Many companies have called their employees back to the office after a very hard few years. In addition, newer entrants to the job market have just started getting the complete office experience. With many companies shifting to in-person or hybrid office models, it is essential that employees are interested in coming to the workplace.
An interesting workplace doesn’t just mean you put in a table tennis setup and have quarterly pizza parties. There’s a lot of planning and effort required if you’re really serious about this matter. If you just do the bare minimum, your purposes will be transparent and not appreciated. So, you should be serious about keeping your employees happy. Here are a few great ideas to get you started off with.
Hold regular team activities
Regular team activities are effective when it comes to making your workplace fun. Every quarter, have some sort of different activity everyone can participate in. This can be laser tag, a corporate retreat, a picnic, or even just a movie and refreshments.
This should be on company expense and everything should be organized in advance. You can have employees vote on what they want to do each quarter. This way, you’ll be including their feedback and having an activity everyone will enjoy. Share details about these activities through internal emails. Use the corporate email templates on PosterMyWall to create these emails. Share event photos through these emails as well.
Set up a game room
Set aside a small area in your office as a game room. Fill it with popular board games, team activities, a TV, and a gaming console. Make sure most of the games you put here do not take up too much time, so that people can play them without worrying about their work.
In addition, add relaxing activities like coloring books or stress balls in this area as well. This game room should have something for everyone to unwind and relax with. These games will also help with team-building, so you should encourage people to use it in their free time.
Run an office book club
Promote a literary culture at your workplace by running an office book club. This should be completely voluntary and employee-led. Have people sign up for the book club and put them in a group together. Then, they can decide what to read each month and have a discussion on a set day.
Encourage this by giving the book club a meeting room or comfortable corner to have their discussions in. You can also make sure the book club members have access to what they want to read by having a reading corner with a few books stocked up.
Work on wellness initiatives
Wellness initiatives can really help your employees find appropriate work-life balance and not burn out. So, have quiet spaces for people to go and unwind in, and also have wellness activities regularly. These can include yoga classes as a quarterly activity or having a motivational speaker come in and talk to employees.
Encourage mindfulness by sharing regular wellness temperature check-ins on your informal communication channels. Make sure people feel free to talk about whatever issues they are facing. This includes encouraging mental health days and promoting work-life balance with suggested activities and tips.
Work on office decor
A dull office space will make people feel miserable and unproductive. So, you should work on your office decor. Use colors like blue and yellow to promote efficiency and creativity. Avoid dull neutrals, because they put people’s minds in a rest state.
In addition, encourage employees to decorate their work stations and showcase their personalities. They can bring in their favorite figurines, posters, or other items to put at their workspace and feel motivated.
Make an office vision board or wall
An office vision board will help everyone jot down their ideas and suggestions without having to bring them up in a more prominent way. It offers up a safe space for people to share their ideas, concerns, and interests without judgment.
So, put up a big cork board or put some markers next to a delegated glass wall. Encourage people to use this to share their ideas, or simply make doodles or jokes. This board is also a good way to gauge general office sentiment and make any changes required.
Offer good amenities
You need to offer decent facilities in order to keep your employees interested in your workplace. This includes decent meal options, a good snack area, quiet spaces, and well-equipped meeting rooms. Your desks and chairs should also be comfortable and cater to a wide range of needs.
If someone needs a standing desk, make sure you accommodate them. In addition, a few sofas and beanbags here and there to relax in are also necessary. Simply put, make the office a comfortable and productive place for employees, and they will show up.
In conclusion, there are many ways to keep your workplace interesting. You just need to focus on employee welfare and make sure you take their feedback in this regard.
