Fun-filled employee engagement ideas for team-building experiences that gets your team out from behind the computer and connecting in the same room!
In today’s tech-savvy world, physically heading into the office is downright old fashioned. (Never mind being in the office 5 days a week!) Demanding employees into the office who’ve already proven they can do the work significantly more convenient isn’t exactly boosting morale.
Yet face-to-face interaction and connection remains vital to our mental and physical health, career development, and sense of community.
Ditch the mandated hybrid model and start delivering meaningful employee engagement ideas that foster positive connections with their teammates. But how do you compete with the convenience of working from home?
By making it fun. Making it social. And making it worthwhile.
Intentionally playful, in-person gatherings enhance teamwork, create a sense of camaraderie, and help to reduce feelings of isolation or disconnectedness from colleagues. Play has been known to help employees:
- Build friendships and team bonds to help improve retention.
- Reduce stress, enabling better teamwork.
- Re-energize your team with movement and laughter.
- Foster a sense of community, reducing silos for improved problem solving.
- Create happier employees and in turn happier customers.
No one wants to attend a meeting-that-could-have-been-an-email. Just like no one wants to drive into the office when they could have done the exact same work from the comfort of their living room. These employee engagement ideas will have your team jumping for joy (or at least giving you a high-five.)
11 Employee Engagement Ideas for In-Person Fun:
1. Field Day
Head over to the park for a day of fun outdoor activities. Include games and contests like Kan Jam, giant Connect 4, cornhole and giant water pong. Make it a company picnic. (A classic way to bring employees together!) Encourage employees to bring their families along to make the event even more engaging.
2. Trust Fall
Just kidding! We all know trust falls are the worst. But there are plenty of other team building exercises that won’t make you feel like a fool. Consider a professional facilitator like JAM Events to lead your team through fun-infused activities like Giant Jenga, relay races and pencil javelin. (Office Olympics anyone?!)
3. Professional Development Days
Learning is fun! (No, seriously, it can be!) And developing a new skill that makes your employees’ work life easier is totally worth the investment. Offer your team a professional development workshop on a relevant topic that they’re interested in.
4. Join a Sports League
Take your team to the next level with a company sports team. Encourage employees to form multiple teams and compete against each other. Softball, volleyball, dragon boating… Not only are you promoting team building, it also gives employees the chance to get some exercise and have fun.
5. Game On
Take it one step further with a Corporate Sports Tournament. Accounting versus Marketing in a good ol’ fashioned dodgeball tournament?! Everyone loves a good competition! And who knows, maybe you’ll even discover some hidden talents among your teammates.
6. Bring Your Pet to Work Day
Spread some much-needed office cheer by showing off your furry, feathered or scaly friends. Aside from the guaranteed endless entertainment throughout the day, studies have shown that having pets in the workplace can help reduce stress levels and increase employee morale, leading to a happier and more productive workforce. Of course, some guidelines will be needed but for the best day of the year?… Worth it!
7. Get Your Volunteer On
Who says you can’t do good while having fun? Rally your team together and volunteer for a good cause. This could involve cleaning up a park, building a home with Habitat for Humanity, or serving meals at a homeless shelter. Not only will you be doing something meaningful, you’ll also be bonding over shared experiences. And hey, maybe you’ll even get some good karma points out of it!
8. JAMazing Race
This high-energy team-building activity will have you tackling physical and mental challenges that will test your skills and teamwork. Just like the TV show, the office version has you racing around the neighbourhood solving clues and completing challenges that require you to think creatively and work together to succeed.
9. Mid-Year Goals Retreat
For the ultimate team-building experience, infuse a mid-year planning sesh and goal check-in with a company retreat. Infuse the ‘work’ with some R&R by hosting it at a nearby resort or spa where employees can relax and participate in team building activities.
10. Scavenger Hunt
A great way to get to know your colleagues better, the office scavenger hunt builds teamwork skills and injects some fun and excitement into your workday. It’s the perfect opportunity to explore your workplace and discover hidden secrets that you never knew existed. You’ll need to come prepared with a few essentials like comfortable shoes, a sharp eye for detail, and a sense of adventure.
11. Holiday Shenanigans
You probably have December’s holidays down. Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day too. But what about National Donut Day? Or Squirrel Appreciation Day? Here are 133 weird and fun reasons to celebrate and be merry with your team outside of the regularly scheduled holidays. Take advantage of gathering in-person and host a team meeting the same day.
Final Thoughts
The last thing you want is your employees quitting and living on a beach somewhere without you. And since bribery and threats are frowned upon, this is your opportunity to be theoffice hero. By promoting a PLAYful culture, you encourage employees to connect and participate in activities that bring them together. In turn, you create a happier, healthier, and more productive workplace that ultimately improves your company’s bottom line.
Try out these 11 ideas to engage your employees in person and watch as your team becomes more motivated, productive, and engaged with their work.