Employee recognition is a crucial aspect of fostering a positive and productive work environment. While there are various ways to acknowledge employee achievements and contributions, celebrating a work anniversary, commonly known as a “workiversary,” holds a special significance. We are going to look at ways to say happy workiversary to your stellar employees.
In a Gallup Workplace article, Employee Retention Depends on Getting Recognition Right, Rachel Yi reveals that well-recognized employees are less likely to have changed organizations after two years.
“Organizations face constant risk of losing their top talent, shouldering the cost of their replacement and managing the cultural disruption of their exit. Gallup finds that in May 2024, 51% of all U.S. employees were watching for, or actively seeking a new job. But much of this turnover risk is preventable.”
Rachel Yi
This is why it is essential to raise employee morale, improve job satisfaction, and encourage a sense of dedication and loyalty among the workforce.
Workiversary Meaning
A workiversary marks the length of time an employee has been with a company or organization. It is a significant achievement that showcases their devotion to their job and the organization as a whole. The term “workiversary” combines the words “work” and “anniversary,” highlighting the unique nature of this occasion within the professional world.
Workiversaries are a concept that was born out of an understanding of the value and significance of employee retention. Employers show appreciation and support for their workforce’s stability by celebrating workiversaries. These achievements also give companies a chance to show their gratitude and appreciation for a worker’s ongoing service, helping to create a productive and encouraging workplace environment.
Ways to Celebrate a Happy Workiversary
Happy workiversary events are an excellent opportunity for employers to show appreciation for their employees’ ongoing commitment and hard work. These events can take various forms, depending on the organization’s culture, resources, and preferences. Here are some ideas to make happy workiversary celebrations meaningful and impactful:
Social Gatherings
Organize team outings, lunches, or dinners to celebrate workiversaries together. These gatherings provide coworkers with a chance to connect, swap tales, and make lifelong memories. They also promote friendship and emphasize the value of teamwork. Tailor the celebration to each employee’s preferences and interests. Consider their hobbies, favorite activities, or personal milestones when planning the event. Personalized recognition demonstrates that the organization values and understands each individual employee.
For Cerkl’s own team member, Sam, we decided to celebrate his fifth work anniversary with an office party. This event was an amazing opportunity for his friends and colleagues to show their appreciation for his dedication to the organization. They themed it around The Office, one of his favorite shows. We chose Currito for catering and included cheesecake as dessert (both of which are his favorite foods). Our team also created a slideshow with some memories from his time here at Cerkl and a trivia game about Sam for both in-person and virtual attendees! We wanted to tailor it to what he loves – his music, food, personality, and more – so we could truly show him how much we care.
Here’s what Jacob, one of his co-workers, has to say about Sam:
“I was fortunate enough to be a part of the party planning committee for Sam’s five-year work anniversary. Five years at Cerkl is a big deal and it is so cool to see all the thought, care, and personal touches that went into it. Cerkl has even gone so far as to include Sam’s friends and family in the celebration! Cerkl would not be the same without him, so it is important we let him know that. In doing so I also hope it inspires others to work as hard as Sam has over these past five years.”
Let’s see what Sam thinks about Workiversaries.
Work Anniversary Gifts and Time Off
Offer a token of appreciation to mark the workiversary. It could be something practical or a personalized item that holds sentimental value. The gift should serve as a lasting reminder of the employee’s dedication and the organization’s gratitude. It should be personalized and tailored to the employee’s experiences at the company in order to demonstrate understanding of that person.
Delta Marketing has some amazing work anniversary gifts:
- Tailored gift baskets: For the movie lover, a gift card for the movie theater, popcorn, candy, and a DVD is a great idea. If they love the outdoors, you could give them survival items and things they will need for camping.
- Work-from-home care package: Lap desks, a fluffy blanket, or a coffee mug will make their remote work experience much more enjoyable.
- Indulgent treats: Chocolate, gummy candy, fudge… anything that will satisfy a sweet tooth.
- Unique office items: If you know their decor taste, give them a desk lamp they will love or even a mini desk vacuum.
- Luxury home item: Give them an oil diffuser or a plant they will love to take care of.
Here at Cerkl, for Sam’s workiversary gift, we compiled a video of memories that he has made at Cerkl events, as well as interviews with his colleagues, family, and friends. It is filled with funny moments and some sentimental ones for him to remember. A good friend who works at Cerkl also put together a photo album with some more pictures for him to keep and cherish.
A great idea for employers is to give employees an extra day off, or a flexible schedule, to celebrate their workiversary. This gesture acknowledges an employee’s hard work while allowing them to relax and recharge, promoting the importance of that all-important work-life balance.
Benefits of Celebrating a Workiversary
Happy workiversary celebrations are essential for raising spirits, fostering a sense of community, and encouraging happiness in general at work. Employee pride and accomplishment are increased when workiversaries are acknowledged and celebrated. It demonstrates that the organization values and appreciates their work and dedication.
This recognition contributes to a positive work environment where employees feel acknowledged and motivated to continue their dedicated efforts. As a result, employee morale significantly improves and there is a higher likelihood that they will experience a deeper sense of loyalty and connection to the company. A Nectar survey of employee recognition reports that 83.6% of employees feel like recognition affects their motivation at work.
Another Nectar survey on employee retention and turnover indicates that 71% of employees would be less likely to leave their organization if they were recognized more frequently.
People become more invested in the organization and their coworkers when they feel appreciated and recognized for their steadfast service. Celebrating workiversaries creates a positive emotional connection and fosters a sense of loyalty and commitment. Employees who feel valued are more likely to remain with the company for the long term, reducing turnover rates and the associated costs of recruiting and training new employees. This increased retention ultimately contributes to a stable and cohesive workforce, promoting better productivity and organizational success.
Make the happy workiversary celebration a public event to ensure that employees receive recognition from their colleagues. Highlight the employee’s accomplishments, growth, and contributions during their time with the organization. In addition to raising spirits, this motivates others to strive for similar achievements. Create a message, in a user-friendly communication channel like an Email Blast, to recognize employees on their workiversaries. Highlight their achievements, milestones, and the impact they have made on the organization. This not only boosts their confidence but also enhances their professional reputation.
5 Workiversary Message Examples
Recognizing employee work anniversaries is a simple yet powerful way to show appreciation and boost morale. Whether you’re sending a personal message, a team shout-out, or a company-wide note, here are five workiversary message examples to help you celebrate the milestone in a meaningful way.
#1 Professional and Appreciative
Happy Workiversary, [Name]! Your dedication and contributions over the past [X] years have made a real difference. Thank you for being such a valuable part of our team.
#2 Warm and Personal
[Name], congratulations on your [X]-year workiversary. Your hard work, positivity, and teamwork continue to inspire everyone around you. We’re lucky to have you on our team!
#3 Fun and Friendly
Cheers to [X] years of awesomeness, [Name]! Your energy and dedication keep us all moving forward. Here’s to many more milestones together.
#4 Milestone Highlight
Celebrating [X] years with us today! [Name], your growth and achievements have been incredible to watch. Thank you for your ongoing commitment and passion.
#5 Team Shout-Out
Let’s give a big round of applause to [Name] for reaching [X] years with us. Your dedication and teamwork have helped shape our success. Thank you for everything you do!
How to Send Workiversary Messages with Cerkl Broadcast
Celebrating employee workiversaries is a simple but meaningful way to recognize contributions and boost morale. With Cerkl Broadcast, you can streamline the process and deliver personalized, timely messages that make employees feel truly valued.
A good way to start is by using Cerkl Broadcast’s audience management tools to segment your workforce based on hire dates. You can create dynamic segments that automatically update so that you never miss a milestone. Then, when the time is right, craft your message using customizable templates, adding dynamic fields like first name, workiversary year, or team details to keep it personal.
Cerkl Broadcast Email Blasts are ideal for sending one-off, celebratory messages. Whether you’re recognizing individual milestones or sending a monthly roundup of anniversaries, Email Blasts allow you to deliver tailored messages directly to inboxes — on the exact date or scheduled in advance for maximum impact.
For larger audiences, you can also feature workiversaries in Broadcast News Digests, ensuring consistent recognition across your employee communications. Additionally, with built-in engagement analytics, you can track open rates and interactions in real time to fine-tune your messaging strategy.
With Cerkl Broadcast, workiversary messages become more than just a nice gesture – they become a consistent, scalable part of your employee engagement strategy.
What’s next?
To be able to create beautiful communications to celebrate a workiversary, you need the right tools to make effective messaging that is of amazing quality for the recipient and easy to use for the internal communicator.
Our internal communication software Cerkl Broadcast has helped many organizations engage and personally recognize their stellar employees. Since personalization is a vital part of workiversary celebrations, we are offering you access to The Impact of Personalization on Internal Communication Engagement & Effectiveness. This white paper will show you how mass personalization works best and just how versatile the Cerkl Broadcast platform is.
Don’t miss this opportunity.
FAQ
A workiversary marks the length of time an employee has been with a company or organization. The term “workiversary” combines the words “work” and “anniversary,” highlighting the unique nature of this occasion within the professional world.
The most common term is workiversary. According to Rick Joi, author of a book about work anniversaries due for publication in January, 2024, it’s recognized by more people and a much more commonly used search term than workaversary. For instance, it’s three times as popular on Google, twice as popular on Instagram, and amazingly, 20 times more popular when people search on X (previously Twitter).
Celebrate a happy workiversary in a variety of ways, such as with engaging social events that promote teamwork, considerate work anniversary presents that express gratitude, and the possibility of providing well-earned time off. A meaningful note of appreciation that highlights the employees’ accomplishments and unwavering commitment to the company may also be given to them.
Here’s an example of a suitable message: “Congratulations on reaching an incredible milestone —10 years of dedication and hard work with our organization! Your commitment and passion have been instrumental in our success, and we are truly grateful for the positive impact you’ve made. Here’s to another decade of achievements, growth, and continued success together!”
The most common term for a work anniversary is workiversary but some people spell it with an a instead of an i — workaversary.
