Let’s face it: few things in life are as embarrassing as a poorly executed office birthday party.
I am sure, you will agree.
On top of that, organizing office birthdays can put a lot of pressure on your shoulders. At the same time, it seems like every individual team member expect to receive something special on their birthday these days. And you, as an office manager, may feel obligated to deliver.
When it comes to office birthdays, a little goes a long way. With some planning, office birthdays can be both a lot of fun and an opportunity to add value to your company.
A personalized note or gift that speaks to your employee’s hobby or passion demonstrates that you’ve taken the time to get to know them on a personal level. This is how an emotional bond between company and team can be created.
1. Create a Custom Video
You might think that you will need some basic video editing skills to make the video, but trust me, with our birthday video, it’s as easy as pie and the results are amazing.
The idea is to create a video that celebrates your team member’s personality and unique contributions to the office.
Here’s an easy formula to get a great video:
- Come up with a few photos of the birthday boy/girl and the colleagues
- Collect some birthday wishes from your colleagues
Then go to the video creation page and create your videos with the materials you’ve got. Once you upload the images and caption them with the wishes, your video is ready for download.
2. Surprise Desk Decoration
If you have some confetti and balloons (and if you plan events, I’m guessing you do) this should be an easy one.
Timing is key, and you have a few options here: stay later and decorate the evening before, get into the office early or ask a colleague who comes in early or stays late.
I know, it’s tough asking for help, but don’t you find that most of your colleagues do offer their help. Take them up on it this time and you won’t regret!
3. Change Up The Song
Can you count how many times you’ve heard or sung yourself the “Happy Birthday to You” song? I bet you can’t …
And let’s be honest…pretty much everyone hates that song.
Ditch the tired old standard and try something a little different, a little more contemporary. Here are a few songs you might want to serenade your coworkers with instead:
Baar Baar Din Ye Aaye
Happy Din Aaye
Sing Along a Happy Birthday Song
Today is a Special Day
Jab Se Payaa Tujhay
What’s more… at birthdaysongswithnames, you can find those birthday songs for more than 7,800 names.
Just go and find the name of the birthday colleague and select the song you want.
4. Get Leaders Involved
Remember that creating a culture of recognition is really at the heart of birthday celebrations. There’s no better way to emphasize the importance of recognition than to get senior leadership involved.
A handwritten note from your boss goes a long way. It’s that personal touch that really sets it off.
5. Go-to Gifting
Giving employees a small gift with a nice card will often do the trick with your employees.
Easier said than done, we know.
Also keep in mind that you don’t have to kill yourself to create something your employees will appreciate. It doesn’t have to be overly elaborate – you just need to do something that lifts everyone’s spirits for a few minutes out of the day.