Fun Employee Appreciation and Team Building Ideas
With all of the sales goals, product launches, customer service tickets and meetings work can get exhausting sometimes. It is important to maintain a positive workplace so your employees feel appreciated and supported even when the workdays feel hectic.
When was the last time a colleague or supervisor showed appreciation for what you do at work? Do you remember how it made you feel? Employees crave appreciation for a job well done.
Employee Appreciation
Employee appreciation day is an unofficial national holiday that falls on the first Friday of March every year. While we are just past March, it is never too late to celebrate and show your employees some well-deserved appreciation. Any day is a great day to recognize your hard-working employees for the work they put into their jobs year around. A personalized gift such as custom scarves or custom socks can be given to employees to say thank you for all that you do.
Team Building
The goal of any team building activity is to bring employees together and make them stronger as a team. Team building has many benefits for companies. It provides an opportunity for employees to get to know each other better, helps teams understand each other, and contribute to a more successful work environment. A successful team building activity improves productivity, increases employee motivation, encourages collaboration and builds trust among employees.
Company Picnic
Team building is an important part of building your company culture. Company picnics are fun and perfect for team building. Make sure the weather is nice, fire up the grill, take the team outdoors, and play some team-building games. Check out this oversized game of wooden lawn dice that can help break the ice. The team can play tug of war, volleyball, 3-legged races, or break out into teams for a scavenger hunt. A cohesive team boosts productivity, team camaraderie, motivation, and employee retention
If your team is working remotely, host a virtual company picnic. Have the team set up a picnic inside of their own homes and join a zoom call with the team. You could also send a personalized picnic basket filled with food to employees.
Bring Your Dog to Work Day
Take advantage of this opportunity to allow your employees’ pups in the office to help reduce stress in the office and increase job satisfaction. Be sure to check with your employees to see if anyone is afraid or allergic to dogs. Puppy-proof the workspace by hiding cords, securing toxic items like permanent markers, and bring a doggie bag of essentials. Be sure pups are office-ready. If one of your employee’s dogs is aggressive or overly shy, it may be best to leave him at home.
In a virtual work environment, host a puppy hour where employees can invite their fur babies to the call. Create a #cute-pets slack channel for employees to share photos, stories, and videos of their pets. Pro-tip: Keep the channel active to increase employee engagement!
Attend a Local Sporting Event
What team is everyone rooting for? Our favorite baseball team is the Atlanta Braves. Take the team out to a local sports game and bond over the opposing team and greasy concession food. Put your company’s logo on a custom baseball cap and wear them during the game to increase brand awareness.
If you and the team are practicing social distancing, live stream the game together! Schedule a zoom call during the game. Send your employees a basket with game day snacks and make it extra special with custom athletic socks to show their team spirit.
Here is the Sock Fancy crew at a Braves game before COVID!
Half-Day Fridays
Time is valuable. Give employees the gift of time by allowing them to leave work early on Fridays. Companies have found that by offering employees to leave early, they are more loyal to their team and work harder in result. Early release Fridays are a perfect way for employers to show they care about their employees work-life balance and encourage them to refresh and relax on the weekends.
Conclusion
Studies show that employees work harder when they felt appreciated and supported by their employers. Employee appreciation impacts more than just the employees, it also impacts the company as a whole. They want more than a pat on the back once a year. Make employee appreciation a year-round goal. Plan a team-building event every month or so to encourage collaboration and teamwork. These activities help build a positive company culture and increase employee retention.