Standing up to give a long service speech can make anyone feel nervous. You got picked to talk about someone who has worked at your job for many years. This is a big deal! The person who worked hard all those years wants to hear nice words about their time at work. Your boss and other workers will listen too. But what should you say? How can you make a speech that makes the long-serving worker feel good and shows how much everyone values them? Don’t worry! We have lots of ideas to help you make a speech that will touch hearts and bring smiles.
Long Service Speech Ideas
A good long service speech thanks the person for their years of work and shares stories that show why they matter. Here are 25 ideas to help you create a speech that will be special and full of meaning.
1. Start With Their First Day
Begin your speech by talking about when the person first started at the job. Did they seem shy? Were they full of big ideas? Paint a picture of that day.
Looking back to the start shows how far they have come. You can talk about how different things were back then – maybe computers were new or the building looked different. This helps everyone see the long path the person has walked with the company.
2. Share Funny Stories
Make people laugh with funny stories about the person. Maybe they once made a silly mistake or said something that became a running joke in the office.
Good humor brings warmth to your speech and helps everyone feel closer. Just make sure the stories are kind and don’t make the person feel bad. Pick tales that show their good side, even if they did something silly.
3. List Their Big Wins
Talk about the big things the person did that helped the company. Did they bring in a big client? Fix a big problem? Make a new way of doing things that saved time?
Facts about what they did show why their work matters. You can use numbers if you have them – like how much money they helped make or how many projects they finished. This helps prove how much good they did.
4. Thank Them From Others
Collect thanks from other people who work with them. You can read these out loud during your speech to show how many lives they touched.
Messages from many people make your speech more full and rich. It shows the person that lots of people notice and value their work, not just you. This can feel very good to hear.
5. Use Props To Tell Their Story
Bring things that stand for parts of their work life. Maybe an old tool they used, pictures of them at work events, or something they always keep on their desk.
Props make your speech more fun to watch and listen to. You can hold up each item and tell a short story about why it matters. This helps people see and feel the history, not just hear about it.
6. Focus On Values They Show
Talk about the good values the person brings to work each day. Are they always honest? Do they help others learn? Are they the first to step up when things get hard?
Values last longer than any single thing a person does. By pointing out good values, you show that the person made the workplace better just by being who they are. This is a deep way to honor them.
7. Make A Top Ten List
Create a list of the top ten things everyone will miss if the person leaves. This works well if the person is retiring or moving to a new job.
Lists help you fit many ideas into a short speech. You can mix funny things with serious ones to keep the speech lively. Count down from ten to one to build up to the biggest thing you’ll miss.
8. Tell How They Changed Things
Explain how the workplace is different because of them. Did they start new ways of doing things? Train lots of new workers? Make the place more fun or kind?
Changes show the mark a person left on a place. Talk about how things were before they came and how they are now. This shows that their time at work really mattered and made a lasting mark.
9. Share Customer Comments
Read nice things that customers or people outside the company said about the person. This shows that their good work reaches beyond the walls of the office.
Outside views prove that the person truly does good work. When people who don’t have to be nice say good things, it means more. This kind of proof feels very good to hear about yourself.
10. Talk About Hard Times They Got Through
Speak about times when things were hard, but the person kept going. Maybe the company almost closed, or there was a big problem that seemed like it could not be fixed.
Hard times test what we’re made of. By talking about how the person faced hard things, you show their strength and heart. These stories help others see why they earned this honor.
11. Use Their Favorite Saying
If the person has words they often say, use these in your speech. It might be advice they give, a joke they tell, or just a way they greet people each day.
Their own words make them feel seen and known. When you use their saying, it shows you paid attention to them over the years. It can make them smile to hear their words coming from you.
12. Link Their Work To Big Company Success
Show how their daily work helped the whole company do well. Maybe their small part led to winning a big prize or getting through a hard time.
Connecting dots helps people see why each job matters. Even if the person did not have a big title, you can show how their work was key to good things happening. This helps them feel proud of their part.
13. Make A “This Is Your Life” Speech
Set up your speech like a TV show that looks back at a person’s life. Talk about each stage of their time at work like it’s a show with different parts.
This style gives your speech a clear path to follow. You can move from their early days to middle years to now. It helps the crowd follow along and see the whole story of the person’s work life.
14. Quote What Leaders Say About Them
Share what the boss or other top people say about the person. This shows that even the big names value their work and see their worth.
Words from leaders carry weight. When you share these kinds of comments, it shows the person that they are seen at all levels of the company. This can feel very good, like they truly belong.
15. Tell How They Help New People
Talk about how the person helps new workers learn their jobs. Are they a good teacher? Do they take time to show new folks how things work?
Helping others is a key part of making a workplace good. If the person trains or helps new workers, they pass on what they know. This means their good ways will live on even after they leave.
16. Make A Quiz About Their Time
Create a fun quiz about the person’s work history. You can ask the crowd things like how many years they’ve worked there or what job they had first.
Games make speeches fun and get people to join in. You can give small prizes to people who know the answers. This gets everyone thinking about the person’s long time at work in a fun way.
17. Share How They Grew And Changed
Talk about how the person got better at their job over time. Did they learn new skills? Take on bigger tasks? Become more sure of themselves?
Growth shows that the person kept trying to be better. You can talk about classes they took or new things they learned to do. This shows that they didn’t just put in time – they got better with each passing year.
18. Focus On Their Key Skill
Zero in on the one thing they do best. Is it fixing tough problems? Making clients happy? Helping teams work well together?
One key skill can define a work life. By pointing out what they do best, you show that you see their special gift. This helps them feel valued for the core thing that makes them good at their job.
19. Talk About Their Work Family
Speak about the close ties they made with other workers. Who became like family to them? Who did they mentor or help the most?
Work friends make a job worth doing. By talking about the bonds they formed, you show that work is about more than tasks – it’s about people. This can touch hearts and bring up good feelings.
20. Give A Day-In-The-Life View
Describe what a typical day looks like for this person at work. What do they do first thing? Who do they check in with? What problems do they solve?
Daily life shows what work really means. By walking through their day, you help others see what they truly do and how hard they work. This builds respect for their daily efforts that often go unseen.
21. Highlight Times They Went Above And Beyond
Point out times when they did much more than their job asked for. Did they stay late to finish a big project? Come in on a weekend to fix an urgent problem?
Extra effort shows true care for the work. When you tell stories of them going beyond what was asked, you show their deep care for the job and team. This kind of effort deserves special notice and thanks.
22. Use Before-And-After Pictures
Show pictures of them when they first started and now. This gives a visual way to see how much time has passed and how they’ve been part of the company story.
Pictures make time real for everyone. You can point out how styles have changed or how the workplace looked different back then. This helps mark the passing of years in a way everyone can see.
23. Talk About The World Then And Now
Compare what the world was like when they started to how it is now. What big news was happening? What things cost less? What didn’t even exist yet?
World changes show how long they’ve been with you. By pointing out how much has changed around them while they stayed loyal to the job, you highlight their steady presence. This puts their service in a bigger picture.
24. Read A Letter From Someone Who Left
Share words from a person who used to work there but moved on. What do they miss about working with the long-serving person? What did they learn from them?
Views from past workers carry special weight. When someone who left still has good things to say, it shows the lasting impact of the person. These kinds of words can touch hearts deeply.
25. End With Your Own Thanks
Finish by sharing what the person has meant to you personally. How did they help you? What did you learn from them? Why will you always be glad you worked with them?
Personal thanks make the speech feel real and warm. By sharing your own heart, you help the person see their impact on real lives. This can be the most touching part of your speech if it comes from a true place.
Wrapping Up
Making a speech for someone who gave many years to a job is a big task. You want to get it right. With these 25 ideas, you can mix and match to create a talk that truly fits the person you’re honoring. Pick the ideas that match who they are and what they did. The most important thing is to speak from your heart. When you say true things with feeling, your words will land where they need to go. The person who served long and well will feel seen, valued, and thanked in a way they will always hold close.