Should I bring a date? Theres nothing quite like desserts and ice cream to alleviate stress. We have these events called campfires that take place twice a week. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Some employees even showcased their talents liveranging from musical performances to cake baking to cat training. Make Sure You're COVID Safe. Coffee or tea tastings work as well: We had a virtual coffee tasting where they sent those who RSVPd a free AeroPress and some coffees and had a coffee expert walk them through the different kinds over Zoom. People are encouraged to bring family (which is not something we typically can do with these events) and I would have loved this even before the new normal. Im kind of bummed Im going to be missing out on this one actually. One of the simplest and most popular solutions has been virtual happy hours. Get to know your employees and find out what they like so you can give gift cards that are tailored to their interests. The intensive schedule prevents routine responsibilities from interrupting the fun, and permits employees to focus on recharging and team bonding. Virtual spirit weeks bolster team resolve and brightens telecommuters moods. 7. You can arrange for office taxis or subsidized bus fares so that commute becomes a tad bit easier on their pockets. Experiences, not cash, are the new corporate bonus. The packages were delivered to our doors in the afternoon of our event. Consider downloading a fitness app with curated workout playlists. This will make them feel like a part of your business and not just a mere employee. Virtual spirit weeks are weeklong events that consist of a series of fun and interactive online activities. But some employers have devised celebrations that will keep people safe and actually sound fun (even to this curmudgeon). Photo illustration by Slate. For more tournament ideas, check out our list of Slack games. Halloween is the time of year when employees can showcase their creativity and interact with coworkers they may not normally work closely with. Recommended Article: 25 Employee Engagement Activities To Reinvent Your Workforce. Participants can either perform alone, or collaborate with colleagues on a group act. This is a stressful time to say the least. Celebrated on the first Friday in March, it pays homage to each employee's contribution to their company. Gift cards allow people to purchase whatever they want from their favorite brands. Encourage team members to do the same. Virtual talent shows double as entertainment and team bonding. You can supplement your on-the-clock remote spirit week activities with fun social media challenges. We All Hate It. 3. Here come's the most impactful one in our list of employee appreciation ideas. Ensure time is spent checking in on the teams main priorities - any urgent issues that need to be addressed? Give your entire team a chance to express their creativity with baby pumpkins, acrylic paints, and free pumpkin stencils. This calculation is based on it costing about six to nine months . Coronavirus has put a particular national spotlight on unmet needs of the growing older population in our country, and the tens of millions of overstretched family and professional caregivers they . Were all pretty pumped about it. Barasha can be found either searching for interesting HR buzzwords to write about or looking at pictures of cozy Bel Air mansions. Make it a fun and memorable experience. This prevents you from working to the point of hunger and then scrambling to decide what to eat. Avoid the cafeteria as it can be very distracting. You signed up for your preferred one beforehand and received a list of ingredients, then once the drinks were made, people came back to the big room and there were a couple of facilitated games and stuff (like trivia). During the call, participants can chat and play fun games, or co-work while enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. While employee appreciation may seem a bit heavy on the pockets, the bottom line is that it will lead to several long-term benefits. An escape room Escape room activities are available virtually and in person. You can even display this social media recognition on your offices digital displays to make sure the whole team sees it. Distance does not have to put a damper on the fun. Celebrated on the first Friday in March, it pays homage to each employee's contribution to their company. While the other appreciation ideas might be feasible for particular projects and day-to-day work, employees will look for something more permanent in the long run. When you think about having a great company culture, you think about building trust, honesty, and a great team of workers. Have regular check ins with individual team members. Decatur, IL (62521) Today. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. To host these virtual workouts, have participants join a Zoom call. Virtual workout or meditation classes. I wont be able to attend as COVID-19 gave me the chance to move out of state and go full-time remote, but I actually think its a great idea. Try a subscription box. Or, you could start a gallery on social media or a cloud-based photo album, and invite teammates to vote on their favorite uploads throughout the week. To set the mood, encourage participants to put up virtual backgrounds of Victorian parlors or lush gardens. Not every office can shut down for a full week, but even just an afternoon off usually goes over well: Our end-of-year celebration is usually a big lunch and then we get the rest of the afternoon off. Chances are, your company has one too. Even after COVID-19, hand sanitizers are a welcomed gift, no matter your customer base or your business. The chocolate tasting person is mailing out the tasting kits to all of us and will lead us through the tasting via Zoom. Believe it or not, such small stuff really sees a positively impacted company culture. Jamaica and retains your top employees. Consider sending your top ten performers off for a day or two at a spa to provide an incentive for continued outstanding performance. Teammates can vote using the poll feature in your video meeting platform, and you can send the winner a prize. Doesnt necessarily have to be alcohol or coffeeyou could do a juice tasting, or maybe a food tasting. Getting your workplace ready in case COVID-19 arrives in your community. If your crew would rather perform just for fun, then end the show by giving participants a well-deserved round of virtual applause. Websites like Elfster or DrawNames will organize the whole process for you, letting you set a gift budget and providing space for participants to share their wish lists: I worked in a fully remote environment last holiday season, and this had been a tradition for several years, though it was entirely opt-in. Convey these "thank you" either in a heartful card, on social media, with the help of appreciation letters or (better yet) through a friendly handshake. This year, the questions are quite different, and nearly all are some variation of What do we even do for the holidays in a pandemic? Many employers are simply canceling holiday celebrations, since theres no way to safely gather. We had a Zoom meeting were a bartender showed how to mix each drink using the provided measuring cup, and answered questions about how to make a good martini, what to substitute for white eggs in pisco sour, etc. Donut is an app in our Slack channel that randomly pairs up coworkers together, encouraging them to set up a coffee meeting (of course, in this case, a virtual coffee meeting) in order to get to know each other better. As we are a small team, we used to track this daily on a whiteboard in the office, but now we just check in each morning to see what each team member is planning to do that day. - Napala Pratini, Co-Founder at Habitual, We started including crosswords with internal jokes and references in our internal weekly newsletter. Team Norms. Reward employees with a token or gift of appreciation from your side. Be sure to grab plenty of screen shots throughout the afternoon or evening. Whether you're looking for help communicating COVID safety guidelines to your guests, searching for face masks for couples and guests (so you can look stylish while complying with guidelines from the WHO and CDC) or are in need of a cute social distancing sign, we've got you covered (literally! In this case they will contribute to providing some structure in an unstructured team situation. Are they excited to be working for you? It offers employees a brief respite from their daily work. In advance we were all given a link to a store that sells cocktail making kits. The effectiveness of office snacks is that major companies like Google use them as a perk to attract the top employees. For example, Marvel versus DC Comics, the '60s versus the '70s, or Batman and the Joker. They take place using video call software, online communication platforms, and occasionally social media. They had a selection that included non-alcoholic mixes too (like a ginger lemonade). You can even use it as a way to support local businesses: We were able to do family meals for our employees. A few more things that made it special: The best part about it was everyone participating posting a small list of likes and dislikeswe all got to know each other better through reading those lists and connect over shared interest. If theyd just put an extra $100 in my paycheck and said we cant have a party this year so get yourself a nice treat, Id have appreciated that too. I sort of roll my eyes at these, but they did a pumpkin carving contest earlier in the fall and people got very very VERY into it, and someone offered to lead a how to make the perfect apple pie for Thanksgiving and the voluntary sign-up had over 500 people. Online fundraising allows you to make a big impact even if your team is limited in members or budget. Remote team games like holiday Bingo, trivia, and scavenger hunts get guests moving and invoke the holiday spirit. It is working together that will get us through this time. Company retreats are fun, help team members bond while also providing the option of getting away from the stress of day-to-day work life. To set the mood, you can encourage attendees to dress up and don fancy virtual backgrounds. Simply designate a theme for each day or meeting, then choose the best dressed for each category. Communication in remote teams, whether casual chats or work related discussions, cant easily happen as spontaneously as it does when people are sitting next to each other at work. Plus, you can capture a screenshot of the whole crew dressed up. With more than 30 million people filing for unemployment in the past six weeks, the U.S. is predicted to experience a coronavirus-induced recession through 2021. What Readers Want During COVID-19: Content Ideas for Every Niche. Ive found its a great way to know more about what a persons workday and life outside of work are like, as well as to better understand coworkers even those who work across the country. - Angela Ceresnie, CEO at Climb Credit. Encourage healthy work-life balance by modeling healthy boundaries around time spent working and time off. The disease is extremely contagious, yet many infected people are asymptomatic, and patterns of transmission are not always clear. The thing that giants like Google and Airbnb have understood is that the physical environment of the office matters. If you can get outside to walk, studies have shown that a brisk walk can make you feel . The Very Worst Kind of Bad Boss Just Wont Go Away. By hosting your fundraisers online, you can reach new supporters both near and far from your school without needing to leave your desk. There is no discussion in this exercise, it is simply a way for team members to connect with how others are feeling in the moment. Simmonds was blown away by . Commemorating a work anniversary is a robust employee engagement, development, and retention tool and a way to recognize and show your appreciation to a valued employee. Engage in active family play time. These small everyday gestures can come off as a pleasant surprise and make employees feel valued. Or, if you hold virtual escape rooms or similar games, then include puzzles. Wellness Resources With these 33 employee appreciation ideas, you will see reduced turnover and retain your top talents. This time has been invaluable to the team as they had been feeling scattered, stressed, and disconnected. We started this challenge at Booster. Their diaries are told in words and. How to manage COVID-19 risks when organizing meetings and events 3. 2022 Tous droits rservs. Develop team norms. Superhero Academy is a perfect fit for a hero or villain themed online spirit day. Breakout Rooms! Simple ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your workplace One employee's commute could be inexpensive, while for another, it could be prohibitive. The care packages were tailored for each individual, and they included self-care items such as cozy socks, chocolate, herbal tea, craft kits, puzzles, books, and board games. Also, remember to turn your phone off. Employee appreciation is the cornerstone of developing a robust and meaningful workplace culture. Our division is doing a holiday drive-in movie and renting out a drive-in theater for the evening. 2022 Alle rechten voorbehouden. 5. Social Media is the biggest influencer of our generation. Employees thrive at work when they know their contributions have meaning. Company retreats are great for celebrating employees after successful project completion or after an outstanding financial year. Spirit week attendees can either make their own backgrounds using Canva or Photoshop, or can download one from online. to Launch During a Pandemic. To keep our employees motivated, we are encouraging and hosting virtual social time. of 70-75% ethyl alcohol. And what could be better for this purpose than to offer E-Learning options? Without a doubt, getting a specially curated box of snacks will make employees feel happy and contented. Company-branded swag can be simple everyday things like t-shirts, mugs, or even pen drives. Dress-up days find a niche at busy offices; employees can show up in costume but still get tons of work done. Recommended Case Study: Indias Largest Telecom Company Boosts their Global Employee Engagement with Vantage Rewards. When employees feel that their work is valued, their satisfaction and productivity rise. Your objectives for the meeting will be to: Note: This is not a meeting to be rushed. See how Namely's flexible solution will help you streamline your HR processes by having your people, payroll, and benefits info all in on place. After your holiday meal, go on a virtual group walk through your respective neighborhoods to work off the food. Vantage Circle. Virtual tea parties are calm yet quirky online events to hold with remote teams. Some ideas for your 30-minute morning check-ins include: One-Word Check-ins. Host fun team games to play with your team members. Need more tips for how to keep your employees happy during COVID-19? When an employee above and beyond on a project at work or accomplishes a personal goal, give them a shoutout on social media to commend their hard work. Now 48% Off. When Kirkman first had the idea, she posted about it in her social club Facebook group and on her Instagram story, in case a few close friends wanted to join. You can also offer a myriad of health benefits. This will allow team members to truly appreciate each other, leading to better team building. 3 Ways Tech Company Sysomos Transformed Employee Experience, 5 Tips to Implement Summer Work Schedules, 6 Design Ideas to Create an Inspiring Work Environment. Some "lush" couches. Invite team members to share concerns or issues that need to be addressed, and be sure time is also spent acknowledging what is working well and what team members are proud of. That's why it's vital to spread your actions around multiple methods of transports to appeal to the broadest proportion of your workforce. Also, it doesnt have to be expensive. I also personally feel that it's boosting my wellbeing and brightening my day. Take off your coat. If you see someone going above and beyond and who commutes through their own vehicles, this will prove to be a wonderful opportunity to make their lives a little bit easier. COVID-19 is expected to last for many months, with a potential resurgence in the fall. For three hours per week, staff can sign off anytime during the workday for rest and wellbeing, no questions asked. The day-to-day work life might get hectic and tedious for everyone in the office. Gathering via video call and online communication platforms gives groups a chance to relax, re-energize, and reconnect with teammates. Sending care packages to your remote teams builds buzz for the event and lets your employees know you care about them. Coffee and Chocolate Tastings It doesn't have to be cocktail focused. Check out our list of the best online murder mysteries. Here are some suggestions: A team reset meeting will ensure team members take time to identify how to best work together in this new reality so that the team can maintain a sense of community, transition through this change effectively, and maintain (and even improve) team performance during this time while supporting the well-being of team members. Team costumes Whether you're a team of two or twenty, you can dress up in team costumes for Halloween.
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