5 offbeat activities to boost employee engagement
The fact is that, when your employees are engaged having a good time at work, their creative limits will know no boundaries. Unfortunately, almost 71 percent of all employees are not fully engaged by their jobs, and companies that have engaged employees have outperformed those who do not by 202 percent.
But, how can you know if your employees are engaged? If you see people go beyond their roles, if they are dedicated to their work tasks, that means that they are engaged and that they love their jobs. This is what makes them stay with your company for a very long time. So, here are the best offbeat activities that will not only boost the engagement but also ensure high employee performance.
Play At Work
Playing games will teach your co-workers to make compromises, to satisfy each other’s needs and work together as a team. You can diffuse a competitive environment by incorporating play and humor. Add a Ping-Pong table into the break room, and perhaps bring in a karaoke machine once a month and organize a sing off. You can even encourage a group of employees to undertake an art project for the office, or organize a table football championship.
Incentivise Healthy Living
There are great benefits to companies who are promoting fitness and healthy living in their workplace. A better sense of personal well being and bigger energy levels will make employees more focused on their work and have better concentration. You can install a gym in the workplace which will raise their will for healthy living by giving them the opportunity to work out. Employees who feel incentivised to undertake a certain fitness plan will more likely have good physical and mental health.
Unplanned Activities
If you notice that your employees are feeling droopy, then it is time to surprise them with some team outing activities. They are a great way to facilitate bonding, reduce employee stress and provide them with a chance to get to know one another outside of work. You can take your team out on a field trip, you could do some professional development activities; perhaps a barbecue, or some kayaking. Nothing says “let’s work together” like trying not to end up afloat in a kayak. You can even round up your team and head out to a sports game to combine team spirit with a healthy dose of competition.
Give Them Perks
Employees love companies who think outside the box and create an atmosphere that makes everyone want to spend their time at the workplace. So, besides perks like medical and dental benefits, employees love when you give them other perks that make them happy. Moreover, they can help them be more productive. Even if you don’t have a lot of resources, you can still make your workplace amazing by being a little creative. You can provide your employees with meals and give them one less thing to worry about. Organise company retreats, and give them unlimited vacation time, like some major companies do. One of the perks that all employees love is laundry service, which can be a huge time saver for them.
Encourage Giving
Devoting both time and support to your employees for a good cause is also a great way for them to bond. Encourage them to volunteer at a local soup kitchen, deliver gifts to children’s hospitals, or donate money to those less fortunate. This is a good way to increase empathy in your team members’ behaviour. By encouraging this, you can increase the morale of your employees and their loyalty. By baking up the causes they support, you’ll build ties between your employees and your community, thus enhancing your company’s local reputation.
If you are able to implement these offbeat employee engagement activities, you will attract and retain individuals who will be dedicated to your company. Companies that don’t invest in any type of engagement program will fail, especially now when millennials are beginning to dominate the workforce. It is never too late to work on boosting employee engagement, so start creating your own amazing work culture.
Article originally published on UpRaise Blog
