HR Professional Day is celebrated every year on September 26th.

It is a day that raises awareness and acknowledges the critical role that HR departments play in the good operation of any organization.

Whether you’re a business owner or HR manager, this is the perfect time to show your appreciation for all the hard work of your HR team members.

It will help you create a workplace culture where everyone feels valued, which will likely improve your top talent retention rate.

If this is your first time celebrating HR Professional Day, don’t worry because we’ll give you all the insights on what it is, why you should celebrate it and how.

Let’s begin!

Table of Contents

What is HR Professional Day?

What is the History of HR Professional Day?

Why Celebrate Human Resource Professional Day?

11 Activities to Celebrate HR Professional Day

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is HR Professional Day?

HR Professional Day is a celebration of the HR industry and all of the hard-working HR professionals who overcome HR challenges, like attracting and retaining top talent and ensuring fair compensation every day to help businesses thrive.

In other words, it’s like an employee appreciation day for your human resources department.

What’s more, this celebration also raises awareness of what it’s like to work in this field, and endeavors to attract top talent to the industry by offering various human resources tips.

When is HR Professional Day?

HR Professional Day is celebrated every year on September 26th.

But don’t mistake it for the International HR Day celebrated every year on May 20. This is a newer tradition that was established by the European Association for People Management in 2019.

To make things clearer, let us tell you a bit more about the history of HR Professional Day.

What is the History of HR Professional Day?

HR Professional Day started at the initiative of Jamaican Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen, in October 2013.

He wanted to celebrate and pay tribute to all the human resource professionals who ensure companies function properly through qualified human capital.

To better understand why he believed this to be so important, you should first learn a few things about the history of human resources.  

Here are some of the most important HR historical events of the last century:

• The early 1900s: According to the Academy to Innovate HR (AIHR), the first human resources department was established by the US National Cash Register Company to combat quality control issues and employee strikes.

Also, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) states that factories started to have “employment clerks” who were in charge of recruiting daily help. 

• 1910s–1920s: Because of the shortage of human capital caused by the First World War and the increase in industrial product demand, employers were forced to focus more on recruitment.

Thus, according to SHRM, between 1915 and 1920, the proportion of companies with personnel departments grew from 5% to 20%.

• 1930s–1950s: SHRM states that the Second World War and the Great Depression brought about legislation changes aimed at protecting employee rights and the formation of labor unions, which meant employers had to standardize their hiring practices.

This is also when the American Society for Personnel Administration (nowadays known as SHRM) was created to help advance good HR practices that would boost employee productivity and satisfaction.

• 1960s–1970s: Multiple laws and regulations regarding occupational health and safety, equal pay, and civil rights were passed, which increased the need for skilled HR professionals, according to AIHR.

Nowadays, human resources departments have become a necessity for companies of all sizes worldwide.

They handle everything from employee benefits and compensation to recruitment, firing, and retention.

While, in my opinion, this is enough of a reason to celebrate HR Professional Day, there are other reasons as well.

Keep reading to find out what they are.

Why Celebrate Human Resource Professional Day?

To answer this question, my colleagues and I researched employee and HR statistics and came up with the main reasons businesses celebrate Human Resource Professional Day:

• To make employees feel valued. Without all the hard work of your HR team, you couldn’t attract and retain the top talent that makes your business thrive.

Saying “thank you” and offering them corporate gifts once a year is the least you can do. 

• To improve employee well-being. Studies show that job stress is associated with many physical and mental health issues.

But you can alleviate some of that stress and improve employee mental health by organizing fun and relaxing activities to celebrate HR Professional Day.

• To boost employee engagement. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, employee engagement is the level of employee satisfaction and commitment to the job.

According to a Nectar survey, 81.9% of employees say that the recognition of their work makes them more engaged.

By celebrating HR Professional Day in your work environment, you can make your HR team care about more than just their paychecks and dedicate themselves to the success of your business.

• To increase productivity. The same Nectar survey found that 77.9% of employees would be more productive if they were recognized for their hard work more often.

Of course, while HR Professional Day lets you do that, you should praise your HR department after every big achievement to boost productivity.

• To reduce employee turnover. According to Forbes, companies that have a recognition-rich work culture have 31% lower voluntary turnover rates.

Clearly, one day per year won’t do the trick, so you should try to create a company culture that encourages employee recognition year-round and rewards top performers with company swag.

That’s all well and good, but how do you celebrate HR Professional Day in a meaningful way?

We’ll give you all the details in the next section.

11 Activities to Celebrate HR Professional Day

Drawing from our decades of experience in the field of corporate gifting, we came up with this list of great celebration ideas for HR Professional Day:

It doesn’t matter if your HR team does in-person or remote work because you can apply many of these activities to both work environments or create hybrid events.

Now, let’s explore these activities in more detail.

1. Recognize and reward your HR team in public

We already talked about how important employee recognition is, but our clients say that the impact is even greater if you do it publicly.

Likewise, if the praise comes from a person with authority, it will make the employees feel even more special.

Simply put, take advantage of HR Professional Day to give a shout-out to the best-performing HR professionals in front of all their peers.

You can do this during an in-person gathering at the office or a virtual event, but make sure the majority of your employees are present.

We also recommend rewarding the best performers with tech swag or cool office supplies. 

As for remote employees, you can opt for a work-at-home kit including items like headphones, custom blankets, and desktop organizers.

2. Celebrate on social media

Even if you’re not hosting an in-person event, you can still celebrate HR Professional Day on social media.

You can give a shout-out to your entire HR team and mention their top achievements of the past year.

On top of that, you can create a post acknowledging the best-performing HR employee of the year and send them a swag bag via mail as a sign of appreciation.

Finally, you can use this opportunity to share open HR positions at your company and attract top talent.

3. Attend a human resource seminar

Attending an HR seminar is a great way to commemorate this day and you should invite the rest of your departments to attend as well.

It will help you all learn more about what the HR department does daily, which will make you appreciate its hard work even more.

Then, you can host an online Q&A session, followed by an open discussion with all your staff members, including the HR employees.

All this can help build employee relations and an inclusive and mutually respectful work environment.

To motivate your staff to attend the seminar, you can mention in the invitation that they’ll receive a promotional gift if they participate.

4. Provide an unexpected day off

Surprising your HR employees with an unexpected day off is one of the best ways to acknowledge their hard work on this special day.

It shows that you understand the stress of their job and that you support corporate wellness. 

This day off will give your HR team the chance to take a break and unwind, which is beneficial for their mental health. 

You can further encourage them to relax by offering them wellness gifts, like a yoga gift set, a scented candle, or a soothing sound machine.

5. Make your HR team’s taste buds happy

According to our clients, you can never go wrong with food, no matter the occasion.

If you want to turn HR Professional Day into a fun employee experience, you can take them out to lunch at a nice restaurant where you can all socialize and forget about work.

This outing can strengthen employee relations and make all of them feel valued.

In case your HR team works remotely, you can simply surprise them at home with a delicious snack gift basket that will be highly appreciated.

6. Start a reward system

HR Professional Day is the ideal time to launch a recognition program. 

Our clients say that recognition and incentive platforms can push your employees to acknowledge their peers regularly and sincerely. 

Just make sure your platform’s interface is user-friendly and integrated with other tools your team currently uses. 

For instance, you can use a points-based recognition program and create a pop-up shop where the top performers can choose their awards themselves.

This way, your HR employees will receive items they like and you’ll avoid sizing issues when it comes to custom hoodies, t-shirts, or other branded apparel.

7. Donate to a charity of your staff’s choice

Donating to a charity your HR employees support demonstrates that you pay attention to what they care about.

You can even turn this into a team-building exercise by asking them to meet up, research, and discuss a cause they want to support.

If your budget allows it, you can ask employees to make personal donations to their preferred charity with your firm then matching each donation.

8. Set up an online leaderboard

Another great way to celebrate HR Professional Day is by setting up an online leaderboard that encourages gamification in the workplace.

Assign points to HR team members based on their achievements and completed tasks.

Then, at the end of each month, you can announce the winner and reward them with high-quality promotional products, like Bluetooth speakers or fitness trackers.

According to our clients, this can boost employee engagement and motivate other employees to be more productive.

9. Endorse employees on LinkedIn

Another great idea for paying tribute to your HR team that our clients shared with us is to write a LinkedIn endorsement. 

It will only take you 10 minutes, but it can boost HR employees’ morale and make them feel like they’re a top priority.

What’s more, having other organizations see a management recommendation on LinkedIn is a considerable gain for your staff.

10. Design a virtual wall of fame

Designing a virtual wall of fame is a very effective way of recognizing your HR team members’ hard work and achievements.

On top of that, you should include a comment section or set up a forum on the company’s internal platform for other staff members to congratulate and thank HR employees as well.

You can enhance employee experience even more by rewarding HR leaders with unique swag.

11. Send a customized care package

Care packages make the best gifts for HR Professional Day because they show you care about employee well-being.

Here are some of our clients’ top choices for HR Professional Day customized care packages:

• VSSL Nest Pour-Over Set. Instead of the usual custom tumbler, you can go all the way with this holistic coffee brewing set that allows your HR employees to enjoy a nice cup of coffee wherever they are.

It includes two stainless steel double-wall insulated mugs that will keep the coffee hot, as well as one splash-proof lid, a pour-over dripper, and a nesting storage connector.

• Easton Wireless Charging Mouse Pad. Show your HR team members that you want to enhance their work experience with this practical and stylish mouse pad.

This cool piece of tech swag is made out of smooth simulated leather and allows your employees to charge their devices while they work, even if they forget their chargers. 

• Home Studio Set. Encourage your HR employees to unwind through yoga with this practical set.

It includes a stylish Restore Sport duffel bag, a yoga mat, a yoga block, and a fitness towel that your staff can use at home or at the yoga studio.

• MiiR Camp & Sweet S’moreology Gift Set. Your HR employees can enjoy this tasty gift at home or at the office and think fondly of you.

The set includes some yummy sweet treats, as well as a hot chocolate mix that the recipient can easily prepare in the accompanying sleek vacuum-insulated camp cup.

For more care package ideas, you can also check out our guide on unique gifts for coworkers.

Now, one more thing before you go. 

Now Over To You

HR departments play a key role in company success, so you should take the time to acknowledge your HR team’s hard work and make each employee feel valued.

Celebrating HR Professional Day is a good starting point, but you should regularly show your appreciation to your staff.

And what better way to do that than by offering them unique corporate gifts?

Just browse our SwagDrop shop, pick what you like, and let us handle the rest.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some of the most common questions about HR Professional Day:

How can remote teams participate in HR Professional Day?

You can celebrate HR Professional Day with your remote team by hosting online events, setting up online leaderboards, giving them a shout-out on social media, sending them care packages, surprising them with a day off, and more.

What common mistakes should be avoided when planning HR Professional Day?

Some of the most common mistakes to avoid when planning HR Professional Day celebrations include:

• Failing to involve remote HR employees
• Underestimating the importance of recognizing individual efforts
• Not planning the activities in advance
• Choosing low-quality corporate gifts
• Being unaware of what this celebration is all about

How can I promote HR Professional Day to ensure high participation?

To ensure that the majority of your employees participate in the HR Professional Day celebration consider the following tips:

• Send out invitations well in advance so they don’t make other plans. 
• Organize scheduled or surprise activities during business hours. 
• Announce contests and prizes to pique their interest and motivate them to participate.