Marie Antoinette is known mainly for three things,

(i) Being married to the King of France, (ii) Dying at the Guillotine and (iii) Uttering the following "qu’ils mangent de la brioche ", which translates to "let them eat cake".

Whilst being the King of France, or being married to him, may help with some HR functions it is not an option open to many. The

Guillotine may appeal as a useful negotiating tool, but where would you store it?

So that leaves us with cake.

So when would Marie-Antionette have suggested that the current HR professional "…eat cake "?

Celebration of Company Milestones Nothing celebrates an occasion like a big cake. If the company has been in existence for 10 years, collecting the staff together

on a Friday afternoon for a quick CEO speech and the ceremonial cutting of a cake complete with the company logo and "10

years of top service to the IT industry" is an inexpensive way of engaging all the staff in the event.

Somehow a cake transports us back to an extremely happy time in our childhood. It has an emotional affect on the group

assembled, unlike flowers or other gifts it can also be enjoyed by all. Take a cake into an open plan office and count how long it is before you have an audience. Everyone gets time to ‘digest’ the

message on the cake

1. Launch of a New Product or Service The sales and marketing departments can use a cake, complete with marketing slogan or picture of the latest widget to let

everyone in the company know what’s new.

2. Achieving a new Industry standard. If having strived for a year to obtain a recognised industry accreditation, what better way of letting the staff know that their hard

work has paid off. For example, if if you have jumped through the hoops to gain recognition of your ‘Investors In People' status,

then a cake with the Investors In People logo alongside the Company name will get the message across.

3. Welcome a new member of staff We all think of a cake to say goodbye and good luck, well how about one saying: "Welcome - we are glad to have you." You

may well have paid a recruitment Agency several thousand pounds to get this well sort after individual, so an extra £50 to say

welcome is well worth the expense. The new man or woman will be aware that their arrival was both anticipated and well

thought out.

4. Exceeding targets or goals Most departments have Key Performance Indicators by which they are judged. Whether it be: Monthly Sales, New Memberships,

Number of on-line visitors, etc. etc. A cake to celebrate hitting and exceeding this KPI is a good way of rewarding the team

involved.

5. Personal Events We all have a life outside work and significant events that mean a lot to us. Taking the time as an HR professional to remember

these for your employees shows that their commitment to the company is reciprocated. The office grapevine will soon tell you when these events crop up. Events that may warrant a small cake can include: 1. New born baby (remember, the man is also over the moon at becoming a parent !). 2. Engagement. 3. Passing of work related exams. 4. Retirement (consider a picture cake, perhaps hobby related). 5. Birthdays. 6. Major anniversaries (anyone married for 40 years deserves a cake at least).

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