Today my wife and I celebrate our 15 year anniversary!  Quite a milestone.  For those of you that know my personality, you must know that she is an angel to put up with me for 15 years. I am truly a blessed man.

At my former company (Disney), anniversaries were a big deal for both the company and for the employees.  Each October 1, Walt Disney World would celebrate its anniverary.  Every employee received a button or pin that they would wear for two weeks in October.  The pin always created a talking point with the guests, and it was also a keepsake for the employee.

Employee anniversaries were also recognized.  At year one, you received a pin for your nametag, and you received a different pin at year 5, 10, 15 and so on.  Plaques or trophies were presented at years 10, 15 and so on.  Longevity was also rewarded with banquets!  Year 10, 15, 20 and so on allowed you to attend a formal dinner on Disney property with lots of food, drink, guest speakers and so on.

I currently work in civil service, and the only anniversary that seems to matter is the one that results in retirement.  That is the day that many people look forward to.  Other than that, there is no recognition for length of service.  And that makes me ask "Why not?"

Don't get me wrong!  I understand that for the most part, these special events do nothing to prolong an employees tenure at a company.  "Well, I was going to quit, but if I stay for another 3 years, I will get a free meal and a pin.  Maybe I will stay..."  I am not naive enough to believe that.  However, there is an extreme lack of recognition in civil service, and while anniversary recogntions may not assist with retention, they may do a lot for morale.

So what can you do as a leader in either sector?

• Keep track of the little things!  For each employee, you must know their company anniversary date, their birthday, and their wedding anniversary, if applicable.  Just set these up as recurring appointments yearly in your outlook calendar, and send a congratulations e-mail on those days.  It does not cost a cent, and it shows you care as a leader.

• Do not reward the wrong things.  It may sound like I am talking out of both sides of my mouth, but I know plenty of actively disengaged employees who should not be rewarded just for showing up to work.  When you send that employee the e-mail that says "Happy 20 years with the company,"  it should come with a 1-1 chat where you restate your expectations of them. 

• Create a policy that is consistent for all employees.  If a manager takes one employee to lunch to celebrate their 5th company anniversary, they'd better do it for all employees.  Otherwise, the dreaded favoritism and inconsistency cards get played, and you will most likely lose.

Make your employees feel like they are special, and you will reap the rewards.  Get out there and recognize your employees!!