Tag: giving back

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:

1. When you propose a new idea
2. When you ask for help
3. When you push back on something
4. 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.

With all the questions floating around about what 2023 will bring, wouldn’t it be nice to know that our teams will be more efficient and effective than they were last year? What if there were a way to ensure that this year will be stronger than the last? What’s the one investment that can guarantee returns year in and year out? The answer to everything is simple…

It’s team building!

It has been shown that team building boosts morale and employee buy-in, but 2023 is going to continue to present new challenges and another wave of this, that, or the other thing — how can it benefit the bottom line? Team-building events are guaranteed investments back into your employees, and chances to get them out of the conference room and onto their feet, thinking about issues in new ways, with different people, building interdepartmental trust and letting their hidden abilities shine.

Bringing Remote Workers Together

Coming into 2023 it is hard to deny that remote and hybrid work is here to stay for many companies of all sizes. Outside of manufacturing and the events and entertainment industries, a lot of top-tier talent is pressuring employers for not just a hybrid schedule, but the ability to work from wherever. With more of the workforce working remotely, it is crucial to find new ways of connecting away from the breakroom.

This is where team building thrives. Team-building events are proven to develop positive relationships between employees and lead to a more satisfaction with the work they do. Working with Corporate Event Interactive (CEI), we will create an event that cultivates these relationships and fosters a deeper sense of belonging on your team. This will make for a more positive work environment and sense of community regardless of an employee’s proximity to the office.

Creating Relationships and Building Interdepartmental Bonds

It’s no secret that the foundation of team building is about creating relationships and building bonds. The name of the game is building teams. But those bonds don’t stop at departmental lines. In fact, team-building events can be a great way to help employees see each department and gain a better understanding of their colleagues’ positions. This understanding will help prevent problems, while also giving teams the necessary tools to work through any issues as they arise.

At CEI, we have a lot of programs that bring companies together and help them work interdepartmentally. Beyond resolving conflicts, interdepartmental bonds can generate new perspectives on projects. When employees feel more comfortable with their colleagues, they become more open to their ideas. This openness can lead to greater efficiency company-wide because not only are more innovative ideas being created, but teams are more aware of what each other are doing.

Finding New Team Leaders

Team-building tends to show the different roles that employees step into when confronted with challenges. Some will take on any hands-on or physical tasks, while others excel at puzzles. Something to look out for is those leadership qualities that emerge from tasks. It might not be the one completing the task or even the loudest group member, but there will be team members that are better at encouraging their peers and pulling them through when a roadblock becomes all the more challenging. The new setting of a team-building event may give those natural leaders a chance to reveal their abilities that might not be as easily seen in a normal work environment — especially if they’re only ever seen through a Zoom window.

Should Employee A take on a new role? Will they thrive in a group with Employee B? Team-building events are great pressure cookers to help managers identify the strengths and weaknesses of different employees and teams. A better understanding of these attributes will help build more effective teams in the future, as well as assign tasks that will play to an employee’s abilities and better utilize them. When employees feel that they are better utilized, they perform more efficiently and more effectively.

Getting Together To Give Back

Organic teamwork comes most naturally from activities built around collaboration. Collaborative efforts makes employees feel more connected to each other and better supported in their work environment, and nothing builds collaboration quite like a cause. Whether that be a volunteer opportunity or a charitable event, when employees experience and take part in their company’s compassion, they feel a sense of pride in the work they do on a day-to-day basis.

The team at Corporate Event Interactive loves to help companies give back to a variety of causes. We love handcrafting events to meet your company’s needs, while connecting directly to those who will receive your donation. We’ve previously partnered with dozens of charities, clubs, and centers throughout the Chicagoland area. Need help figuring out your next charitable event? Let us help you out.

The end of another year is the perfect time to take a moment to reflect, and to take stock of all that we’ve accomplished. We here at Corporate Event Interactive have been so fortunate to play a role with so many companies this year who sought to come together, some for the first time. Seeing all of these faces join together to give back to the community or to go on a scavenger hunt or just to mingle and play some friendly games has been a joy for us.

Team building turns a company into a community. It could be as simple as sharing little known facts or as complex as solving a series of riddles to escape from a deserted island. Our aim at CEI is to get your team out of the cubicle (or bedroom turned office) and into a state of play. This play-state breaks down the barriers between coworkers and helps them connect in a deeper, more meaningful way. Our CEI team makes sure that everyone becomes engaged and gets to know each other — developing deeper bonds and helping them function more effectively and efficiently.

As we close this chapter called 2022, we are excited to see what’s next for you. We know that the past few years have not been easy, but we are ready to help where we can. The workplace continues to evolve and adapt to the ever-changing world we live in, and our CEI team is overjoyed that you trust us to help your company become a community.

Capture Company Culture By Linda Whitlock Hi Everyone, With so many teams working remotely from home, maintaining company culture has been challenging, to say the least. The days of gathering together for lunch or after work socials are long forgotten (if non-existent). Impromptu outings now resemble meetings where arrangements have to be thought through, planned and scheduled in advance. Any gathering or activity with your team is an opportunity to help encourage better communication practices, build trust and values, and promote moments of joy at work. We all need to feel connected. Team building is one way to develop a strong company culture, providing a sense of community. It could be as simple as sharing stories of favorite childhood memories or recipes. Or, creating a fun and friendly competition between departments. There are many options that can be delivered virtually or in-person. When a team works together to achieve common goals, everyone wins! Individuals, the organization and customers. The benefits of team building go a long way, long after the activity experience ends. Contact us to help build and strengthen your company culture in 2022. From our CEI team to yours, wishing you all a safe and relaxing holiday season. We look forward to working with you in 2022. ~ Linda

Corporate Social Responsibility: Why & How to Give Back

Practicing Corporate Social Responsibility is essential for today’s business owners. When companies are aware of the way their business practices affect both their stakeholders and the general public, this practice is valued as corporate citizenship. Here is the Why: In today’s media climate, customers, clients and employees are paying more attention to a company’s integrity and culture.Providing CSR opportunities at your event helps to foster a positive corporate image and promotes loyalty both internally, between employees and the company, and externally, between the company and its patronage.

Here is the How: The following should considered to determine the ideal way to give back at your event.Amount of time you’d like to spend on your eventNumber of participants you’d like to involveDesired location for your eventSpecified budget for your eventSelected cause, corporate alignment, or local need Facilitate anything from cleaning up a beach or park toparticipating in a combination team-building, care-package event!

Here Is How Your Company Can Execute a Rewarding CSR Event: Send out pre-event info to your employees to garner excitement. Engage employees physically and mentally with contests that foster friendly competition.Invite a representative from the benefiting charity to speak.End with a photo opp of the team showcasing what they accomplished.Hire a team building company to bring your event to life!

Challenge/Opportunity:
This pharmaceutical company wanted to provide a meaningful charitable team event for 1,200 attendees during their National Sales Meeting. The event would support the client’s larger overall Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative and annual day of service, benefiting local non-profit organizations in the Las Vegas area where the meeting was taking place.

Company culture plays a big role in employee satisfaction and retention. Some companies embrace a work hard, play hard ideology, others embrace giving back to the communities in which they are located. Deloitte, Salesforce, Stryker and others listed in the March 2015 Fortune article by Benjamin Snyder (@WriterSnyder) pay their employees for their time while they give back. Employees are encouraged to get into the community and share their talents. They do good works for others, they can feel good about their achievements and proud of their company for supporting their efforts. This is a triple win!

Food brings people together. Inspire team building by gathering everyone for some fun around a prep table! We encourage friendly competition at our events so teams compete in challenges to win bonus ingredients. Of course taste testing is also a requirement! We hope you get inspired to try some of these mouthwatering activities!