Are you a human resource professional looking for work social event ideas that you can adopt this year? All work and no play is a recipe for low productivity.
Corporations all over the world have embraced various policies to nurture their employees’ social interactions, even as they perform at the peak of their careers.
In this article, we will discuss seven work social event ideas that you can engage in. Once you have a couple of good choices, customize them to suit your team and work calendar.
Some of these events are very cost effective whereas others need prior planning and allocation of funds.
Our Top Seven Work Social Event Ideas
1. Cultural Week
If your team has employees from all over the globe, organize a cultural week. It can be put on once for each financial quarter.
During this week, let the employees showcase their different cultures through clothing, language, food, and gifts.
If you normally publish a weekly newsletter, this is an excellent platform to highlight cultural week. Share all the unique cultures that make up your work team.
Cultural week can also be a perfect opportunity to break boundaries respectfully. Let your employees across the organization structure interactions with senior management at an informal level.
Finally, this is an excellent opportunity for a company Q & A session where you discuss the company’s values and ethics.
2. The Employee of the Month Awards
Is your team appraised on a regular basis? You can show appreciation for work well done by having an award for the employee of the month.
The award can be a certificate of appreciation. Throw in a gift card can be a great addition to the prize. Then have a little award party for the entire team to celebrate these employees.
To motivate the rest of the team, pin the profile of the employee of the month on the company’s notice board for all to see.
This recognition is one of the best internal work social event ideas. It aims at motivating other staff members to perform better.
3. A Sports Tournament
The sports world has excellent work social event ideas that your company can adopt. You can start with a simple indoor game like darts.
Eventually, graduate to various outdoor tournaments such as golf and hockey. In addition, let your employees form groups that will compete for attractive prices.
To extend this event beyond the company, you may organize a tournament against a local youth group. Use this opportunity to let the public know more about your operations.
Various companies have nurtured sports talents of their employees that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.
Reward employees whose skills are discovered in such work social events with scholarships to pursue their careers.
Other outdoor activities such as mountain climbing and camping that do not necessarily involve any competitions would also be ideal.
If, for example, you have just achieved a milestone that had seemed too far-fetched, camping with your team to celebrate your achievement under a bonfire would be superb.
4. Host a Neighborhood Clean Up Event
If your company’s operations are in areas where waste disposal is a significant concern, organize a clean-up exercise.
On this day, all your staff will go around picking up trash, sorting it, and disposing of it safely.
Use this opportunity to highlight the importance of maintaining a clean environment.
Encourage the employees to participate in the clean up alongside their families. Turn this social event into a sustainable practice by collaborating with local clean-up groups.
You can also involve the area government officials if it is within your company regulations. They can strategically place garbage disposal bins in the most affected areas.
A clean-up exercise is a clever work social event. It highlights the company’s concern about preserving the global eco-system. As a result, your community will embrace you more.
5. The Suggestion Box Award
Does your company have a suggestion box that is always empty? Most employees shy away from using the suggestion box for fear of being reprimanded.
However, you can turn this opportunity into one of the best internal work social event ideas.
In fact, some companies have had new inventions and discovered new processes this way.
The event encourages employees (especially those on the front line) to express their creative ideas to the management using the suggestion box.
Make this event as easy as possible by running a competition in the company. Reward an employee whose ideas or suggestions are well stipulated and implemented in any financial year.
Additionally, have a window for possible promotion, should such proposals lead to the company’s enhanced success.
6. Breakfast Get Together in the Basement
An early morning get-together tops the list of work social event ideas for field workers.
A breakfast party will gather employees who come for a briefing at the company premises before dispersing to their workstations.
Such employees may not be available for any other social events of the day.
Make the party as informal as possible. For example, you can take turns on who will be in charge of preparing the breakfast for the next get together.
Use this breakfast to catch up on each other’s career paths. In addition, the management can use this opportunity to brief the staff on their short-term plans.
7. City Tour
Is your company located far from the city? You can organize a city tour for the staff. Let your employees suggest the places they would like to visit.
For example, you can visit the city zoo, museum, and historical monuments.
Arrange for a guide to show you the best eateries in town. This benefits the new employees that are still settling into their various positions.
Allow the employees to take part alongside their families when possible.
However, a city tour needs a reasonable budget. Ensure the management is aware of your trip in due time. Also, confirm that all the staff taking part in the tour are available.
In Conclusion
There are numerous work social event ideas that a company can use to tap into the social side of its employees.
For such events to be successful, the management needs to engage its employees in choosing events that they will enjoy.
Keep in mind that the overall goal of such events is to take a break from the formal nature of work. So use this break to revitalize your team and come back refreshed.
