What is International HR Day?
International HR Day is dedicated to celebrating the role Human Resources (HR) professionals play in organisations worldwide. It is a day to acknowledge and appreciate the contributions of HR teams who work diligently to ensure smooth operations, foster positive workplace environments, and support employee well-being.
HR professionals are often seen as the backbone of any business, handling recruitment, training, employee relations, compliance, and benefits administration. They are instrumental in building company culture, driving engagement, and implementing strategies that align with business goals.
HR day also provides an opportunity for HR professionals to share best practices, gain insights into industry trends, and network with peers. By celebrating International HR Day, organisations can showcase their commitment to valuing their HR teams and the pivotal role they play in achieving overall success.
What is HR?
HR, Human Resources, is the function within a business responsible for managing the employee lifecycle. This includes everything from hiring, onboarding, and training to payroll, performance management, and offboarding. In modern businesses, HR plays a strategic role by:
- Supporting workforce planning
- Ensuring compliance with employment law
- Enhancing employee engagement
- Fostering learning and leadership development
- Building a strong organisational culture
In short, HR is the engine that supports people and processes across every level of an organisation.
When is International HR Day?
International HR Day is celebrated on May 20th each year. This date was chosen to align with the anniversary of the European Association for People Management (EAPM), which is a significant body representing HR professionals across Europe. The day is recognised globally, with various countries and organisations participating in activities to show appreciation to their HR teams.
How Does HR Benefit Businesses?
HR plays an important role in the success and growth of any business. One of the primary benefits of HR is its ability to attract and retain top talent. Through effective recruitment strategies and comprehensive onboarding processes, HR ensures that businesses hire the right people who fit the company culture and contribute positively to the organisation.
HR ensures that the company adheres to legal standards, HR helps avoid costly lawsuits and penalties. Additionally, HR manages compensation and benefits, ensuring competitive and fair remuneration, which is key to retaining employees.
13 Ways to Celebrate International HR Day
1. Recognise HR Publicly Across the Business
Take the time to acknowledge your HR team in a visible and sincere way. A company-wide email, intranet post, or internal newsletter feature can go a long way in helping them feel seen and valued. Highlight key achievements such as successful hires, training rollouts, or how they supported the business through a crisis.
Example: Send out a “Thank You HR” email from the CEO or senior leadership team and include real feedback from employees or departments about how HR made a difference.
2. Give Personalised Thank You Notes or Gifts
Sometimes, the simplest gestures are the most meaningful. Write handwritten thank-you notes or offer small, thoughtful gifts that reflect your team’s personalities or interests. It shows you’ve taken the time to appreciate them as individuals, not just as a function.
Example: If a team member loves books, buy them a bestseller in their favourite genre. For someone into fitness, a voucher for a local yoga class or sports shop is a thoughtful touch.
3. Host a Team Lunch or Breakfast
Food brings people together. Treat your HR team to a special breakfast or lunch – either in-office or at a local venue – to mark the occasion. It gives them a chance to unwind, connect as a team, and feel appreciated without having to plan it themselves.
Example: Organise a catered lunch in the office boardroom with a relaxed agenda, or book a table at a nearby restaurant and surprise them with a prepaid menu.
4. Share Appreciation on Social Media
Use your business’s LinkedIn, Twitter, or other social media channels to highlight the role HR plays in your organisation. Not only does this celebrate your internal team, but it shows clients, potential employees, and partners that you value people and culture.
Example: Post a short video or carousel of images showing your HR team at work, paired with captions about what makes them essential to the business.
5. Invest in Their Development
Use International HR Day as a chance to invest back into your HR team’s growth. Provide access to training courses, online webinars, or CPD credits to help them expand their skill set and stay ahead of industry trends.
Example: Give each HR team member a professional development budget or a voucher to attend an upcoming HR conference or workshop.
6. Run an Internal HR Awards Ceremony
Celebrate the unsung heroes of HR by creating award categories that reflect their everyday impact. You could include awards such as “People Champion,” “Best Cultural Initiative,” or “Compliance Star.”
Example: Host a fun end-of-day awards event (in-person or virtual), with printed certificates and small prizes, announced by members of leadership.
7. Host a Q&A or HR Knowledge Session
Use the day to break down the barriers between HR and the wider company. Let your HR team run a live Q&A, training session, or panel discussion where they share insights about what they do and how they support staff.
Example: Run a 30-minute “Ask HR Anything” session on Microsoft Teams or in person, giving employees a chance to learn more about policies, benefits, or career development.
8. Create a Wall (or Board) of Appreciation
Set up a virtual or physical board where employees can leave anonymous (or named) notes of gratitude to the HR team. It’s a simple but effective way to boost morale and show how many people appreciate their work behind the scenes.
Example: Use tools like Miro or Padlet to create a digital board, or put up a physical poster in the break room where people can leave sticky notes or cards.
9. Give the HR Team a Wellbeing Day
Reward your HR professionals with a day off or a half-day focused on self-care. They often absorb a lot of stress supporting others – give them space to reset.
Example: Block out a “no meetings” afternoon and provide gift cards for spa treatments, gym classes, or even just a nice lunch out.
10. Organise a Fun HR-Themed Quiz or Bingo
Inject some fun into the workday with a light-hearted quiz or game centred on HR facts, office policies, or funny workplace scenarios. It’s a great way to get people involved and highlight HR’s role in a fun way.
Example: Host an HR trivia quiz with small prizes for the winning team – throw in fun facts about your own company’s HR history.
11. Nominate HR for External Industry Awards
If your team has gone above and beyond, consider submitting them for external recognition. There are many HR-focused awards across the UK and globally that honour innovation, leadership, and impact.
Example: Look into awards like the CIPD People Management Awards or Personnel Today Awards and submit an entry recognising a recent HR project or initiative.
12. Share a Highlights Reel of HR Achievements
Pull together a slideshow or video showcasing HR’s wins over the past year. Include data on improved employee satisfaction, reduced turnover, or successful onboarding campaigns and don’t forget to include faces, names, and stories where possible.
Example: Create a short internal presentation to show at your team meeting, or post it to the company’s internal portal as a “Year in HR” celebration.
13. Offer Thoughtful, Personalised Gifts
If budget allows, provide gifts that go beyond the usual branded merchandise. Think about what each HR team member would genuinely appreciate, it shows you value them as people, not just employees.
Example: Buy gift cards for their favourite coffee shop, a plant for their desk, or even a framed team photo with a personal message from leadership.
Supporting Smarter Workplaces With HR Software
HR software helps automate and centralise HR tasks to reduce admin, improve accuracy, and ensure compliance. Key features often include:
- Cloud-based employee record management
- Absence and holiday tracking
- Performance and training monitoring
- Integration with payroll and time and attendance systems
- Digital HR sign-off and document storage
At PayEscape, our HR software is built to simplify these functions. It gives businesses of all sizes the tools to manage HR processes in one place, saving time and enhancing productivity.
Expert Support for Business Change
HR consultancy services offer expert guidance to businesses navigating people-related challenges or undergoing periods of transformation.
These services typically include:
- Strategic HR planning
- Business change management
- Employment law compliance
- Leadership and people development
- Organisational restructuring and crisis response
Whether you’re scaling rapidly, restructuring, or improving internal processes, HR consultants bring outside expertise to align people strategy with business goals.
Investing in Future Leaders
People development is a core responsibility of every HR team. It involves identifying potential, closing skills gaps, and creating environments where employees can grow and thrive.
Key areas include:
- Training needs analysis
- Leadership and development planning
- Succession planning
- Employee coaching and mentoring
- Encouraging continuous professional development (CPD)
Supporting development is essential for talent retention and long-term business growth and HR is at the heart of it.
Strategic Support at Every Level
HR provides more than employee support, it offers critical input on wider business strategy. By using workforce data and compliance knowledge, HR guides leadership teams through:
- People planning and costing
- Policy and legal compliance
- Risk mitigation
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies
- Performance and engagement tracking
By integrating HR into strategic decision-making, businesses ensure they’re making informed choices about their most important asset, their people.
Why International HR Day is Important
International HR Day is important because it shines a spotlight on the indispensable role HR professionals play in shaping successful organisations. It is a day to recognise and celebrate the often-overlooked contributions of HR teams, who work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the smooth functioning of businesses.
Acknowledging their efforts boosts morale and highlights the value of their work, fostering a greater sense of appreciation and respect within the organisation.
The day fosters a sense of community and collaboration among HR professionals, providing a platform to share insights, experiences, and best practices.
Celebrating International HR Day helps reinforce the strategic importance of HR in achieving business objectives, improving employee engagement, and maintaining a competitive edge.
How We Celebrate HR Day at PayEscape
At PayEscape, we take great pride in our HR team and their contributions to our success. To celebrate International HR Day, we organise a series of internal events and activities that highlight the importance of HR and show our appreciation for their hard work.
The day begins with a special breakfast meeting where our HR team is honoured with personalised thank-you notes from employees and management. This gesture sets a positive tone for the day and acknowledges their dedication.
We also host a series of workshops and training sessions aimed at professional development. These sessions cover the latest trends in HR, innovative practices, and strategies for tackling common challenges. By investing in their continuous learning, we ensure our HR team remains at the forefront of the industry.
At PayEscape, we understand the unique challenges faced by HR teams and offer tailored solutions to streamline HR and payroll processes. Our comprehensive services include payroll management, HR software, and compliance support, all designed to alleviate the administrative burden on HR professionals.
Final Thoughts
HR teams are central to every organisation, yet their work often goes unrecognised. International HR Day is a chance to pause and show gratitude, while also raising awareness of the strategic value HR brings to business growth. Whether you’re a small business owner or part of a large enterprise, make time to celebrate your HR professionals. And if you’re looking to empower your HR team with software or expert consultancy, PayEscape is here to help.
