Who doesn’t love a celebration? Celebrating company milestones is an important part of running a business. There are so many reasons to celebrate, not in the least to recognize when hard work pays off. Whether you’re celebrating a company anniversary, completion of a round of funding, the retirement of a team member, or a strong quarter end, how you celebrate your company milestones matters.

If you’re looking to plan a fun, meaningful way to celebrate at your company, here are some tips on making your event special.

Why is it important to celebrate company milestones?

There are many reasons why it’s important to celebrate your company’s milestones. Celebrating company milestones not only gives your team a fun few hours away from their computers, but it also sets up an important element of company culture - gratitude.

Here are a few ways that your company milestone celebration can have a positive impact:

• It’s morale boosting for the team. When you take a step back from the nitty gritty of the work and reflect on the progress that you’ve made, you might be surprised at how much you’ve accomplished. And this can be really exciting for a team that’s worked so hard to achieve that progress! Taking the time to celebrate progress can be very motivating for team members.
• It shows progress or passage of time. When you intentionally celebrate the big company milestones - especially events like the end of a quarter or a busy year - you draw attention to the amount of time that’s passed since the last celebration. This gives your team a point of reference to compare their current work - think of how far you’ve come since the end of last quarter!
• It’s a time for praise and appreciation. Most importantly, celebrating company milestones is a perfect opportunity to share lots of praise and appreciation for your team. By making a culture of gratitude, you might find that your team leaves work feeling more positive and connected to one another.

What’s the best way to celebrate company milestones?

There’s no one answer to this question! The best way to celebrate your company’s milestones will vary based on your company’s size, resources, and culture. These factors could influence whether you celebrate an achievement with donuts during a mid-morning coffee break in the kitchen or an after-work party at the local bowling alley (bowling is still cool, right?).

When making plans for a company celebration, be sure to keep in mind the best time of the day for your event. Some team members might need to leave early to pick their kids up from school, while others might not be open to events during work hours because of a packed task list. By being thoughtful about the best time of day, you can help your team members feel more present and without distraction.

There’s one thing that all of the best company milestone celebrations have in common: good food! To be sure to make your celebration special, order delicious catering from a local restaurant. CaterCow makes it easy to pick dishes that fit the occasion, whether that’s a build-your-own-taco bar or platters of tasty sandwiches. By providing catering for a company milestone celebration, you’re signaling to your team that you appreciate their work enough to put the resources towards professionally prepared food - and you can avoid those office potlucks that always seem a bit underwhelming.

The best way to give your team the celebration they want is to ask them what would be meaningful to them. Send out a poll for the type of event, time of day, and food options. From the information that you collect, you can make an informed decision that speaks directly towards the needs and wants of the main audience of the event.

Lastly, the most important aspect of a company milestone celebration is to acknowledge the hard work put into the achievement. You’re celebrating a milestone made possible by the people who work at your company, so be sure to make them feel special. You might consider whether you want to hand out individual tokens of appreciation like bouquets of flowers or offer generalized praise for team efforts.  If you’re going for sentimental, be sure to prepare a heartfelt speech that reminds your team how much you appreciate who they are and what they do. The main goal is to ensure that your team knows that they did a great job and to make them feel connected to the company.

How does celebrating company milestones support the engagement of employees?

Celebrating company milestones is a great opportunity to support the engagement of your team members. Praise makes just about anyone feel good about themselves and can be just the boost they need to feel more confident in their work. By encouraging your team members to feel proud of their work, you’re empowering them to make future contributions.

If you’re celebrating a retirement or a going away, be sure to make that person feel extra special. Not only does this make the send-off sentimental, but it creates a company culture of giving back to those that give to the company. Celebrating a company milestone can also encourage people to look forward to reaching the next milestone.

Overall, celebrating company milestones is an excellent way to boost the morale of your company, especially when there are challenges to face. Celebrations don’t erase those challenges, but they do make them slightly easier to weather. By celebrating the wins and creating a culture of gratitude, your team becomes united in a common goal.

And don’t forget the cake. Nothing says congratulations more than a big ol’ cake.