The idea of having parties at work is often considered to be a vital element of workplace culture. Employers are often under pressure to host workplace parties for employees on occasion in an attempts to show their employees appreciation and to encourage employees to meet one another.
Are employees even enjoying gatherings at work? The answer is often divergent, with employees typically embracing or disliking these kinds of gatherings. The reason they either love or dislike these events usually is a matter of what they think of their coworkers. While they do provide some advantages however, it’s not always an appropriate idea to require employees to socialize with each other.
With the holiday season right close at hand We thought we’d talk about the things to and from working parties to ensure you’re more prepared to make the right decisions about the long-standing office tradition.
Benefits of work gatherings
Work parties wouldn’t be popular enough for so long in the absence of certain benefits isn’t it? The potential benefits for work parties are:
Make sure your employees know that you are grateful for them.
A work party can take quite a bit of work and money. If you are able to provide your employees with a memorable experience, they’re bound to be delighted. Informing your employees how much you appreciate their contribution to the company is a fantastic method of increasing morale and improve retention of employees. However that work events are not the only means to show your employees how much you appreciate them.
Let everyone relax and enjoy themselves.
The working atmosphere can be extremely stressful. A workplace party can be a great way to relieve stress and offer an opportunity to your employees to unwind and enjoy themselves. What do you think? Maybe your employees don’t have a very social life and a workplace party is something they anticipate in their social calendar.
Employees develop interpersonal relationships
Although it’s not a good idea to be too involved with your employees’ personal life, it’s a good idea to be interested in becoming acquainted with them in a way. Work-related events are a fantastic opportunity for employees to get acquainted with one another, and to meet people from other departments and your employer and the management.
Increase motivation
After throwing a work event, workers may experience an increase in motivation. Every kind of activity helps employees relax and build the confidence they require to face problems at work.
When are work-related parties the most likely to succeed?
It is more likely for work parties to be an enjoyable experience when you have a tight-knit group of people who enjoy having each other’s company and will like to enjoy themselves while getting to know one others better. Parties at work are also more likely to succeed when they’ve been planned with care and the participants’ desires and requirements were taken into consideration.
Tips to consider if you are planning to host a work-related party
If you’re thinking of throwing a corporate event and you want it to go as smoothly as you can There are some points you must consider. Planning a party that you’d most like isn’t enough. Here are some tips:
Cater for everyone
Are you a company with employees who have special dietary requirements? It is essential to discover this information and make sure your food and drinks you serve are geared towards everyone in your workforce and not only the majority. It’s not a good idea to have someone go hungry because you failed to make a reservation for vegetarian food or something similar.
Also, you should be sensitive to the religions and cultures and ensure that your programs are inclusive to everyone.
Be brief but sweet
The longer a workplace celebration goes on longer, the more likely it will cause employees to be annoyed, discontent or even for drama to occur. It is preferential to leave the employees with a desire for more. Be aware that employees have other obligations in addition to relatives and friends they might wish to meet in the coming time of year, so make sure to keep your parties brief and sweet. Also, keep it clear.
Do it to earn your employees their time and effort.
If your work-related party is not scheduled during working hours, be aware that you’re actually using the employees’ time Therefore, it should be worthwhile for them! This means that your staff party must be high-end. This includes tasty food, a pleasant ambience, a great event that is unique and possibly some entertaining entertainment that will make the evening unforgettable.
Choose a convenient location
If the event isn’t held in your company premises, consider the venue you pick. It must be a suitable place that everyone can get to easily. When the venue is away from the main road and you don’t have the time to think about providing transportation for the occasion. It is not ideal for your employees to to travel far away or pay a large amount for transportation just to go to the workplace party.
Don’t make it mandatory.
Be aware that your employees live an outside life. They might have other commitments on weekends and evening obligations that you are not aware of. They may not wish to go to a workplace event in which they are required to socialize and talk to their colleagues. That’s why it is important to encourage attendance, to make sure everyone is comfortable but it’s not required.
Award winners
One of the most significant benefits of throwing a work party is to show appreciation for your employees. To further emphasize this you can always give special awards during your workplace celebration. They can be serious or just amusing and fun.
Work parties of various types
Many people imagine the traditional idea of a work party as drinking and dining experience, however there are many alternatives to consider for your workplace party, such as:
A river cruise
Paintball
Live music
A pottery class
Dance class
Comedy show
There are endless possibilities However, it is important to take an eye on your employees’ interests and the possibilities in your own area before choosing a path that your entire staff will enjoy.
Work parties could be a source of stress.
Then we get to the downsides. Take note of these warnings because some of them could be quite dangerous for you as well as your employees.
Some people feel marginalized
Marginalized groups typically feel marginalized and marginalised at office parties , where they aren’t able to blend in with the other members of the crowd. It can result in a negative impact on morale and retention of employees. While you’ll be able to make every effort to cater to all your employees, there’s generally nothing you can do with regards to group dynamics, and some employees feeling isolated.
Employees are compelled to attend even if they don’t wish to
People who feel they are being ostracized, or workers who simply don’t like socializing or socialising with friends, may feel that they are required to go to work parties, even though they would rather not. This could lead to feelings of anger and frustration about their work in general and with their colleagues and employers.
A great opportunity to engage in bickering and gossip
If there’s something you’d like to avoid, it’s workplace drama. Unfortunately, workplace events can provide a breeding ground for bickering, gossip, and various other forms of drama. People may feel they are able to speak freely at a party as opposed to at work which can result in disrespect or even rudeness. There’s nothing that you can do to avoid such a incident from happening however, an argument or incident that takes place at a work event could leave a negative impression on employees’ minds for many years to follow.
The issue of alcohol
If you don’t include alcohol at your work event it is likely that there are going to be some who are unhappy If you add alcohol to the mix, this might cause more stress, employees drinking too much, and many other problems. The issue of alcohol is a major one you’ll be able to contemplate very carefully if you are planning to host a workplace party.
Charges
A work-related party could be a significant expense for your company. It’s possible to be worthwhile when everything goes according to the plan, you must determine if this is the best method of rewarding employees within the budget you have at your disposal.
For employees to give them more 1s or not.
It is a good idea to allow employees to bring their spouses or family members along will make the event significantly more enjoyable and more convenient for some employees. However, employees who don’t have a companion may feel unhappy and lonely during an event that’s content for other people. A large number of hungry mouths could add to the costs and the addition of more people can cause more tension. Therefore, it is essential to consider the situation carefully before giving employees the option of bringing along their loved ones.
The time when work parties are the most likely to not work
The chances of having a successful work party are slim to be successful in the case of a large and diverse workforce who are already struggling to make friends. If there are cliques or minorities, you may be in problems if you don’t take the time to ensure that there is a suitable menu to everyone.
Alternatives to office celebrations
As we’ve already discussed the idea of throwing a workplace party is certainly not the only method of showing gratitude to your employees. If you are concerned that the idea of a party at work will cause more hassle than it’s worth, then you might consider these options:
Let employees have the day free
As the holiday season comes around, everyone is grateful for the more time to spend with family and friends. The idea of giving your employees an extra day off may be beneficial for them as well as less stress for you than to throw a corporate party.
Give employees Christmas hampers
The gifting of Christmas presents to employees or hampers lets them know that you’ve got a little of Christmas spirit but without the stress and disappointments that come with office gatherings. It is possible to make each hamper based on the individual employee and their personal preferences, or you could give a general hamper to all employees to stave against jealousy and competition.
Christmas gift
Money speaks. In lieu of spending huge sum of money for an employee event, why not break the cash among your employees and offer the employees an end-of-year 13th-day check or bonus? There is no reason to be unhappy with a bit of extra spending money.
Enjoy a brief year-end lunch in the office
This is an excellent compromise because it could be viewed as an informal work-related party because food and even entertainment is possible however, there’s less chances of getting lost as the event will be in the norms of work and the event will be simple and short.
Inform your employees
The issue of whether office parties are great or not is largely dependent on the company. Also, it is largely dependent on your employees’ interpersonal interactions. When you’re deciding to host an employee event, it’s an excellent idea to talk to your employees and figure out whether it’s something they would actually enjoy or not. It could be put down as a vote anonymously or take suggestions from your employees.
It is essential to truly take the feelings of your employees regarding this into account. Being an employer it’s your duty to decide what’s best for your employees and the business. Although there could be negative reactions if you choose to postpone the annual company party, you can reduce the amount of stress over the long haul and, if you provide any kind of financial reward instead of a formal celebration There will likely be little complaints.