Ah, this wonderful pre-holiday season. It's the time of year for annual reports, looming deadlines, frantic hustle, and flashing lights that could trigger an epileptic seizure even in a healthy person. The season of corporate parties and a fresh batch of articles with advice on how to have above-average fun without making a fool of yourself. A period of throwing away money on events that provide no long-term benefits and are hardly enjoyable for anyone. What mistakes should be avoided to hold an effective corporate event?
In theory, a corporate event is an effective management tool. In an ideal world, it should help newcomers integrate into the team faster and unite all employees. It should convey to workers that they are an integral part of the business's success. Most importantly, it should motivate them to achieve outstanding results.
Reality is quite different. In practice, corporate events sometimes open a portal to hell. Their execution can lead to shameful episodes, loud profanity, and even physical altercations. And all this is paid for by the employer out of their own pocket.
What kind of corporate event is effective for the employer?
The one organized not just for show. A good event should address specific business challenges. A celebration for the sake of celebration leads nowhere. A corporate event must have a purpose. If your company has no goal and you have nothing to say except 'thank you' to the employees, you might as well reward them with a bonus. The job search service Superjob found that most Russians (74%) would prefer money if given a choice.
Alternatively, you could gift employees an extra day off. Believe me, they will appreciate it more than a mundane banquet. This way, you will genuinely increase employee loyalty to the company, while also avoiding a range of issues and negative consequences that usually arise during and after corporate events. If you do plan to organize an event for the team, do it right. Below are a few thoughts on the topic.
Thought 1: conduct a survey among employees
It's helpful to understand your staff's perspective on an ideal corporate event. To achieve this, you can conduct an anonymous survey using tools like Google Forms or Survey Monkey, for example. Employees should be involved in the planning process. This will make them feel that their opinions are valued. Allow them to control at least one aspect of the event, whether it's food, music, cultural programs, or the timing of the corporate event.
When you ask employees what they want and then provide it, you enhance their satisfaction and loyalty. Don’t forget to collect feedback at the end of the evening or the next day. This will help address mistakes and make the next event even more effective. Believe me, employees will appreciate all your efforts and hard work.
Thought 2: don’t make the corporate event mandatory.
When a company arranges an event outside of working hours, attendance should be voluntary. If some employees decline to attend the corporate event, simply wish them happy holidays. Leave a congratulatory card or a small gift on the table. Do not take an employee's absence at the event personally. Many managers misinterpret this as a sign of employee loyalty, work ethic, or something similar. This is a flawed perspective. Some may have no one to care for their child, others might have planned a trip to visit relatives at that time, and some simply have a jealous spouse.
Regarding the event itself, don't pressure staff to participate in all the activities you have planned, such as games, contests, or quizzes. Don’t push. Let them join only if they are ready. Acknowledge that not everyone enjoys such entertainment.
Thought 3: do not hold the event in the office.
Your employees spend at least a third of their day at work. Their brains have learned to associate the office space with professional activities and all the emotions that accompany them. Hyper-responsible people will find it hard to relax and distract themselves; they simply won't be able to forget about work tasks and burning projects. There’s also the risk of endowing the office with informal associations. Memories of colleagues' frivolous dancing will hinder the work process in the future.
If organizing an off-site event isn't possible, do your best to visually change the familiar space. Try to remove furniture, hide office equipment behind decorations, play festive music, change the lighting — transform the event space so that employees can see it in a new light.
Thought 4: Don’t take away personal time
If you want to hold a truly successful corporate celebration, consider organizing it during work hours. Why? First, it guarantees that everyone will be present. Second, it won’t interfere with your staff's personal plans. For example, before New Year’s, most people experience stress balancing family events, school meetings, and shopping for gifts. Nothing dampens the mood as much as a corporate event during non-work hours that conflicts with other scheduled activities.
Thought 5: Say 'thank you' personally
A corporate event in a luxurious location with an interesting and well-thought-out program is great. However, the main goal is to thank and appreciate the staff. Besides the usual formal speech from the stage, it makes sense to approach employees to personally express acknowledgment for their contributions to the work. Also, inquire about what’s going on in their lives. If someone is going through tough times, check if any help from the company is needed. This is a good way to show your employees that you care about them.
Afterword
There are many people who can't stand corporate events. There can be a multitude of reasons for this, such as a poor past experience attending similar events. Are you willing to share your personal stories? Can you recall the most memorable or the wildest corporate celebration? Please write your stories in the comments; I am sure that life is much more interesting than any, even the boldest, fantasies.
For example, once at a corporate event in the company where I used to work, one of the guests walked into the river. The man simply got up from the table, walked towards the river wave, and disappeared. At first, no one understood what was happening and didn't stop him. Well, the man walked to the shore and kept going. Who knew he would jump into the water? It was getting late. The fellow didn't return, and he wasn't answering his phone. I, the organizer of this life celebration, the HR, the security service, the company management, and the entire accounting team were in shock. Our hair slowly began to turn a noble gray and were preparing to leave our heads. By night, guys from the emergency services arrived, and we shouted into the blind night like in the cartoon 'Hedgehog in the Fog': — Little horse...
The night was sleepless, thoughts were dark, and the prospects were bleak. This continued until the man came to work. Rested and happy. It turned out that he swam to the opposite shore and walked home. Naturally, his phone didn’t survive the encounter with the water and gave up the ghost, so he was out of reach. Since then, corporate HR events near water have been taboo.
P.S. Happy New Year! Imperial revelry and wild fun to all Habr members in the New Year, for example.
Source: habr.com
