Why Do Employee Engagement Activities Matter?
When you think of a fun work environment, you may imagine one where work is done slowly or sometimes not at all. But that's not the case. Employee engagement initiatives are fun activities and programs designed to make your workplace happier while keeping productivity high. When you're engaged and motivated at work, you become more productive and passionate about what you do. The positive energy spreads to customers, too, boosting your business. It's not all about making profits; it's also about collaboration and creating strong bonds. By participating in engagement activities, you'll build great relationships with your colleagues that go beyond the typical professional relationship. You'll feel more connected to your team and be more likely to collaborate and support each other. Let's explore 50 fun employee engagement activities you can implement in your company culture and transform the way everyone works.
How Does Employee Engagement Increase Motivation?
Before we dive into the ideas and activities, let's look at why engagement is so critical. There is an inseparable bond between engagement and motivation. On one side of the coin, we have disengaged employees who tend to be unmotivated to do their work, and on the other, unmotivated team members who are disengaged from their roles and overall company objectives. Autonomy and determination are the two main pillars of motivation, making one's work enjoyable and entertaining. On the other hand, engagement is closely connected to job complexity and how enthused and challenged employees feel about their day-to-day responsibilities. Maintaining a thriving foundation among all these factors can be daunting, which is why companies must think of unique employee engagement activities to capture everyone's interest.
Strategies To Sustain Employee Engagement
Employee engagement is a never-ending journey, and the effort to sustain it can never stop. The first step is to create clear job descriptions and set expectations and other performance indicators from the beginning. Provide an example of what a role looks like and give certain autonomy so people can prioritize tasks based on urgency. All these aspects require open, constant, and transparent communication. It's the foundation for fostering trust, loyalty, and inclusion across every team. Arrange regular meetings, inform employees of company decisions, and encourage the exchange of feedback and dialogue. Such strategies show that you genuinely care about someone's work and well-being. Offer your support whether employees are facing an obstacle or not. Additionally, companies must make acknowledgment a norm so that people feel valued and appreciated for their hard work. It is possible that an innovative online platform can help with employee engagement. A good way to get the most from your engagement efforts is to choose the best learning experience platform for your individual and company needs. This will require some thoughtful analysis. Finally, development opportunities assist employees in improving themselves and achieving even higher results.
50 Fun Employee Engagement Activities
1. Team Lunches
Team lunches are a perfect way to get people from different departments and backgrounds to hang out. Plus, it shows your employees that you really care about them and value their hard work. This can go a long way toward keeping them happy and motivated. You can even turn it into a lunch and learn by gathering everyone for an hour-long lunch while watching a webinar or listening to an expert talking. The more relaxed everyone is, the more they participate and care about a subject.
2. Board Games
You can create a room in the office dedicated to board games. Offer them plenty of options to choose from but make sure it's mostly games played with many people. Soon, you'll notice more and more employees inviting their peers for a game of "Monopoly" and relaxing after work or during their breaks.
3. DIY Workshops
Fun crafting sessions help your staffers come together and express their creativity. From personalized greeting cards to ceramic decorations, these sessions boost morale, promote team building, and offer people a good time. You provide all the materials, tools, and instructions, and they just have to bring their creative minds.
4. Office Olympics
Employee competitions during breaks, or "Office Olympics," as they're called, are guaranteed to bring laughter to a busy workday. You could try out some classic favorites like chair races, paper plane contests, or desk basketball tournaments and allow your team to build stronger bonds, creating a more positive work environment.
5. Escape Rooms
Why not treat your team to an escape room adventure where they'll have to put their heads together to solve puzzles and escape before time runs out? It's the perfect activity for building teamwork, problem-solving skills, and relationships, all while having fun. You can repeat this often and explore as many escape rooms in your area (or beyond) as you can.
6. Themed Office Parties
It doesn't hurt to organize a little party every now and then. Whether it's a holiday or a regular day, you can set a theme and have everyone dress up and have fun. For instance, an '80s-themed party or one where everyone dresses up as a movie character will create amazing memories and bring all of you together.
7. Acts Of Kindness
You should dedicate a day to spreading kindness among the workforce. Your employees can engage in activities like writing anonymous compliments to each other, buying lunch for their peers, or leaving surprise treats on colleagues' desks, like sweets, snacks, and small gifts. This makes everyone's day brighter and surely brings a smile to their faces.
8. Desk Decoration
Much like themed parties, it's a nice idea to put your employees up to a little challenge: desk decoration. Each month, set a theme and encourage everyone who wants to participate to decorate their desk accordingly. Highlight that they can go as extra as they want, as you'll pick a different winner each time.
9. Fitness Activities
When it comes to promoting wellness in the workplace, a workout session can be a great idea. However, taking it a step further with a fitness challenge can be even more beneficial. To start, suggest a step challenge with a monthly goal to ease into it. Then, progress to a mile goal for running or a set number of workout sessions. This will show your employees that you care about their health and give them an extra reason to push themselves.
10. Trivia And Quizzes
Who doesn't enjoy proving their knowledge in front of others? Organize regular trivia and quiz events with presentations, videos, and any other media that will make them interesting. Test your employees' knowledge on different topics each time, like history, pop culture, sports, and music, or, to make it more intriguing, industry-related questions, and offer small prizes to the winners.
11. Volunteering
Giving back to the community adds an element of meaningfulness to one's work. Helping out at an animal shelter, cooking for the homeless, donating to organizations, or even cleaning your local park and beach brings your workforce together and shows them that their work in the company has a positive impact.
12. Movie Nights
Movies are a great opportunity to have discussions and bond with your team. You can watch one during a break or after work with a bucket of popcorn and experiment with different genres and themes each time. Afterward, you can discuss it with each other, thus finding out more about what your peers think and how they would react in different situations.
13. Book Club
Similarly, you can create a book club and bond over your love (or dislike) for certain authors and genres. Every employee will have the chance to pick a book for everyone to read, and this can be done in rotation. Give everyone a certain amount of time to finish the book, and then come together to discuss it and exchange opinions.
14. Cooking Classes
Get your team together for a cooking or baking session. Ask someone who loves cooking or baking to lead the session and teach everyone how to make a delicious dish or bake some sweet treats. You can all work together and learn new skills, and maybe even discover some new recipes to enjoy.
15. Bring-Your-Pet-To-Work Day
Few things make people smile more than pets. Allow your employees to bring their beloved pets to work for a day and see how everyone will bond with each other over their shared love for pet parenting. You can organize pet-friendly events that will accommodate the needs of every cute being, from dogs and cats to hamsters and turtles.
16. Monthly Potluck
A fun monthly potluck, where everyone brings a dish to share, will connect people and promote a sense of belonging in the community. The best part is that everyone gets to show off their culinary skills and share their culture with others. So, whether it's their favorite family recipe or a special dish from their home country, everyone can contribute.
17. Meditation Sessions
Everyone appreciates a chance to relax during a stressful day at work. Bring a yoga instructor or meditation professional and offer hourly sessions occasionally, where employees can relieve their stress and practice mindfulness. Showing that you care about their mental and physical health can do wonders for keeping your workforce loyal and engaged.
18. Team-Building Workshops
Improve your team's cross-departmental communication and collaboration with workshops focused on relevant employee training topics, run by experts. These team-building activities require people to work together to find solutions and come up with ideas, which enhances their communication skills and helps them work together with other departments, seemingly unrelated to their niche, more effectively.
19. Podcasts
Encourage each department to create a podcast. They can come up with a name and theme, and it can be distributed among company channels or even publicly. This way, employees will get to hear their peers' unique opinions about all kinds of matters and even offer suggestions to each other for episodes and discussion topics.
20. Secret Santa
Gift exchange is a heartwarming activity and a great opportunity for colleagues to connect with people in the company that they may not even have said hello to before. Spread the holiday joy by organizing a Secret Santa gift exchange and seeing all the unique gifts people will buy for their peers that they may or may not know well enough.
21. Scavenger Hunt
You can consider organizing a fun scavenger hunt around your office or nearby area. Create clues that lead to hidden treasures or interesting facts about your company. It's a great way to get everyone excited and engaged in a fun activity.
22. Karaoke Nights
Allow your employees to express their talent and love for singing with fun karaoke nights. Whether you do it during a break, an office party, or after work, you will surely have a blast and create many opportunities for inside jokes.
23. Peer-To-Peer Language Learning
If you have a diverse workforce, you shouldn't miss the opportunity to benefit from your team members' unique cultures and backgrounds. Pair employees with their peers and encourage language learning, where employees teach each other their native languages or any other language that they speak fluently.
24. Brainstorming Sessions (Hackathons)
Brainstorming sessions can create a fun and supportive environment where teams exchange ideas and come up with innovative solutions. By encouraging everyone to participate and share their unique perspectives, you can create an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and heard. Plus, coming up with new ideas as a team is a great way to build stronger relationships and improve overall morale.
25. Appreciation Day
You should dedicate a whole day to showing your employees that you appreciate everything they do for you. Write personalized notes to each team member, give them small gifts, or even throw a special recognition ceremony to celebrate their achievements. Doing this can really boost team spirit, keep your staff happy, and foster a positive working atmosphere.
26. Sporting Events
A wonderful employee engagement activity would be to organize a friendly basketball, soccer, or baseball match and invite all employees to participate. If this is a big expense, you may opt for something different. Many cities organize marathons, so you can encourage everyone to participate and join the run as a team.
27. Picnics
During spring, you may arrange a barbeque or picnic for your workforce out in nature or at your company's terrace, if that's available. Such a fun employee engagement activity will help everyone feel refreshed and avoid work-related headaches.
28. Coffee Breaks
Whether your teams are on location or remote, you can encourage small coffee breaks as a simple and quick employee engagement activity. You may designate a lounge at the office so people can go for a few minutes and decompress.
29. Cultural Events
Not every employee shares the same background. So, make it a goal to celebrate different cultures. For example, ask employees to bring traditional foods to the office and share unique stories and traditions. As a result, everyone feels included instead of being left on the margins.
30. Collaborative Music Playlist
Ask your employees to pick their favorite songs and create a playlist that everyone can access. Choose one or two genres of music or let everyone pick completely different styles that best suit their preferences.
31. Company Updates
This may not be an activity for employee engagement, but it's an initiative that highlights each week's news, success stories, and individual milestones. In these updates, which can be sent out as emails, organizations may even include their refreshed music playlist based on new song additions.
32. New Hire Buddy
Some companies assign an experienced employee for every new hire as their guide within the company. The "buddy" shows new team members the office, explains how things operate, and may even go on lunches together to bond.
33. Local Guides
Not everyone may be familiar with the location of your company, especially people from out of town. Prepare a guide and suggest employee engagement activities. These outings can be weekly or monthly, from visiting local museums to supporting local businesses.
34. Theme Days
How about asking everyone to come to work wearing their favorite color from top to bottom? Different themes create a more relaxed and entertaining atmosphere. Don't wait until the holidays to dress according to a theme.
35. Internal Promotions
If a manager leaves your company, don't hire a new one. Promote an existing employee to the position and make it evident you value and reward hard work. Therefore, everyone will try to improve and reach higher positions.
36. Suggestion Boxes
Not everyone is confident enough to express their feedback verbally. So, an old-fashioned suggestion box helps employees stay anonymous while still sharing their viewpoints. Make sure you pay attention to it and take suggestions into serious consideration.
37. Employee Surveys
This measurable employee engagement activity provides statistics regarding job roles, satisfaction levels, and happiness with leadership. These surveys can be distributed weekly, monthly, or annually.
38. Sabbaticals
Extended periods outside of work allow people to explore hobbies and interests and focus on their overall well-being. You may provide this benefit for employees who have been with you for over two years.
39. Flexible Workdays
Some days may be harder than others, and people's personal lives should be a priority. Allow your team members to work flexible hours on these days and take a half day off. The more balanced they are at home, the more engaged they'll be at work.
40. Dress-Down Days
Dressing in formal outfits every single day can be exhausting. So, arrange one day every week or month where people can dress according to their style instead of the company dress code. Quite a few companies have incorporated Casual Fridays in their strategies.
41. Team Goods
This idea may be quite pricey, but if your budget allows it, give out free company merch to your team. From a coffee mug to a hoodie they can wear outside and a tote bag they can go shopping with, everyone feels like part of a cohesive team.
42. Field Day
How about you give everyone a Friday off and take them on a field trip somewhere nearby? Colleagues can play games, get to know each other better, and relax instead of worrying about clients and responsibilities.
43. "Random News" Channel
On top of the usual work-related communication channels, create one where everyone can share random, funny stories. It can be anything from satirical videos to cute animal videos and memes.
44. Send Treats By Mail
You don't need a reason to send a mystery treat box to your employees, but maybe you want to celebrate their anniversary or wish them a happy new year through a box filled with delicacies.
45. Q&A Sessions
Being transparent means answering every question people may have. Through these sessions, you get to understand everyone's concerns and struggles and offer answers. If possible, Q&A sessions should happen regularly through web conferencing software for easier access.
46. Goal-Setting Sessions
Each employee must be aware of their short-term and long-term goals to work with a specific purpose in mind. Confusion is your company's biggest enemy, while clarity drives great results and corporate success. So, set up goal-setting sessions so that everyone knows what to focus on.
47. Well-Being Programs
Take fitness activities a step further by setting up a wellness program. Work-related stress seriously impacts employees' overall health, and professionals often need breaks. By offering perks like gym memberships, free doctor's appointments, or healthy snacks, you can show appreciation for everyone's contributions.
48. Send Digital Gift Cards
When your entire team has achieved massive milestones and company goals, send out gift cards so they can splurge a bit. Or you may implement this as a monthly or annual bonus for grocery shopping.
49. Training And Coaching Opportunities
Onboarding should be an ongoing process, where employees are provided with a coach and continuous training opportunities. This way, you show that you care about their development and value their progress.
50. "Lessons Learned" Sessions
Mistakes are often costly, but no one ever went through life without making one. Forgive employees, offer them honest and thoughtful feedback, ask for their perspective, and give them a chance to improve.
Final Thoughts
Keeping your employees and managers engaged means that they are trustworthy and perform at the top of their abilities every single day. Career development opportunities may not always be enough. This is where creative ideas and employee engagement activities come into play, offering a more relaxed approach. As a result, your company stands out and attracts top talent thanks to the reputation and brand image you've built.
Although the above ideas can cater to different interests and needs, the list is not exhaustive, as there are plenty of creative ways to keep your workforce engaged. What works best for your team depends on their unique characteristics, such as age, department, education, location, and industry. If you're not sure where to start, this guide can help you and be your motivation to explore even more creative activities.
Common Questions About Employee Engagement Activities
It depends on many factors. First of all, it's all about the budget. If your resources are limited, it makes sense to not organize parties, events, and workshops as often as you'd like. This is why the above list contains cost-effective options too. Still, you should also consider your company's culture and your employees' preferences. If they don't enjoy physical activities, maybe you shouldn't include trekking, for example.
Overall, once a month is a good frequency for employee engagement activities. It keeps past activities fresh in their minds while giving them something to look forward to each month. You can also adjust the frequency based on the nature of the activity. Outdoor excursions can happen every six months, while day-to-day activities can even happen daily or weekly.
Surveys are the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about measuring the effectiveness of your employee engagement activities. You can run them annually, quarterly, or even monthly to check in on your staffers. Are they satisfied with their jobs? Is the company culture welcoming enough? Are they happy with the company? Carefully craft the questions that will give you quantitative data for your research. To make the process easier, load them in your employee onboarding software or any other employee management program to help you analyze and visualize data.
Receiving feedback in person is also important. Observe your people daily, without micromanaging them, and sit down with them regularly to talk about work. Learn about their challenges and what they would change, and use these insights to improve your initiatives.
The short answer is yes. While it may seem discouraging, there are many budget-friendly options to choose from. After all, if you create a supportive and positive work environment, all of your initiatives will be successful, no matter their cost. First of all, you must establish communication. Employees should feel free to express their opinions and ideas and have plenty of opportunities to do so, with regular meetings, virtual or in-person. Creating a safe community where everyone feels welcome and appreciated is also important.
Then, you can use any low-cost employee engagement activity you think is fun and encourage employees to participate. The sense of community that is built even through the simplest group activity is remarkable and can have a positive impact on your team's productivity and morale.
