EN

United States (EN)

Australia (EN)

Canada (EN)

Canada (FR)

France (FR)

Germany (DE)

Ireland (EN)

United Kingdom (EN)

EN

United States (EN)

Australia (EN)

Canada (EN)

Canada (FR)

France (FR)

Germany (DE)

Ireland (EN)

United Kingdom (EN)

Blog

How we create a culture of appreciation

Author

Published

December 10, 2024

Updated

January 16, 2025

Read time

3 MIN

seo_image_b03b24a8_aBAMAKUq0

Em Spakauskas is Director of People Operations at Sayari. Em is a Rippling Wavemaker, a leader who challenges the status quo and finds creative ways to solve problems and drive business impact.


At Sayari, we know that small gestures can make a big difference. Recognizing milestones like birthdays and work anniversaries not only boosts morale but also strengthens our company culture. When we were a smaller team, it was easier to track these dates manually. But as we grew, I needed a more efficient way to ensure that everyone felt valued on their special day. Thanks to Rippling, we’ve automated these celebrations using workflows and Slack integrations, creating a consistent and meaningful way to celebrate our team.

The problem: Recognizing milestones manually

Before Rippling, tracking and celebrating milestones manually presented several challenges:

  • Missed milestones: Important dates could easily slip through the cracks in a busy environment.

  • Time-consuming processes: Tracking birthdays and work anniversaries across spreadsheets and emails was inefficient and error-prone.

  • Uneven recognition: Without a reliable system, some employees were celebrated while others were unintentionally overlooked.

The solution: Automated birthday and anniversary celebrations

By automating these tasks with Rippling, we’ve not only solved these issues but also enhanced employee engagement in a way that’s effortless to manage. Here’s how we do it:

3-How-to-set-up-automated-birthday-and-anniversary-celebrations

Step 1: Create scheduled workflows in Rippling

I started by navigating to the Workflow Studio in Rippling and selecting "Create workflow." From there, I set up triggers for employee birth dates and hire dates. These triggers ensure that the workflow activates on the exact day of a milestone.

Step 2: Configure Slack integration

Since Slack is where our team communicates the most, I connected Rippling to our Slack workspace. I set the workflow to automatically send messages to our #announcements channel. This ensures the whole team sees the celebrations, whether they’re in the office or working remotely.

Step 3: Craft personalized messages

Next, I created engaging message templates in Rippling. Using dynamic fields like employee names and milestone details, the messages feel personal and warm while still being automated. For example, a birthday message might say, “Happy Birthday, [Name]! We’re so glad to celebrate with you today!”

Em-blog-3-img-2

Step 4: Test the workflow

Before launching the automation, I tested it to make sure everything worked as intended. This included checking the timing, formatting, and Slack message delivery. After a couple of quick adjustments later, we were ready to go live.

Step 5: Launch and monitor

Once everything was set up, I activated the workflow. I’ve kept an eye on the Slack channel and gathered feedback from employees, tweaking the messages over time to keep them fun and engaging.

Slack-notification-screenshot-3_V1

The impact

Automating milestone celebrations has transformed how we engage with employees at Sayari:

Improved morale

Automating birthday and anniversary celebrations with Rippling has been a simple but impactful way to show our employees that we care. The setup was quick, and the benefits have been long lasting. Employees feel valued when their special days are remembered and celebrated.

Stronger connections

The Slack messages create a space for team members to join in with congratulations, building camaraderie across teams. Every employee gets recognized, ensuring no one feels left out.

Saved time

What used to be a manual, time-consuming process now runs effortlessly, freeing HR to focus on other priorities.

Celebrate your employees without missing a beat

Disclaimer

Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting, and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.

Author

Em Spakauskas

Director of People Operations

Em Spakauskas is Director of People Operations at Sayari. Em is a Rippling Wavemaker, a leader who challenges the status quo and finds creative ways to solve problems and drive business impact.

Explore more

seo_image_b03b24a8_aBAMAKUq0
Aug 21, 2025
|
4 MIN

How we empower career progression and make role changes a breeze

Learn how Rippling Wavemaker Em Spakauskas automated notifications to streamline role changes at Sayari.

seo_image_b03b24a8_aBAMAKUq0
Aug 21, 2025
|
4 MIN

How we eliminated IT logistics mishaps (and kept our IT team happy)

Learn how Rippling Wavemaker Em Spakauskas automated IT equipment requests to streamline onboarding at Sayari.

seo_image_dad3868d_aBAMAKUq0
Aug 21, 2025
|
5 MIN

How we promote employee wellbeing and avoid burnout with automated time-off reminders in Rippling

Learn how Rippling Wavemaker Leif Oldert automated time-off reminders to operationalize a wellness culture at Clicklease.

seo_image_dad3868d_aBAMAKUq0
Aug 21, 2025
|
4 MIN

Streamline onboarding with automated app provisioning and personalized communications in Rippling

Learn how Rippling Wavemaker Leif Oldert automated onboarding and saved managers and IT teams hours of manual work.

seo_image_5200db17_aBAMAKUq0
Aug 21, 2025
|
2 MIN

Transforming onboarding at Sibros with Rippling

Sibros streamlined their onboarding experience with Rippling by automating key tasks that were previously done manually.

seo_image_82bd01ec_aBAMAKUq0
Aug 21, 2025
|
9 MIN

17 remote employee engagement ideas, strategies, and activities for 2025

Discover how to engage remote employees with ideas, activities, and tools to boost morale, foster connection, and enhance productivity in virtual teams.

seo_image_ad4557f3_aBAMAKUq0
Aug 21, 2025
|
4 MIN

How we add commission payouts to payroll with a single click

Virtuous used to drain time manually triple-checking commission payouts. QuotaPath and Rippling’s integration saved time and spared risky errors.

seo_image_5071e8d8_aBAMAKUq0
Aug 21, 2025
|
5 MIN

Introducing Rippling 1:1s: Build a culture of consistent, high-quality check-ins

Meet Rippling 1:1s: guided agendas, action-item tracking, and continuous feedback that turn routine check-ins into real growth and engagement.

See Rippling in action

Increase savings, automate busy work, and make better decisions by managing HR, IT, and Finance in one place.