To have a team that is fully determined, engaged, and happy, organizations need to have employee engagement activities. Employee engagement activity makes sure that the employee feels he or she belongs and consistently goes above and beyond to deliver exceptional results. However, ask any company what they do to keep engagement high. All you are likely to hear is about bare minimum efforts.
Unfortunately, many organizations are yet to understand the importance of employee engagement activities and how these activities are for the betterment of the organization.
What Is Employee Engagement?
Employee engagement is how committed or devoted an employee feels to their organization and employer. Employees who are engaged with their organizations care about their work and the performance of the company. Engaged employees feel that they need to make efforts to make a difference.
An organization should understand that the engagement of their employees is linked to their performance, and thus instrumental to their company’s success.
In this blog post, we will talk about the top 10 employee engagement activities ideas to keep your workforce connected.
1. Onboarding Process
The first step of employee engagement will be the moment an employee joins a company. It is the organization’s responsibility to make sure that they make a great first impression using the right employee engagement ideas. The moment an employee joins, you can engage them by assigning a buddy to them, who can be a colleague. You can also take the employee for a tour of the office, make them understand the company policies and well as work duties.
2. Employee feedback in the form of emojis
Every employee wants to feel they belong and are heard. If the employees feel that their opinions don’t matter and they are not heard, then they will not feel motivated for long. Therefore, collecting feedback is an important employee engagement activity. To make this activity more fun, organizations can include emojis in employee feedback through which employees can share their thoughts, concerns, and ideas.
3. Think of fun, voluntary team-building activities!
Team building activities provide a great opportunity for employees to bond, share ideas, and collaborate. The team members build connections during these experiences leading to stronger professional relationships. You can ask employees to form teams and suggest or organize activities as well. This will give them a sense of belonging, ownership, and inclusivity. Make sure to offer a diverse range of employee engagement activities for employees that cater to various interests and personalities.
4. Celebrate and support diversity
What is better than having a work environment that fosters a diverse and inclusive environment? An organization where every viewpoint is valued always has an increased employee engagement leading to long-term success. Organizations should make sure to recognize cultural holidays and organize events highlighting the different traditions. This activity will promote cross-cultural interactions and promote diverse talent within the organization.
5. Have a fun Awards show night
Organize a night like an award show, where the employees get to dress up, let loose, and enjoy. Make sure that the awards night features a variety of awards that celebrate employee contributions, such as the ‘team player award’, ‘customer service excellence award’, or ‘best formal attire award’. These awards should reflect the company’s values and objectives, and make the employees feel recognized. Organizations can also involve employees in the award selection process by asking them to nominate their colleagues, as well as have a virtual voting session to determine the winners. This will bring transparency in the selection process and the employees will view the awards as something meaningful.
6. Casual wear days
Norms around workplace attire are changing. Big corporations like Google support relaxed dress codes instead of business formals to make sure that the employees are comfortable and stress-free at the workplace. HR can lay down rules to make sure the casual wear days are appropriate and modest so that the sanctity of the workplace is not compromised. Swapping formal trousers with denim jeans every Friday will not hamper the workplace, rather could boost the morale of the employees significantly. Organizations can keep a strict formal dress code throughout the week and then have Casual Fridays which is a great way to increase employee engagement activities without impacting the workplace status.
7. Hybrid work options
Thanks to the year 2020, work from home has gained momentum in the corporate world. Nowadays, employees prefer workplaces that offer hybrid working environments. Employees feel that a hybrid working environment increases employee engagement due to the flexibility of working. Organizations can easily achieve this, by creating employee-engaging surveys and asking them whether they want to see more hybrid or other flexible working options. Once the organization gauges how many employees want a hybrid workplace model, they can start implementing the same.
8. Luncheons
This is a concept that is becoming popular day by day, especially in smaller companies. Organizations can select a team member to talk about a specific topic or passion outside work for an hour, along with an organized lunch meal. This is a great way to increase team bonding and promote personal development. The best part is, that this lunch and learn concept boosts team collaboration as the employees actively get engaged in discussions.
9. Host office activities
A virtual trivia game, a yoga class, a cricket match, a scavenger hunt, or a virtual escape room. Find activities that allow your teammates to let out some steam in a relaxed atmosphere and enjoy. These activities, virtual or physical, not only promote solidarity but also improve communication, productivity, and overall job satisfaction.
10. Provide free snacks
Food is the language of love and nothing says ‘we care’ than free snacks for employees. Many corporations offer free snacks to their employees every day in the evening. This small gesture acts like a great employee engagement activity, as the employees get to take a small break from a long day of work and engage in conversations. Organizations can reward their teams with healthy snacks once a day, or even a weekly treat from a local bakery. This small gesture goes a long way in boosting employee morale.
There are many ways through which organizations can engage employees. Just make sure to understand what your workforce requires and factors such as age, department, education, and location should also be taken into consideration.
