5 Company Celebrations That Strengthen Workplace Culture

Celebrating — one of the nine high-trust leadership behaviors — is how leaders create a workplace where employees feel connected to one another.

What you celebrate as an organization can send a powerful message to employees.

Does it feel like the company cares when someone hits their 10-year work anniversary with the organization? How do employees acknowledge and honor each other’s lives outside of work, from birthdays to weddings?

When you celebrate, you are expressing your values.

“The most important things to celebrate are the values of the organization and how people help the organization achieve its purpose,” says Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place To Work?.

Great workplaces reinforce their values and expected behaviors when honoring employees for their contributions. When behaviors are celebrated and properly incentivized, a company transforms its workplace.

Plus, employees want their workplace to be fun, an experience which is the No. 1 driver of well-being for every generation, from Gen Z to Baby Boomers. That doesn’t mean that companies should put a ping-pong table in every office. Instead, it suggests that employees are looking for connection.

“Unfortunately, the research shows that many people don’t have a friend at work, but for those who do, they’re more likely to stay with an organization,” shared Jen Fisher, chief well-being officer at Deloitte in an appearance on the “Better” podcast. “They’re more engaged, their work product is better, because we are meant to connect with other human beings.”'

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Great workplaces use celebrations to build connection between co-workers, where everyone is invested in collective success. Here are five things you should celebrate to build trust with employees:

1. A healthy variety of milestones and anniversaries

It should be standard practice to celebrate anniversaries and personal achievements, but the celebration itself can be regionalized or even personalized.

At NVIDIA, teams around the world celebrate tailor celebrations for new hires, retirements, baby showers, and more to local tastes. In Germany, teams might go for beer and sausages. Canadians don’t pass up the opportunity for drinks al fresco in the summer. In China, employees follow the Lunar New Year custom of exchanging gifts in lucky red envelopes.

Great workplaces also celebrate collective achievement, like when NVIDIA’s Durham engineering site celebrated its 25th anniversary. The company hosted an open-house with more than 500 employees, both past and present, celebrating with their families.

By honoring both current and former employees, NVIDIA sent a powerful message about the work of the company, its respect for employees, and the deep meaning everyone involved takes from their efforts.

[Certification Nation Day on Oct. 16, 2024 is a great opportunity to celebrate your company's great culture. Don’t miss it! Get inspired from how companies celebrated last year.]

2. Shared company values

Celebrations are crucial for employee well-being, with Great Place To Work? research showing that fun is the No. 1 driver of well-being for every generation. That could be why some great companies are throwing a party to highlight their commitment to employee well-being.

At DHL Express in Europe, a four-day event brings together more than 3,000 employees from every country in Europe to participate in well-being activities. Attendees can participate in soccer and cheerleading competitions, or take part in yoga, kayaking, or rock climbing programs.

Well-being is not the only value companies want to celebrate.

At Deloitte, the consulting firm emphasizes its commitment to local communities by celebrating a nationwide day of service each year it calls “Impact Day.” Tens of thousands of Deloitte employees volunteer at more than 1,000 local community projects.

When bringing employees together, carefully consider your purpose and how a party or festival can reinforce your core values as an organization. You can also celebrate your culture and the value your employees bring to the workplace every day, as Great Place To Work Certified? companies do on Certification Nation Day. Or, use social media to engage employees and celebrate achievements like making a Best Workplaces? list.

For example, NVIDIA celebrated being named No. 3 among the Fortune 100 Best Workplaces to Work For? in 2024:

3. Belonging and inclusion

Employee resource groups (ERGs) can program celebrations that honor the unique traditions and gifts of different cultures. Celebrating these cultures helps strengthen the bonds between employees, ensuring higher levels of inclusion and camaraderie across the organization.

At NVIDIA, there are nine ERGs that serve to increase awareness of different demographics in the workplace, from Asian and Pacific Islanders to women in technology. The ERG for Black employees, the “Black NVIDIAN Network,” hosted in-person and virtual events to celebrate Black innovation, culture, and leadership. “Women in Technology” celebrated Women’s History Month with skill-building sessions and workshops.

Great workplaces can partner with ERGs to offer fun moments for connection, too. At Visa, ERGs partnered with the return-to-office team to host ice cream socials where employees could connect and learn about the different ERGs at the company.

4. Innovation and progress

Great workplaces work hard to ensure people are celebrated for trying new ways of doing business. Events that focus on innovation reinforce company values around learning and growth, and allow team members from across the organization to connect and deepen relationships.

Atlantic Health System showcases compelling new research from faculty and team members at its medical centers during its annual “Research Day,” now in its 25th year.

At American Express, a two-day hackathon called “GrowthHack” brings technology and product teams together to collaborate on new ideas. More than 1,300 participants across 205 teams participated in the 2022 event, competing for three grand prizes.

Other business units at American Express host their own pitch competitions, à la “Shark Tank,” bringing people together for fun collaborative events that develop business acumen and potentially identify new projects worth pursuing.

5. Individual excellence

What unique skills and talents on your team deserve their own special celebration?

At Nugget Market, an inter-store competition known as “Bag-Off” lets associates compete for the title of “Best Bagger.” Winners go on to represent the company at the National Grocers Associate Best Bagger Championship.

Last fall, the entire company was invited out to an airfield for a Top-Gun themed party with parades, costumes, fighter jets, and more.

The grocery chain based in Davis, California, takes pains to make the event as inclusive as possible, inviting warehouse and kitchen teams to join the party, even if they don’t have baggers on their teams participating in the competition.

Before rounding up your employees for your own bagging competition, consider what skills might make more sense for employees in your industry. A Bag-Off is nicely aligned with a grocery retailer, but there might be other competitions that perfectly align with your organization.

Benchmark your culture

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