Tag: automate birthday celebration

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Employee engagement employee retention Human Resources

Introducing Billy: the birthday bot for Microsoft Teams

Celebrating birthdays and work anniversaries. What a normal thing to do! But as companies went remote and then hybrid, it got lost in the process. Celebrating birthdays fosters team bonding, brings some fun and positivity in the (remote) workplace. It’s one of the most efficient initiative to implement when it comes to improving employee engagement.

Billy was installed by hundreds of companies on Slack and celebrated thousands of birthdays. This is from this enormous success that our team decided to help Microsoft Team users as well. We’re proud today to be introducing Billy: the birthday bot for Microsoft Teams.

The Power of Celebrating Milestones in the Workplace

Research consistently shows that celebrating employee milestones has a profound impact on their job satisfaction and overall engagement. When employees feel appreciated and valued, their morale and motivation soar, leading to increased productivity and retention rates. Recognizing birthdays and work anniversaries is an opportunity to show employees that their contributions are valued and that they are an integral part of the team’s success.

Meet Billy Birthday – A Bot that Spreads Joy

If you’ve been using Slack, you may already be familiar with Billy Birthday. This delightful bot has been brightening up workplaces by celebrating birthdays and work anniversaries with a touch of fun and excitement. With its charming personality and interactive features, Billy Birthday has become a favorite among teams looking to foster a sense of camaraderie and celebrate milestones in a memorable way. From personalized greetings to virtual celebrations, Billy Birthday has proven to be a simple yet effective tool for bringing teams closer together.

Expanding Billy Birthday to Microsoft Teams

We’re thrilled to announce that Billy Birthday is now available for installation on Microsoft Teams! As one of the most popular collaboration platforms, Microsoft Teams offers a vast user base and a familiar environment for teams to come together. By integrating Billy Birthday with Microsoft Teams, we aim to extend the reach of this beloved bot and enable even more teams to celebrate birthdays and work anniversaries with ease.

How to Install and Use Billy Birthday on Microsoft Teams

Getting started with Billy Birthday on Microsoft Teams is a breeze. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to help you get up and running:

  1. Open Microsoft Teams and navigate to the Apps section.
  2. Search for “Billy” in the App Store and click on the installation button.
  3. Once installed, you can access Billy Birthday by typing “@Billy” in a channel or direct message.
  4. Follow the on-screen prompts to set up preferences and customize the bot’s behavior.

With Billy Birthday seamlessly integrated into Microsoft Teams, you and your team can now enjoy a host of features designed to make milestones even more special.

Testimonials and Success Stories

Don’t just take our word for it! Here are a few testimonials from companies that have experienced the magic of Billy Birthday:

  • “We are happy to have Billy installed on our Slack, the employees are delighted to receive a little attention on their birthday.” – Sarah, Office Manager @ smallable.
  • “Billy Birthday has been amazing. It’s very intuitive and easy to configure my preferences. I had no problems dealing with Billy Birthday and I loved the functionality of uploading an xls file to import birthdays.” – Victor, Hapyness manager.

Conclusion

Celebrating milestones in the workplace is not just a formality; it’s an opportunity to create a positive and inclusive work environment where employees feel appreciated and valued. With Billy Birthday now available on Microsoft Teams, you can now elevate your team and elevate your culture! Install the app with this link.

Categories
Employee engagement Remote work

How to use Microsoft Teams to automate birthday celebrations

In today’s fast-paced world, finding efficient and creative ways to celebrate birthdays can be a challenge, especially when distance separates us. However, with the power of technology and the versatility of Microsoft Teams, you can automate and personalize virtual birthday celebrations like never before. In this article, we’ll explore how you can leverage Microsoft Teams apps to make remote birthday celebrations truly special. Let’s dive in!

Set up automated posts with Billy Birthday

To ensure no birthday goes unnoticed, integrate Billy Birthday with Microsoft Teams. Start by creating a dedicated birthday channel or chat within Teams. Then, leverage Billy Birthday’s app features to set up posts that notify team members, colleagues, or friends about the birthdays or work anniversaries. By automating reminders with Billy Birthday, you ensure that everyone has ample time to prepare and join the celebration with the perfect gift in hand.

Automate Virtual Surprises and Gifts

Even from a distance, you can surprise the birthday person with automated virtual gifts and surprises. Microsoft Teams offers various integrations and connectors that enable you to automate the delivery of e-cards, virtual gift cards, or even personalized video messages. Set up scheduled deliveries or trigger these surprises based on specific events, such as when the birthday person joins a virtual meeting or opens a Teams message. These thoughtful gestures make the birthday person feel cherished and bring joy to their special day.

Conclusion

Thanks to the power of Billy Birthday and the versatility of Microsoft Teams, remote birthday celebrations can be streamlined, personalized, and full of joy. By leveraging automated reminders, personalized messages, virtual surprises, you can create memorable experiences for the birthday person and everyone involved. Embrace the capabilities of Microsoft Teams and make each virtual birthday celebration a moment to cherish.

In this digital age, distance may physically separate us, but technology connects us in meaningful ways.

Categories
Human Resources Remote work

Celebrating Employee Birthdays and Work Anniversaries in Microsoft Teams

Recognizing and celebrating employee milestones, such as birthdays and work anniversaries, is crucial for fostering a positive work culture and boosting team morale. With remote work becoming increasingly prevalent, it’s important to adapt to virtual environments and find innovative ways to celebrate these special occasions. In this article, we will explore creative ways to be celebrating employee birthdays and work anniversaries using Microsoft Teams in 2023.

  1. Create a dedicated channel
    Establish a specific channel in your Microsoft Teams workspace solely dedicated to celebrating employee milestones. This allows for easy organization and ensures everyone has access to relevant information.
  2. Collect employee information: Gather essential details such as birth dates and work anniversaries for all team members. Maintain an updated record to ensure accurate recognition.
  3. Virtual Birthday Celebrations:
    • Send personalized messages: Encourage team members to send personalized birthday messages via direct messages or within the designated celebration channel. This creates a sense of personal connection and shows that colleagues care.
    • Virtual parties and games: Organize virtual parties where team members can join a video call to celebrate the birthday. Incorporate fun activities like virtual charades to engage everyone and make the celebration memorable.
    • Digital gifts and e-cards: Encourage team members to send digital gifts or e-cards using Microsoft Teams’ integrated features or third-party apps. These small gestures can make employees feel valued and appreciated.
  4. Commemorating Work Anniversaries: Use the designated celebration channel or a dedicated Teams post to publicly recognize employees reaching work anniversaries. Highlight their contributions, accomplishments, and years of service. If you want ideas for good messages, check out our article about the best work anniversary messages.

Want to simplify this process ? Install Billy, the birthday bot for Microsoft teams

In the virtual work landscape of 2023, celebrating employee birthdays and work anniversaries in Microsoft Teams offers an excellent opportunity to strengthen team bonds and promote a positive work culture. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can ensure that your team members feel valued, appreciated, and connected, regardless of physical distance.

Categories
Employee engagement

Top 5 Benefits of Using Billy (The Birthday Bot) for Slack

Are you tired of missing your colleague’s birthdays at work? Well, Billy (The Birthday Bot) for Slack has got you covered. Billy is an intelligent bot that can remind you of upcoming birthdays and even help you plan a surprise birthday party for your colleague. In this article, we will discuss the top 5 benefits of using Billy for Slack.

Benefit #1: Never Forget a Birthday Again

With Billy, you can say goodbye to the days of forgetting your colleague’s birthday. Billy will remind you of upcoming birthdays, so you can plan ahead and surprise your colleague with a thoughtful gift or gesture. This will not only make your colleague feel appreciated but will also strengthen your working relationship.

Benefit #2: Increase Employee Engagement

Celebrating birthdays at work is a great way to boost employee engagement. By using Billy, you can encourage your colleagues to celebrate their birthdays and make them feel valued. This will create a positive work environment and foster a sense of community within your team.

Benefit #3: Build a Positive Company Culture

Celebrating birthdays is just one way to build a positive company culture. By using Billy, you can show your colleagues that you care about them and appreciate their contributions to the team. This will help to build a sense of loyalty and commitment to the company.

Benefit #4: Save Time and Effort

Planning birthday celebrations can be time-consuming and stressful. However, with Billy, you can save time and effort by automating the process. Billy will remind you of upcoming birthdays, help you plan the celebration, and even order the necessary supplies for the party.

Conclusion

In conclusion, using Billy (The Birthday Bot) for Slack has many benefits, including never forgetting a birthday again, planning surprise birthday parties with ease, increasing employee engagement, building a positive company culture, and saving time and effort. By using Billy, you can make your colleagues feel appreciated and valued, and create a positive work environment.

FAQs

Is Billy (The Birthday Bot) for Slack easy to set up?

Yes, Billy is very easy to set up. All you need to do is install the bot in Slack, and you’re good to go.

Can I customize the messages sent by Billy?

Yes, you can customize the messages sent by Billy to suit your company culture and style.

Does Billy work with other chat platforms besides Slack?

No, currently, Billy only works with Slack. That being said, Microsoft Teams integration is under development. Reach out to the team for early access.

Is Billy free to use?

Yes, Billy is free to use for workspaces having 30 users or less. For larger workspaces, Billy is a paid service, but the cost is minimal compared to the benefits it provides.

Categories
Employee engagement

12 best work anniversary messages

Here we go again! Today is another work anniversary for one of your colleagues, and you’re out of inspiration for sending them a message. Since we are currently in the hype of ChatGPT, I won’t copy/paste what it could have said; instead, I’ll give you relevant prompts to use in order to create the best work anniversary messages!

Drafting the perfect prompt

Counter-intuitively, it is not an easy task. Every time you write a ChatGPT prompt, you need to be very specific to ensure that the results fit exactly what you expect for the employee work anniversary messages.

What is important for our matter (work anniversary celebration message) is to mention:

  • the hierarchy level between you and the person
  • how close you are to this person
  • the tone of the message (humorous, sarcastic, friendly, etc.)
  • whether or not the message will be seen by others (public channel vs. direct message)
  • (bonus point) ask ChatGPT for a fun fact about the work anniversary date

Additionally, it is best to ask ChatGPT for multiple results so that you can choose the one that best reflects the intention you’d like to convey, or pick parts from different results of happy work anniversary messages.

Let’s see that in practice!

Examples

Here are some examples of prompt and some examples of messages ChatGPT generated:

Example #1 – The basic one

Prompt

Write 7 short work anniversary celebration messages for me to send to Beth, a colleague who is 3+ hierarchy levels above me and in another department, with whom I’m not close at all. I have never met her in person. These messages will be sent directly to her through Slack. By the way, it’s her 3rd work anniversary.

Sample messages

  1. Congratulations on your 3rd work anniversary, Beth! 🎉 Your hard work and dedication continue to inspire us all. Wishing you many more successful years at [company name]!
  2. Happy 3rd work anniversary, Beth! 🌟 Your leadership and expertise have made a significant impact on our company. Here’s to many more years of growth and success!
  3. Wishing you a fantastic 3rd work anniversary, Beth! 🎊 Your commitment to excellence is truly admirable. May you continue to lead and inspire us in the years to come.
  4. Happy 3rd work anniversary, Beth! 🏆 Your guidance and dedication have been invaluable to our organization. Thank you for your hard work, and may you continue to achieve great things!
  5. Beth, congratulations on your 3rd work anniversary! 🎈 Your passion and drive for success have contributed greatly to [company name]. Here’s to many more years of accomplishments!
  6. Cheers to your 3rd work anniversary, Beth! 🥂 Your unwavering commitment and leadership have played a vital role in our company’s progress. Wishing you continued success in your career!
  7. Happy 3rd work anniversary, Beth! 🎉 Your dedication and expertise have been a guiding light for our team. We’re grateful for your leadership and look forward to your continued achievements!

Example #2 – Max power

Prompt

Write me 5 work anniversary celebration messages I could send to Alex, a colleague who is at the same hierarchy level and with whom I’m really close, that will be posted in a public channel. Please use an humorous tone and include a fun fact related to the 18th of March.

Sample messages

  1. Hey Alex! Happy work anniversary! 🎉 Can’t believe it’s been another year of sharing office gossip and coffee runs together! Did you know that on this day in 1314, Jacques de Molay, the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, was burned at the stake? Well, at least our job isn’t that intense, right? 😂 Here’s to another year of surviving the daily grind together! Cheers! 🥂
  2. Happy workiversary, Alex! 🥳 On this day in 1965, the first-ever spacewalk took place, which is almost as groundbreaking as the day you joined our team! Thanks for all the laughs and friendship – looking forward to more interstellar adventures together in the office! To infinity and beyond! 🚀
  3. A massive shout-out to Alex on their work anniversary! 🎊 Did you know that on March 18, 1990, a major art heist happened at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston? Well, you definitely stole our hearts right from the start! 😜 Let’s keep creating our own work of art together – cheers to another year of teamwork and camaraderie! 🎨
  4. Happy work anniversary, Alex! 🍾 Fun fact: On this day in 1850, American Express was founded. Just like their slogan, “Don’t leave home without it,” we wouldn’t want to work here without you! Thanks for being an invaluable partner in crime and for all the fun memories we’ve shared. Here’s to another year of growing, learning, and laughing together! 💳
  5. Hey Alex! It’s your work anniversary, and you know what that means – time for a little history lesson! On March 18, 1644, the third great plague pandemic began in China. But don’t worry, unlike that pandemic, your presence here has had only positive effects on our team! 😅 Thanks for being a fantastic colleague and friend. Let’s keep spreading good vibes and conquering the office world together. Cheers! 🍻

Conclusion

As you can see, the hardest part is fine-tuning the prompt you’re going to send to ChatGPT. The more precise you can be, the better the results will be. Keep in mind you can always ask for more variations and it can be used for remote office birthday as well. I hope this helps you avoid the blank page syndrome!

If you want to go further you can even set up a birthdaybot for slack, see this article for more details.

Cheers ✌️

Categories
Employee engagement

How to use birthday bot?

Introduction

Since COVID hit, companies all over the world have tried to find many ways to connect their employees and create camaraderie in this new remote environment. The most basic way of doing this is by celebrating employees’ birthdays and work anniversaries. Nothing is more appreciated by a co-worker than seeing their colleagues celebrate their birthday. But do you know how much of a pain it can be? You have to name someone in charge of it in the company who will connect daily to your HRIS tool to check whose birthday/work anniversary it is, write a lovely message, and post it in a given Slack channel. This process sounds like a waste of time, right? That’s where a birthday bot comes in!

So, what is a birthday bot?

A birthday bot (or bday bot) is a type of chatbot designed to help users celebrate birthdays. It is a program that can be integrated with messaging platforms such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord, and Facebook Messenger, and can be used to keep track of birthdays, send reminders, and even send automated birthday messages.

Installing a birthday bot

For the sake of the example, we’re going to pick Slack. Let’s visit the marketplace and search for a “birthday bot”:

Let’s install the first one on the list. They all have similar features. What’s cool about Billy (the market leader) is that it’s both the cheapest and most feature-rich option for Slack.

Let’s follow this installation process. Click Install from the marketplace:

Then, click Allow:

If you see this, congratulations! You have just installed your first birthday bot 🎉

Now, let’s get it configured!

Configuring the bot

From the previous screenshot, we can see the various settings available during the onboarding flow. Please keep in mind that all services work similarly, so what’s true for Billy is probably true for others.

So, you have:

  1. The channel in which you’d like the bot to send celebration messages.
  2. An option to opt-in for work anniversaries.
  3. The scope of the celebrations: all workspace members vs. channel members only.
  4. The birthdate collection method: automatic vs. manual.

Once you submit, it will redirect you to the bot’s full settings page:

We can discover three new settings:

  • Celebration time
  • Celebration language
  • Weekend management (D-day, Mondays, or Fridays)

We can also see that we can add Billy to multiple channels (in case we would like to use it in multiple sub-teams).

Note: When you add Billy to a channel, he will:

  1. Kindly introduce himself.
  2. (Only if you enabled the auto-collection of dates) Send a message to the relevant members depending on the scope you chose (all workspace members vs. channel members only).

Using the Birthday Bot

Now that the bday bot has been added to your first channel, let’s take a look at how to use it on a daily basis.

Filling out birthdates and work anniversary dates

If you look at your active channels in Billy’s settings, you will notice two buttons if some birthdays are missing:

If you click on the first button Ask 12 members, Billy will reach out to each member individually to remind them to fill out their birth date, telling them that you asked for it.

If you click on Import dates, It will provide you with an Excel file that you’ll have to fill out and send back to Billy’s through the chat.

Note: If you have enabled auto-collection, Billy will automatically reach out on an optimized schedule to collect dates by himself.

Personal settings

Previously, we only discussed the admin settings. Please note that only the person who installed Billy and the Slack workspace admins have access to those admin settings.

Now, let’s take a look at the personal settings:

We can see two different sections.

The first one is to fill out our birthdate and our work anniversary date. We can note two things:

  • The year is optional (each person can hide how old he/she is).
  • There is an opt-out option in case someone doesn’t want their birthday or work anniversary to be celebrated (indeed, some people are not comfortable with it).

The second one is the list of upcoming events. This is useful if someone wants to check someone else’s birthday/work anniversary or if you are an admin looking to check whether or not you inputted the right date!

Tips and Tricks

To ensure the best user experience for your Slack members, here is our recommendation on how to use a bday bot:

  1. Install it and import the birthdates and work anniversary dates of everyone.
  2. Turn on auto-collect so that whenever someone new joins the Slack workspace, Billy will automatically collect their information.

Conclusion

In this article, we saw how to install and configure a birthday bot, and how to use it on a daily basis. We really encourage you to test one of the available birthday bots on the market and observe the reactions of your teammates. Trust us, you won’t be disappointed!

Last but not least: If you are using Slack and want to give Billy a try, here is a link to do so.

Let us know what your teams think of it in the comments!

Categories
Employee engagement

Does Slack notify birthdays?

Slack is one of the most popular communication platforms in the world. It is used by teams and organizations globally to collaborate and communicate efficiently. One of the most frequently asked questions about Slack is whether it notifies users about birthdays. In this blog post, we will answer this question and explore other related topics.

Does Slack notify birthdays?

The short answer is no. Slack does not notify users about birthdays. It is not one of the default features of the platform. However, there are ways to receive notifications about birthdays on Slack. Third-party applications such as Billy can be used to set up birthday reminders. By integrating these applications with Slack, you can receive notifications about birthdays in your Slack channel.

How to celebrate birthdays on Slack?

To set up birthday reminders on Slack, you need to follow these steps:

  • Install Billy (The birthday bot)
  • Select a Slack channel where celebration messages should be posted
  • Choose the time for the birthday reminders
  • Select a method to collect the dates (either manual import or automatic)

Once you have set up Billy you will see birthday celebrations in your Slack channel.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Slack does not notify users about birthdays by default. However, there are ways to receive reminders about birthdays on Slack. By using third-party applications such as Billy, you can set up birthday reminders and receive notifications in your Slack channel. Birthday reminders can be a great way to show your colleagues that you care and appreciate them on their special day.

Categories
Employee engagement

How to automate birthdays in slack in 2023

There are few things more frustrating than forgetting a birthday. Whether it’s a coworker, family member, or close friend, forgetting someone’s special day can leave you feeling guilty and thoughtless.

Fortunately, there’s an easy way to avoid this issue altogether: by automating birthday reminders in Slack! Here’s how to automate birthdays in slack in 2023.

Why it’s important to send birthday wishes to employees and colleagues

Wishing birthdays in Slack is something everybody does. It’s the most simple and natural thing to do, not mentioning that it is totally cross-cultural and done all across the globe. You can learn more on why it’s important to celebrate employee’s birthdays in this article.


It’s a great way to celebrate your employees, build a culture of recognition and increase employee engagement.

When your team scales, you’ll want to find a way to simplify and automate the process of birthday notifications and celebrations. But when it comes to putting it in practise you’ll soon find out that there are very few solutions out there to automate birthday messages for your team.

How to automate birthday wishes in slack

With Billy Birthday, there’s no excuse for forgetting a birthday ever again! By following these simple steps, you can set up automated messages and reminders that will help you keep track of all the special days. So go ahead and give it a try! Here’s how to do it:

  1. Install Billy Birthday by clicking “Add to Slack” on this page.
  2. Authorizing the app to access your Slack account.
  3. You’ll be taken to a page where you can customize your settings.
    Choose a slack channel for the messages, select if you want to celebrate work anniversaries, update posting times, and select which birth date collection method you’d like (either automatic, the bot will ask the users their birthday or manual with a spreadsheet where you can enter birthdays in bulk)
  4. That’s it! Billy Birthday will automatically post birthday celebration messages to your team in the channel you’ve selected.

By following these simple steps, you can easily automate the process of tracking employee birthdays and anniversaries using Slack. This will free up your time so that you can focus on other important tasks and make sure that no one’s special day goes unnoticed.

Categories
Employee experience

Using Slack to Celebrate Employee Birthdays in 2023

Birthdays are a special occasion and a great opportunity to show your employees that you care. In 2023, celebrating birthdays in the workplace will look quite different from how it did prior to the pandemic. With many companies still working remotely, there is an increased need for virtual communication tools like Slack to help bring everyone together and make birthdays extra special. Let’s take a look at some of the best ways to use Slack for birthday wishes this year.

Birthday Channels

Creating a birthday channel on your company’s Slack workspace is one of the most effective ways to celebrate employee birthdays. This gives everyone in the company a dedicated space to post happy birthday messages, funny memes, and other celebratory content. It also encourages camaraderie by bringing people together who might not otherwise interact regularly on Slack. Plus, it’s just plain fun!

Birthday Bot

Another great way to make sure no one misses an employee’s birthday is by using a Slack app to automate it like Billy Birthday. This bot can be set up so that it automatically sends out notifications when someone’s birthday is coming up. This ensures that all of your employees get their due recognition on their special day without any extra effort or manual tracking required from HR staff or managers.

Virtual Gatherings

Finally, what better way to celebrate someone’s birthday than with a virtual gathering? Use Slack to send out invites for an online video call where team members can chat and catch up while they share cake (or cupcakes!). Virtual gatherings can provide much-needed social interaction during these times of remote work, while still allowing people to maintain social distancing protocols as needed.

Celebrating birthdays in the age of digitalization has its challenges – but also plenty of opportunities! By utilizing tools like Slack channels and bots, HR teams can ensure that no employee goes unnoticed on their special day while also creating meaningful connections between colleagues who may not have interacted before now. Whether you opt for virtual gatherings or simple messages sent through Slack – there are limitless possibilities for making birthdays even more special in 2021!

Categories
Employee engagement

Best birthday messages for coworkers

Slack is a great way to stay connected with your co-workers, but it can also be used to celebrate special occasions, like birthdays! Wishing your colleagues a happy birthday on Slack is a great way to spread some cheer and make everyone feel appreciated. Birthdays are a special time to celebrate life and show our loved ones how much we care about them. But what about celebrating birthdays with our coworkers? Celebrating birthdays in the workplace can be a great way to build team morale and make everyone feel appreciated. There is nothing better than sending a warm wish on your colleague’s birthday. Here are examples of birthday messages for coworkers:

  1. “Happy birthday! I hope all your birthday wishes and dreams come true.”
  2. “Happy birthday to someone who is forever young!”
  3. “Wishing you the biggest slice of happy today.”
  4. “Happy birthday, coworker! You make being here so much more fun. Thank you for all of your positive energy.”
  5. “Happy birthday to the world’s greatest coworker.”
  6. “Happy birthday to a unique colleague. I wish you an awesome day to celebrate!”
  7. “Happy birthday, [coworker name]! Wishing you all the best on your special day!”
  8. “[Coworker name], hope you have a fantastic birthday! You deserve it!”
  9. “[Coworker name], happy birthday! Thank you for being such a great coworker!”
  10. “All the best on your birthday, [coworker name]! Wishing you a happy and healthy year ahead.”

A very nice way to make your message original is to add a fun fact to it. Here is a page where you can access dozens of fun facts ordered per months and days. For instance you can checkout the fun facts for 22nd of April.

Make sure to add a GIF

This one is definitely my favorite:

Using GIFs is a must-have nowadays, you can find everything you need on Giphy by searching “Birthday”, here is the link. We recommend that you install Giphy app in your Slack, it makes it very easy to integrate GIFs in messages. Checkout our Top 5 slack apps for a remote workspace for more information.

Conclusion

Sending birthday wishes via Slack is a quick and easy way to show your colleagues that you care. A simple message can brighten someone’s day and make them feel appreciated. So next time one of your coworkers has a birthday, don’t forget to wish them a happy one on Slack!