Many of us work in a hybrid way, dividing our time working from home and coming into the office on a flexible basis. Weeks can fly by without seeing fellow colleagues and, in the worst-case scenario, valuable meetings might be postponed or missed altogether with key staff unavailable in person.
Whether it’s a launch event at your premises or an awards ceremony, businesses in Kent and beyond recognise the value of regular face-to-face get togethers.
Host ongoing events that benefit everyone
In the fast-paced world of work, it’s easy for employees to feel disengaged or skip seeing their colleagues by staying home. Bringing teams together is beneficial for companies and is known to boost morale, encourage banter, foster collaboration and remind staff why they enjoy working at your office.
As well as annual parties, a regular brunch or lunch in the office is informal, not costly and easy to arrange. With some advance warning, weekly or monthly treats are enough to encourage colleagues to come in and can create a more vibrant atmosphere at work. On the day, you might like to celebrate a company’s milestone year by marking the occasion with branded cupcakes or reward a team’s achievement in a dedicated speech.
Events provide a change of pace from regular duties, which can be refreshing and energising for employees. They break up the monotony and give everyone something to look forward to. The value of chatting to people at work is well-documented, whether it’s a personal problem shared, a debate on topical controversies in the news or important work-related topics, building social cohesion and connections leads to a healthy company culture.
By establishing stronger connections, you can improve the morale of your employees and are likely to see greater productivity, creativity, loyalty and engagement from your workforce. Taking the time to organise fun office events demonstrates to staff that they are valued. This also pays dividends for your wider company culture.
Plan special events to incentivise staff participation
As a business owner or manager hoping to entice staff into your office premises more often, consider planning unique and engaging office meetings and activities. More memorable events are likely to incentivise people to come in and take part, and the key to keeping office events fresh and exciting is to continuously come up with new ideas.
Rather than repeating the same activities, get creative with new ideas to attract people into the office more; look at other businesses in your area and what they are up to. Great results can be seen from organising engaging events such as:
- Design challenges – employees split into groups and competing to build structures out of limited materials in a set timeframe. This promotes teamwork and creative thinking.
- Cooking competitions – inspired by BBC’s ‘The Great British Bake Off’, colleagues can work in mixed teams to create menu themes while baking tasty treats.
- Battle of the bands – firms finding their hidden musical talents, coordinating concerts where employees form bands and perform. There is even the chance to produce music videos or album covers to display in the office.
- Charity fundraisers – casual dress days, office Olympics, raffles and walkathons are always popular. These events give back to the community while bringing employees together.
Mark seasonal and major sporting events
Take advantage of seasonal happenings like major sporting events, holidays or themed events. Consider events organised by different internal departments to encourage bonding between teams that don’t normally interact. Hosting company picnics when it’s warm, or more creative office-based activities encourage different personalities to shine.
An engaged, enthusiastic workforce is an invaluable asset, so putting in the effort to arrange special, fun incentives pays dividends. Organise a busy calendar to mark the seasons and other designated national days. Try to spark new and engaging ideas to encourage staff in.
Ask your colleagues for event feedback and set up a shared document inviting them to propose their own ideas. Not only is this inclusive, it enables you or whoever is planning your office get-togethers to tailor activities and events to suit all members of staff. This also ensures future activities will entice all employees, not just some.
Drive business growth and retain talent
Organising events can benefit businesses at the local level too, creating new business opportunities. If you promote what you do and share office events on social channels, you can promote your healthy company culture and attract local talent to apply. You will also demonstrate you are an active company with established connections who is eager to grow its business. By showcasing any food items, local products, or highlighting charities and community events, you are continually developing relationships with local businesses.Organising a diary of office-based events that are sociable, fun and work-oriented will entice employees into the workplace and help your business to thrive. By promoting successful office events on your social channels and wider news platforms, you can also broaden connections as well as attract prospective investors, clients and potential applicants. Organising regular, low-cost get togethers can be healthy for productivity, people and your profitability.