Company Culture, certification, Employee Recognition, Employer Branding
Key Takeaways:
- Certification celebration: Marking Great Place To Work® Certification recognizes employees and reinforces the culture they helped create.
- Employee recognition: Personal and peer-to-peer appreciation gives employees meaningful credit for making the organization a great workplace.
- Team celebrations: Virtual parties, shared lunches and social activities bring employees together and make the achievement memorable.
- Employer branding: Blogs, photos and social media posts help communicate Certified status and showcase the employee experience.
- Community giving: Donation matching and charitable activities connect the celebration to causes employees care about.
Break out the confetti! Getting Great Place to Work-Certified™ is more than just badges and bragging rights. You are part of a company that puts its people first.
This milestone is your chance to celebrate your employees, join a global community of exceptional companies and put your company name on the map of desirable workplaces.
Many companies ask us: “How can we use our Certification throughout the year, not just the initial announcement?”
Here are some fun ways we have seen other workplaces spread the love all year:
1. Blog about it
Share your Certified status on your company blog and explain what getting Certified means to you. This is your chance to toot your own horn a little and spell out exactly what it means to join the Certified club.
2. Throw a virtual party
Even though you may not be back in the office yet, there are lots of creative ways to celebrate from home. Host a virtual party with music, games and share employee shout-outs. (Bonus points for picking a theme and coordinating Zoom backgrounds!)
3. Treat your team to lunch or happy hour
Show your people that your care by pausing work for a free lunch or happy hour. Salt-rimmed margarita? Yes, please.
4. Spread the word on social media
Give your social media followers a behind-the-scenes look at your company celebration. Add photos of your office party to your Instagram Story. Make a nifty video for Facebook. Sign your posts with #GPTWcertified to join the national conversation. Offer a $1 donation to a charity for every employee who posts about being Certified on their social media.
5. Acknowledge your people
Noticed someone making the workday a little brighter for their coworkers? Use this day as an opportunity to recognize employees across your company for helping create a great workplace. Tributes from managers are flattering, but peer recognition is even better.
Organizing a Secret Santa-style matching system invites employees to think thoughtfully about how they recognize their colleague. One-to-one appreciation also gives every employee time in the limelight.
6. Help your people give back
With everything happening in the world, now is the opportune time to help others. Support employees’ benevolent streak by matching donations to charitable causes of their choice.
7. Reward your customers, too
Pay the love forward to your clients or customers. Show them how important employee happiness is to you by giving away freebies or discounts on the day you become Certified or Certification Nation Day. Run a hospitality business? Give everyone a free latte!
Looking for more ideas on how to celebrate? Ask your team! In the spirit of inclusive culture, the celebration will be best when everyone builds the party together!
Companies kept asking us for more opportunities to celebrate and promote becoming Certified™. So, we created a holiday. Yep.
October 20 is our nationwide celebration of great workplaces!
About Great Place to Work®
Great Place to Work® is the Global Authority on Workplace Culture. We make it easy to survey your employees, uncover actionable insights and get recognized for your great company culture. Learn more about Great Place to Work Certification.
Break out the confetti! Getting Great Place to Work-Certified™ is more than just badges and bragging rights. You are part of a company that puts its people first.
This milestone is your chance to celebrate your employees, join a global community of exceptional companies and put your company name on the map of desirable workplaces.
Many companies ask us: “How can we use our Certification throughout the year, not just the initial announcement?”
Here are some fun ways we have seen other workplaces spread the love all year:
1. Blog about it
Share your Certified status on your company blog and explain what getting Certified means to you. This is your chance to toot your own horn a little and spell out exactly what it means to join the Certified club.
2. Throw a virtual party
Even though you may not be back in the office yet, there are lots of creative ways to celebrate from home. Host a virtual party with music, games and share employee shout-outs. (Bonus points for picking a theme and coordinating Zoom backgrounds!)
3. Treat your team to lunch or happy hour
Photo: Certified company ALKU celebrated their employees with a virtual cocktail making class.
Show your people that your care by pausing work for a free lunch or happy hour. Salt-rimmed margarita? Yes, please.
4. Spread the word on social media
Give your Twitter followers a behind-the-scenes look at your company celebration. Add photos of your office party to your Instagram Story. Make a nifty video for Facebook. Sign your posts with #GPTWcertified to join the national conversation. Offer a $1 donation to a charity for every employee who posts about being Certified on their social media.
5. Acknowledge your people
Noticed someone making the workday a little brighter for their coworkers? Use this day as an opportunity to recognize employees across your company for helping create a great workplace. Tributes from managers are flattering, but peer recognition is even better.
Organizing a Secret Santa-style matching system invites employees to think thoughtfully about how they recognize their colleague. One-to-one appreciation also gives every employee time in the limelight.
6. Help your people give back
With everything happening in the world, now is the opportune time to help others. Support employees’ benevolent streak by matching donations to charitable causes of their choice.
7. Reward your customers, too
Pay the love forward to your clients or customers. Show them how important employee happiness is to you by giving away freebies or discounts on the day you become Certified or Certification Nation Day. Run a hospitality business? Give everyone a free latte!
Looking for more ideas on how to celebrate? Ask your team! In the spirit of inclusive culture, the celebration will be best when everyone builds the party together!
Companies kept asking us for more opportunities to celebrate and promote becoming Certified™. So, we created a holiday. Yep.
Circle October 20 in your calendars for our nationwide celebration of great workplaces. We hope to see you there at our virtualCertification Nation™ Day.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How can organizations celebrate Great Place To Work® Certification?
Organizations can host a team event, provide lunch, recognize employees, share the achievement online or support a charitable cause.
Why should employees be involved in planning the celebration?
Employee involvement makes the celebration more inclusive and helps ensure the activities reflect what the team finds meaningful and enjoyable.
How can Certified organizations share their achievement publicly?
They can publish a blog post, share celebration photos and videos, and use social media to explain what Certification means to their workplace.
How can employee recognition be included in the celebration?
Managers and colleagues can share personal appreciation, highlight employee contributions and create opportunities for peer-to-peer recognition.
