In today’s world retirements parties are held remotely or in-person. But, either way you throw one, its an important opportunity for you to demonstrate how much you value longevity and to show your appreciation for the retiring employee.
Set a Time Limit
Although the retiree isn’t likely to be pressured to work, others will be. Make sure you plan a set start and end time. This will make it more likely that busy colleagues will log into the party. It also makes it easier for the retiree to plan their day after the party.
Invitations Harry Potter Style
When Harry Potter was invited to Hogwarts, he got thousands of invitations delivered to his house.
Give your retiree the same kind of excitement by sending out email invitations to their retirement. Add a little creativity by gathering life facts about them a month before.
Then, send out an invitation to the entire crew and include a fun fact about the retiree. This allows everyone to learn more about the retiree and builds excitement all month long.
Choose a Party Theme
Make your virtual party more fun by choosing a theme for the party. You could encourage guests to dress up, offer a themed virtual photo booth, and play theme music. Some themed ideas include:
- Hawaiian party: Send out grass skirts and have coworkers compete in a luau. Or send out Ukuleles and have a song contest.
- Golf: have employees share their favorite golf advice
- Beach: Mail employees sunglasses and lemonade packages and toast the retiree.
- Bon Voyage: Make the party a theme of the place your retiree wants to visit the most. Share a recipe from that location and send out themed party favors a week ahead.
- Casino: Play bingo, Getting to know you, Two truths and a Lie and give out points to the winning employees they can redeem for prizes.
Plan a Reunion
Retirement can be difficult as many retirees attest. While it’s usually something they’ve looked forward to for years, they may find themselves without as much direction in their daily life. They often miss colleagues and teammates. They’ve shared bits of their personal life with work friends, but now find themselves in a place where they aren’t able to easily share.
Make saying goodbye easier by making it temporary. Plan a reunion with the retiree for a month after their retirement.
Schedule a day and time that works with the retiree and send out invites for a virtual meeting. Make them the guest of honor where they can share what they’ve been up to in retirement.
This gives them an outlet to share their dream vacation, show off a new hobby, or exhibit a new skill. They can share a new recipe, show their flower garden, or that bookcase they custom built.
It also gives colleagues a time to ask questions, express how much the retiree is missed, or to ask a final question or two related to work (to let the retiree offer last-minute advice).
A reunion can help solidify the bonds between the retiree and the office and reinforce the importance of those relationships. Plus, some retirees move into an advisory role when they find themselves missing work during retirement.
Farewell Speech
Give the retiree time to say a few words. As they exit, they probably have a lot of things to say and scheduling a farewell speech provides an avenue for them to give some last-minute advice and say farewell.
Or, you could ask your retiree to give a life sketch. Ask them to share a tradition they enjoyed growing up, or cultural tidbit, or challenge they overcame.
Don’t Forget a ScrapBook That Speaks to the Heart
Retirement is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and it shouldn’t be cookie-cutter. Create a digital scrapbook that demonstrates all the gratitude for the retiree and the impact they made.
Take the time to collect photos from team members, past and current. Ask for funny memories. Collect advice given by the retiree.
Request letters of recommendation from previous managers that highlight the retiree’s skills and accomplishments. And, take a poll on what the retiree should spend their time on in retirement.
Compile these into a scrapbook that you can send to the retiree at their retirement party and share with the group. Use Google Slides to compile everything, or for easier collection and formatting, use Memories inside the Thanks Platform.
Your retiree won’t forget the happy times anytime soon with a scrapbook to remember everyone by.
Virtual Retirement Game Ideas
- Has the retiree ever….played hookie from work, snitched at a coworkers lunch, had a crush on a colleague, quit a job because of principle, crashed the company car, spoken in front of 100 people, met the CEO (or another semi famous person), etc.
- What would the retiree choose: sleep in or get up early, live in the country or the city, Go out or stay home, Chocolate or vanilla, read a book or watch a movie, horror film or chick flick, Mexican or Chinese food, etc)
- Who knows the Retiree Best: Did the retiree have a pet as a kid, What was their first job, How many brothers and sisters, Has the Retiree ever played an instrument, Favorite store, What do they like on their pizza, Number of kids, Where they met their spouse, How many careers they’ve had, What they went to school for, etc
- Advice for the Retiree: Every day do this, 3 things you should do weekly, Don’t forget to, Always remember that, my favorite advice for the retiree, etc.
Surprise Guest
A virtual party has the advantage of convenience. Anyone from anywhere can join the party. This allows you to invite a surprise guest to the party. It could be the CEO, a previous manager, a beloved distant relative, or a hero.
Or, that person could record a quick message that you play at the party (and then give a copy to the retiree). If you invite a guest that’s the retiree’s hero, your company may need to pay a speaking fee to them, but your retiree will be super impressed and feel the love.
Plus, other employees can benefit from the advice or entertainment provided by the guest speaker.
Gifts the Retiree will Love
Send the retiree off with a gift of appreciation. Give them points toward a gift card they want. Thanks provides gift cards for hundreds of vendors.
Gift cards can be given for experiences such as restaurants, travel vouchers, or theme parks. Or choose gift cards from stores where the retiree can get something they want to use and enjoy.
This means no matter if your retiree wants a gift card toward retirement experiences or something they’ve always wanted, they’ll get the most meaningful gift card. Colleagues can share their points with the retiree as a shared contribution toward their retirement gift. A Virtual Retirement Party is Important
You may be tempted to skip a virtual retirement party. Maybe it seems like too big of a hassle. Or, the retiree has worked remotely for years so retirement doesn’t seem like a big deal. Or, maybe a virtual party doesn’t seem ideal.
But, if a life-party isn’t feasible, a virtual party is the next best thing. It’s important not to let a retirement slip quietly into the night. Take time to honor and celebrate retirement with every employee that reaches this momentous occasion.
And, remote parties have benefits. It makes it easier for more people to join because they don’t have to worry about distance or coordinating other obligations. They are usually confined to more specific time requirements. And, even those far away can join in on the fly.
Conclusion,
With a little planning, a virtual retirement party can speak to your retiree’s heart and create fond memories. It can help solidify the relationships of the rest of the team and show appreciation for employees. All employees should leave feeling appreciated and with fond memories.
About Thanks
Thanks is a leading provider of a recognition-based platform that increases communication, builds teamwork, and makes recognition a part of company culture. Fast, easy and simple Thanks makes it easy to bring data-driven employee recognition to your entire organization. O.C. Tanner purchased the Thanks platform in 2019 to fulfill the recognition needs of smaller businesses.
Thanks customers benefit from the same decades of research in employee motivation and company culture that O.C. Tanner enterprise clients enjoy, but in a product that is geared for fast, easy and simple deployment. Whether you’re starting a recognition program or improving and expanding on what you already have, Thanks has everything you need to engage your people with effective, scalable recognition.