another way to make an employee’s birthday special is by providing a birthday gift or voucher. Consider offering a voucher to a popular online store or a subscription to a streaming service they enjoy. You could also give a gift card to a local business in their area, supporting local commerce while treating your employees. Gifts or vouchers are a simple yet effective way to acknowledge and celebrate your employee’s birthday, adding a personal touch to make them feel appreciated.
Celebrating employee birthdays virtually may require creativity, but the effort is worth the positive impact on team morale and individual recognition. From personalized messages to thoughtful gifts, there are numerous ways to make employees feel special on their birthday, even from afar. These gestures mark the occasion and convey appreciation for the team member’s contributions. So, here’s to making birthdays memorable in the remote work era. After all, a team that celebrates together stays connected and motivated together.
Conclusion
Remote workers often conceive the idea that they are not recognized enough as they are not present in the office. But, this may not be the case. Remote workers are just as important as everyday office-goers.
Birthdays of remote workers are the best way to appreciate them and recognize their presence in the organization. Small virtual celebrations followed by gifts are a great way to tell them that they matter to the company. This will also keep the employee motivated to contribute more to the company.
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