At the end of a productive year and with next year’s blank calendars ready to be filled up, it’s a good time for CEOs and managers to consider new ways to thank their employees.
While you might be looking forward to hosting a Christmas Party to celebrate shared achievements, unique corporate experiences that bring teams together are another great way to reward staff for a job well done. So, let’s explore the real value of corporate experiences and thanking employees at any time of year.
Creating a positive workplace culture
Most employees are thankful for any company gifts they receive and value the investment their managers make in them. Employees like being appreciated for their dedication, hard work and any team or personal performance goals reached. CEOs who invest in staff and create a people-centric workplace generate a positive company culture. A leader who directs their time and efforts into valuing employees (also known as ‘people enablement’) is recognised by 90% of organisations for being a successful strategy to adopt. This is because rewarding staff enhances productivity and reinforces the positive and healthy workplace culture you’re after.
Ideally, CEOs should invest their energy, resources and finances into creating a cohesive workforce with colleagues who work well together professionally and are onboard personally. Therefore, instead of giving employees a box of chocolates or a gift voucher, planning team-building activities throughout the year is a far more effective way to build such a culture.
Carefully considering experiences
Consider rewarding employees with thoughtful corporate gift experiences. Perhaps this can be a team-building activity that relates in some way to your business sector, such as tickets to a stadium, sports match or business with a sporting focus. You might want to think about an experience that aligns the creative skills or talents of individuals who work within your company. Arrange a new experience such as a mixed outdoor day of activities, which will naturally encourage teams to work together participating in games they have never tried before. This can become really engaging, whilst also promoting problem-solving skills. In addition to being an entertaining excursion outside the office, team games also spark competitive fun and challenge people to learn new skills.
Alternatively, you can plan a corporate gift for your employees that aligns with a particular focus your company has, such as boosting the mental and physical health of staff with regular exercise. If you are keen advocate of a healthier work-life balance, a health club membership will promote wellbeing and encourage staff to get together in a healthy environment outside of work. This key policy can benefit your business and your employees in the long-term.
Being visible and fostering personal connections
Once you have planned a corporate experience, it’s important as the CEO that you attend in person. With the increasing number of hybrid and remote workers in today’s companies, people value knowing they have a visible leader who interacts on a personal level. The act of joining in corporate events demonstrates that you are interested in engaging and socialising with every member of staff in the business.
If you are there in person, you’re also welcoming colleagues to approach you, talk to you and open up personally in a way that virtual meetings don’t allow so easily. Being together physically also creates more memorable shared experiences compared to virtual activities. A corporate event is a great opportunity to bring senior board members together to have a strategic business meeting in an informal and collaborative setting.
Boosting morale and uniting diverse teams
With the UK’s current cost-of-living crisis it is more important than ever to lift your employees’ morale with a gesture of thanks. Corporate experiences are a great way to boost morale between your teams following a busy year. They provide a healthy change of environment and routine from an unbroken schedule of regular work.
When planning your unique corporate event, be mindful to plan an experience that respects every member of staff and appeals to your diverse workforce. In this way, you’ll bring together colleagues who have a unique set of values, education and backgrounds. As a CEO, your role is to bridge differences, foster relations and build collaboration within your teams. Events that celebrate cultural differences such as insightful speeches or gallery visits can successfully promote interpersonal connections to unite and motivate each and everyone of your employees. When remote work prevails amongst businesses, these ongoing efforts to forge interpersonal connections are more valuable than ever.
Planning sustainable corporate experiences
Today’s forward-thinking companies are putting their focus into organising charitable corporate experiences and sustainable initiatives as part of their social responsibility strategies. Depending on where your business is based, check online for any eco-friendly corporate ideas and initiatives that your company might want to join during the year. From volunteering programmes that allow employees to give their time to local causes, to sustainable talks on how your business might reduce its environmental impact, organisations are finding unique ways to give back. These might include voluntary initiatives like beach cleans or litter picking.
Charitable corporate events with ethical values and an environmental conscience are valued by your current and prospective employees. In a report, 52% of workers stated that environmental and social initiatives at work have a significant impact on wellbeing in the workplace with the majority agreeing that volunteering on a regular, fixed basis would enhance their well being. This highlights how employees value businesses with an eco-friendly agenda.
Sharing successful events to elevate your reputation
While the corporate event is valuable on the day, if you have taken photos or videos of the event, sharing post-event images and news of the experiences is a great way to promote your business. You can share reviews of the event on company-wide platforms and in communications made across internal and external newsletters for months afterwards.
News of your corporate event is a healthy way to engage with employees and external customers. Sharing details of the event is a good channel to announce changes in your organisation, product launches as well as promoting your company’s positive culture and friendly reputation to prospective employees. Likewise, for candidates applying for new roles in your company, seeing news of your sustainable corporate experiences will appeal.
Corporate experiences can be an impactful way for CEOs to reward staff for their loyalty and hard work while creating a positive company culture. Whether it’s a team-building activity aligned with your business goals, a chance to unite diverse employees, or a sustainable initiative that gives back, shared corporate events lift morale and foster connections. They also enable you to elevate your company’s reputation to a wider audience to attract new business and talent in the process.
