It’s Valentine’s Day. The day of showing those around you how much you care through gifts and acknowledgements. While the Saint of Romance’s day may only be 24 hours, it is important to show our colleagues how much they mean to us throughout the rest of the year as well. There are plenty of ways to go about showing your employees some love, but here are 5 ways that we feel work the best.
1. Gifts and Personal Notes
We as humans have not gotten past the joy that can be spread in the grade school Valentine’s Day. We love getting gifts and notes. Even something as small as some candy and card still lights up the happy parts of our brains.
Beware of “Jelly of the Month Club” Syndrome though. Managers need to make the gifts and notes personal — be sure that they actually matter to the employee receiving them. Handwriting the notes is an instant way to make them feel personal. When a handwritten note is combined with a simple gift, it shows how much your employees mean to you and your company.
2. Recognize Their Work
People like to be recognized for the work they do. Recognition may seem like a relatively small thing, but the impact that it can have on an employee’s attitude and their overall productivity is massive.
A Society for Human Resource Management blog post reports that when they are recognized 90% of people feel like their work is more meaningful and 93% say they feel like they fit in more at their company. When employees feel a sense of meaningful belonging, they are more likely to stay with the company, which reduces turnover and the costs associated with the process of continuous hiring. The SHRM post went on to say that 78% of recognized people felt more productive and 79% more likely to work harder after their recognition.
What’s more? When employees are recognized for their work, they feel happier in every aspect of their lives.
3. Create Meaningful Moments
Employees are more likely to stay when they feel like they belong. A key factor in the sense of belonging is an employee’s comfort in being vulnerable. That isn’t to say that they need to feel comfortable talking about their deepest, darkest fears or the problems they are having with their mother. Instead, employees get the boost in belonging from interactions that Gallup calls “meaningful moments.” Gallup says, “The four types of meaningful moments are:
- When you propose a new idea
- When you ask for help
- When you push back on something
- When you ask for a personal favor”
These moments are integral to making an employee feel seen and heard. Gallup continues, “In meaningful moments, how other people receive an employee’s vulnerability is critical. It creates a loop: A great culture allows an employee to take vulnerable risks, and a positive response to vulnerability builds a great culture — and the opposite is just as true.” Invite employees to dedicated times to offer an idea/opinion or ask for help. This may mean setting up office hours or having a networking event that makes teammates feel more comfortable on the whole.
4. Have Social Gatherings
A great way to make employees feel more appreciated and comfortable is through social gatherings and company networking events. Maybe it’s setting up a monthly happy hour, or maybe it’s a full-on casino night. If you’re looking for a fun atmosphere with games and some fun competition, here are some types of events that we’ve created:
Do you believe in a chance meeting over a game of chance? Have your guests test their luck while having fun! Watch them cultivate relationships while playing Black Jack, Poker, Craps, and Roulette at your company’s own Casino Night!
Get ready for a networking extravaganza at your next meeting! Featuring a series of exciting challenges, social media interaction, and fast-paced bonding activities, Social Scavenger Hunt is designed to elevate everyone’s experience.
Is Chicago your kind of town? In iQuiz Chicago, your team will explore the Windy City’s popular attractions, fun facts, and hidden gems right from their chairs. It’s the exciting, interactive adventure played through your smartphone. Equipped with our app as your guide, teams learn about Chicago’s amazing history, answer trivia questions, and complete iQuiz challenges in a friendly Chi-Town style battle.
We are happy to adapt and customize any of these events to fit your business needs.
5. Give Back to the Community
Nothing brings a team together like giving back. Having a charitable event is like putting all of the above into one 2-3 hour event. Plus, showing your company’s philanthropic side is proven to build even more trust and buy-in from your employees. Giving back benefits everyone involved. If you need help planning a way to give back that includes games and activities everyone will enjoy, check out some of our offerings below:
Guests build relationships as they engage in a friendly competition and assemble items for Lemons of Love, a non-profit organization that provides support and community to people living with cancer. They ‘help cancer suck less’!
Transform your event site into a fully functional bike shop as guests use teamwork, creativity and ingenuity to build and accessorize youth bicycles for underprivileged children in the community.
Have fun doing good with iQuest For a Cause! Utilizing our iPads with the latest GPS and Image Recognition technology, teams hit the streets and stores of Chicago (or other fun shop-til-you-drop area) in search of adventure and items for a local charity.