Birthdays are an easy thing for people to write off in the workplace. It’s a business, not a kindergarten class. Birthdays shouldn’t matter. But they do.
Young or old, we care more about birthdays than we give credit for. No, not everyone cares about the celebration aspect of their birthday, but these personal milestones are natural reflection points for all of us.
Age is relevant as we measure our career progress, achievement, and present needs. Every time we turn a year older, we take stock of our life and evaluate expectations versus realities.
In this time of reflection, we shouldn’t be surprised to find out that job search activity rises significantly around birthdays (+12% at any given birthday and even higher for milestone birthdays).
Building support structure around birthdays instills a sense of personal belonging and gives stakeholders a set time to recognize the changing needs and aspirations of their team members.
📚 The New Path Forward: Creating Compelling Careers for Employees and Organizations, CEB.