If employee morale at your company is not as high as you wish, you might consider a variety of strategies to boost spirits. One of the best ways to engage and inspire your workforce is to host a corporate event. By inviting your employees to such an event, you can help everyone feel as though they are important members of your team. Whether your company is large or small, you can host an event that fits the scope of your business. From pancake breakfasts to corporate retreats, the possibilities are abundant.
Match the Tone of Your Company
One factor to remember is that your event should match the tone and scope of your company. If you run a small store at a single location, your employees may not feel comfortable attending a lavish retreat at a world class resort. Conversely, if you are hosting a corporate function for your executive staff members, they may not wish to participate in a party at a local bowling alley. Be sure to choose a venue and activities that will suit your company and your employees.
Select an Appropriate Location
The location of your event could be one of the top determining factors regarding overall attendance. If you suspect that traveling may be a problem for a large percentage of your employees, you could opt to host the event in the workplace. You can invite people to meet in your conference room at a designated time, and they won’t need to worry about leaving town at an inopportune time. Employees who feel pressured to leave their families for a weekend could ultimately resent that you are forcing them to make such a decision. Those who can’t go may resent the missed opportunity. If you think that this may be the case for most of your workforce, you could improve morale instantly by inviting them to an on-site corporate event.
In other cases, booking your event at an outside venue may be exactly what you need to do to boost morale. Your employees may appreciate being given a chance to get out of town for a weekend. If your budget allows for a retreat at an exotic location or ski resort, your staff members might remember the occasion fondly for months.
If you’re not sure whether your employees would prefer an on-site or off-site event, don’t be afraid to simply ask them. If they are widely divided in their answers, you might consider hosting two or three small events to accommodate the preferences of all involved. When they know that you care about their opinions and are willing to listen to their ideas,your employees will reciprocate by being transparent about their needs. They will also appreciate the fact that you care enough about them to ask for their opinions. Initiating this type of dynamic in the workplace is a viable way to raise the spirits of your staff.
Plan Activities That Will Inspire Your Employees
If one of the main goals that you have for your event is to motivate your workforce, then be sure to schedule activities that will do just that. This could mean simply allowing your staff members to relax during a large portion of the event, but it may also involve hiring inspirational speakers. The right speaker could inspire your employees to improve productivity once they return to work.
Another way to build team spirit is to host a corporate event around a philanthropic endeavor. You might organize your event as a fundraiser for homeless animals or cancer research. You could invite your staff to spend a day building a home for those in need. At the end of the day, everyone might meet for a relaxing dinner paid for by your company.
You can do an assortment of things to improve morale among your employees. Hosting the right corporate event may be an ideal way to increase a sense of optimism in the workplace. Once you choose an appropriate location, you can schedule activities that will motivate your employees to work together as a team.
This article was contributed on behalf of PB Talent, your number one choice when looking to improve your Executive Presence at events. Make sure to check them out and see how they can help you!