I hope the concrete strategies and steps I share below will help you to bring some added calm, focus and renewed energy to your team. 1. Sometimes, the utmost appreciation that an employee seeks is a promotion in his job role. Keeping a workplace safe during the COVID-19 pandemic can be challenging. Getty Images/PeopleImages. 1. Thus in this scenario, investing in an effective recognition program becomes a critical part of employee engagement. Every company has its own perks: fully stocked kitchens, corporate team events, and the latest MacBook Pro. 14 Spirit Week Ideas That Kids Of All Ages Can Get Into - Romper Be sure to grab plenty of screen shots throughout the afternoon or evening. Doesnt necessarily have to be alcohol or coffeeyou could do a juice tasting, or maybe a food tasting. We had a Zoom meeting were a bartender showed how to mix each drink using the provided measuring cup, and answered questions about how to make a good martini, what to substitute for white eggs in pisco sour, etc. Your employees are amazing people with undisclosed talents. This is a great way to begin your team meetings. But we must also address the negative impact of isolation loneliness, fatigue or even . Throwing a virtual holiday party is one of the best Christmas spirit week ideas for work. Be thoughtful with your messages of appreciation. I think that well continue doing this even after the pandemic is goneits such a cool way to learn more about the people you work with every day. - Dennis Vu, CEO and Co-founder of Ringblaze, We hired a magician to put on a virtual magic show for our staff, clients, and vendors to watch with their families. Full coverage and live updates on the Coronavirus, This is a BETA experience. This time has been invaluable to the team as they had been feeling scattered, stressed, and disconnected. Wed have the holiday party on Zoom, where folks would open what they had received from their gift giver. Give your entire team a chance to express their creativity with baby pumpkins, acrylic paints, and free pumpkin stencils. No, not the executive lunchroom. We have 30+ experiences to choose from, and thousands of five star reviews. Everything you need to build a better workplace. Talking about making employees feel valued, a great way to do so is by involving them in the decision-making process, wherever possible. Murder mysteries are games that require participants to play a character while solving a mystery. Anxiety. Or it just might be a beautiful day to sleep in. Recommended Case Study: Indias Largest Telecom Company Boosts their Global Employee Engagement with Vantage Rewards. Ensure time is spent checking in on the teams main priorities - any urgent issues that need to be addressed? During the call, participants can chat and play fun games, or co-work while enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. "Everyone meet promptly at 5:30 p.m., and line up your cars by the parking lot next to my house," instructed the texts sent out by Amanda Perez, staff member and University of Miami School of Communication graduate student, and her mother, Wendy Perez. For employees, having access to a mentor can add velocity to the workplace learning curve. Ensure that everyone gets that attention. Explore the challenges people face in working from home (and they will differ) and ideas for dealing with them or sharing personal practices that work. Virtual workout or meditation classes. 31. Being a boss, every positive word from you will act as a huge morale booster for your employees. Team Norms. to Launch During a Pandemic. For instance, take their opinion during decisions like on-boarding new technology or a specific project. Often, in the case of. Pike13 Spirit Week highlights: Whether they worked late to get the job done, blew past their sales goal, or volunteering at a local shelter, give employees the credit they deserve. These events are the online equivalent of spirit week, and are examples of virtual employee engagement activities and virtual team celebrations, and often take place on virtual event platforms. To establish team norms, ask: What behaviors and practices are most important right now to our teams effectiveness?. How to be a good coworker and leader during this crisis. Its a really cool way to connect with your coworkers and find out more about their life outside of work. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Legal. It's not only a nice little project to focus on, but gives us something to talk about that's not work or coronavirus. One idea that keeps popping up on our Principal Life Facebook group is the concept of a virtual theme week. It becomes less of a break and more of a disappointment. Revamp your break room. Letting employees decorate their workspaces plays an active role in building relationships within the company. How to Engage And Retain Your Employees During Covid - LinkedIn But they are the last to leave. This will allow team members to truly appreciate each other, leading to better team building. Perhaps the best gift to give your employees is recognizing your employees publicly for a great job done. Whats Working/Whats Not? 3 Ways To Keep Employee Morale Up During The Coronavirus Outbreak - Forbes If time is not available to do this well in one meeting book another one but within the next 24 hours so as not to lose momentum. Here are 10 ideas to consider for your school: 1. These events can help virtual offices grow closer. Consider sending your top ten performers off for a day or two at a spa to provide an incentive for continued outstanding performance. 3 Ways Tech Company Sysomos Transformed Employee Experience, 5 Tips to Implement Summer Work Schedules, 6 Design Ideas to Create an Inspiring Work Environment. Employees should be free to decide where they want to work and when they want to work whenever possible. During the COVID-19 crisis, you can do a lot more from your couch than you may realize. 6 Virtual Team Building Activities | LBMC EP Superhero Academy is a perfect fit for a hero or villain themed online spirit day. Interesting work matter only if you have good food while youre doing it. School spirit week is a fun time for everyone to come together and show off their pride. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation | Random Acts of Kindness Day 2023 Although workplace benefits help keep employees happy, they rarely tend to spark inspiration. Harvard Business Review reports that "the most impactful driver of employee engagement is recognition.". For example, Marvel versus DC Comics, the '60s versus the '70s, or Batman and the Joker. Walking not only counts as physical activity, but also provides some mental health benefits. Beyond bestowing traditional awards like extraordinary performance, team player, or rookie of the year, you can also create fun award categories. The BIG List of School Spirit Week Ideas (80+ Activities!) It could be a magazine subscription (on a topic they would be interested in), treats for pets, snack samples, or anything they would enjoy. Student Engagement: Spirit Weeks A number of schools and school districts have done weekly challenges where students participate in a themed activity, take a picture or video of it, and then upload and tag it with a specific hashtag so that the community can find, enjoy, and celebrate it with them. To help your employees stay active and get a break from working inside, suggest that they take conference calls that don't require sitting in front of a screen outdoors. 1. The top reason why the people enjoyed coming to work was because of "feeling appreciated.". We are doing a virtual chocolate tasting with my team. Then, after that, we had the opportunity to go into breakout roomslast year, one room did Schitts Creek trivia (it was a favorite among many staffers), another did Pictionary using the annotate functions of Zoom. How to create effective, engaged workplace teams after the Barasha can be found either searching for interesting HR buzzwords to write about or looking at pictures of cozy Bel Air mansions. Even a simple gesture like an appreciation message or thoughtful gifts on valentines Day or anniversaries can make a huge difference. We gathered the top employee morale tips, tricks, and ideas from businesses around the world. Are your employee motivated to come to work every single day? Health & Safety Giveaways: Ideas amid COVID-19 - National Pen Attempt a self portrait with pencil and paper. Vantage Circle. A UK study finds workers job attitudes can be bolstered by allowing them to personalize their office. Employees thrive at work when they know their contributions have meaning. With most schools and districts shut down for the foreseeable future, many faculty and teachers are struggling to find ways to connect with their students. Priorities. 2022 Tous droits rservs. Moreover, you can drop an appreciation mail to the employees so that it stays with them forever. Its been close to two months since the World Health Organization declared the spread of the novel coronavirus an official pandemic. She had such a creative way for putting a holiday spin on our corporate branding, and theyre going to be a big hit! Ive gotten a lot of reports of teams doing remote crafting sessions togetheroften around seasonal themes, like gingerbread houses: Our office is planning two optional events. To host these virtual workouts, have participants join a Zoom call. If your crew would rather perform just for fun, then end the show by giving participants a well-deserved round of virtual applause. Develop team norms. Teachers' Mental Health Has Suffered in the Pandemic. Here's How Who doesnt love free food? You signed up for your preferred one beforehand and received a list of ingredients, then once the drinks were made, people came back to the big room and there were a couple of facilitated games and stuff (like trivia). For instance, on sports day, staff can wear jerseys, square off in competitive games, and participate in an online pep rally. Relaxing activities to do at home during COVID-19 quarantine - CNBC Host fun team games to play with your team members. 1. Help make kindness the norm at school, home and work by using the links below! How to Boost Employee Morale During COVID-19 - Namely The events should also not take too long to do. All This Talk About Quiet Quitting Is Absurd. To set the mood, encourage participants to put up virtual backgrounds of Victorian parlors or lush gardens. Your Team Is Now Working Remotely5 Ways To Strengthen - Forbes 32. Illustration by Supriya Kalidas. Were all pretty pumped about it. This is a stressful time to say the least. One of the simplest and most popular solutions has been virtual happy hours. Wed all ooooh and ahhh, and laugh. While Valentine's Day will most likely look different than years past, you can still have fun with your significant other and make it memorable and safe. I sort of roll my eyes at these, but they did a pumpkin carving contest earlier in the fall and people got very very VERY into it, and someone offered to lead a how to make the perfect apple pie for Thanksgiving and the voluntary sign-up had over 500 people. COVID Halloween Ideas | Martha Stewart California-based Chowbotics, has seen an uptick in demand for its fresh food robot "Sally.". Halloween is the time of year when employees can showcase their creativity and interact with coworkers they may not normally work closely with. After face masks, custom hand sanitizers are the next health and safety giveaway idea on our list. How to Plan a Wedding Amid COVID: Ideas, Advice & More You may experience anxiety during the coronavirus pandemic if you have to go into work. With these 33 employee appreciation ideas, you will see reduced turnover and retain your top talents. These events typically occur through a series of video meetings, group chats, and collaborative online activities. Ask each person to share one word to describe how they are feeling in that moment. Next, check our our list of ideas to celebrate Pride at work, online fun Friday ideas, and intern orientation activities. Instead of the usual tables and activities, they had booths set up where treats were handed through the window. Do it privately-ish. So far, people have hosted presentations on their favorite hobby, sports team, family, the country they come from, favorite food, favorite lockdown activity, etc. Offering them a handsome salary is one aspect. I didnt even stay until the end and used half the amount of tequila in my margarita because Im not used to drinking, but it was a lot of fun, we all learned something and had a good laugh. The author's views are entirely his or her own (excluding the unlikely event of hypnosis) and may not always reflect the views of Moz. Just to say hi and check how they are doing. Metal Pen and Antibacterial Hand Sanitizer. Plus, the posts are a great way to advertise your companys culture to a wider audience. If you are looking to reward your employees with a little something extra. #StayStrongWF Spirit Week April 6-10. The time can be used all at once or in increments. - Molly George, Partner and CEO of Kickstand Communications, We host Netflix parties where we pick something to watch and an app syncs our screens, letting us instant message each other. Find ways to start each day with positive energy and a sense of community. Mention about their desirable quirks like always being on time or such. Either way, ask participants to record results by posting them to the channel in a @WIN/@LOSS format. In order to position your company as one where people really want to work, your company SWAG items had better reflect that. Themed dress-up days are popular favorites, but they're really just the start. Breakout Rooms! To host a virtual talent show, invite teammates to sign up for slots. Simple ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your workplace 2. Simply gear each day's activities around a particular topic. You might find that employee appreciation becomes a tad bit easier and a whole lot more fun. Vantage Circle. With higher motivation comes better engagement, happiness, and ultimately retention. Many a time, they'll bring that positivity and enthusiasm back to the workplace. Share funny videos, do some riddles and brainsteasers, put music on in the background. Gift cards allow people to purchase whatever they want from their favorite brands. So, it's essential to consider this less of an idea and more of a thing that you have to do eventually. Consider downloading a fitness app with curated workout playlists. If you can get outside to walk, studies have shown that a brisk walk can make you feel . When you think about having a great company culture, you think about building trust, honesty, and a great team of workers. The Only List Of Zoom Icebreakers You Need In 2023 - Vantage Circle Do the bragging on behalf of your employees, and show your whole team how fantastic everyone is. Many a time, showing some employee appreciation may seem hard. "We're encouraging employees to stay active by challenging their coworkers. Simple ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your workplace You can celebrate the spirit of a challenge in your Spirit Week by hosting a Versus Day. Virtual Fun Run Cost: $$ Difficulty: 4 Earning Potential: Just beware of overdosing on sugar. For any related queries, contact editor@vantagecircle.com. We also had a gift wrapping contest as part of itwe were a creative bunch with lots of backgrounds in the arts, so some gifts were a person making a donation to a charity in the recipients honor, but making a video that fit their interest to share that with them, or a homemade puzzle, or other similar fun announcements. Heres a way to see people in-person from the safety of your cars: Our company has had a couple of drive-through events set up in the parking lot of the main company campus. 6. During these Walk-and-Talk meetings, employees can stroll around their neighborhoods, nearby parks, or even backyards for a change of scenery and some fresh air. Also, its really great to take your mind off the news that we are surrounded with every day. Show Your Appreciation. Hands-on Experiences: 1. Whats the Word on The Street? The tours could happen on a single day, or throughout the week. Declaring theme days is one of the easiest spirit week ideas for work from home. For example, build breaks into your work schedule, remind team members to take breaks, and don't do work tasks while off work.7,8,9,10,11,12,13 Model problem solving from a variety of viewpoints. Participants can either perform alone, or collaborate with colleagues on a group act. Food has a way of being a catalyst to bring people together. Spirit weeks often involve games. Top 33 Amazing Employee Appreciation Ideas For 2023 - Vantage Circle Whats Really So Wrong About Secretly Working Two Full-Time Jobs at Once? The knowledge that there is a whole day dedicated to employee appreciation should let you know its significance. I'm really hoping we won't have to consider this in future years, but a lot of planning time went into making sure that we minimized our COVID risk during the trip. What Readers Want During COVID-19: Content Ideas for Every Niche. While employee appreciation may seem a bit heavy on the pockets, the bottom line is that it will lead to several long-term benefits. Explore them here: On Fridays, our team puts on ridiculous outfits to make each other laugh during virtual meetings. This peer-to-peer employee recognition idea is about encouraging everyone from the organization to recognize good work. Get the latest news from Namely about HR, payroll, and benefits. Next, install game apps like rock paper scissors, tic tac toe, and trivia. Appreciation from one's peers has more significance than from one's manager. and retains your top employees. Coronavirus - how to cope with going into work - Mind Coronavirus NC: Virtual spirit weeks unite school communities | Raleigh Content Expert at teambuilding.com. Honestly, Im really pleased with this decision over trying to make a Zoom party happen. This is a time to focus only on the people sitting before you. We also included some essential office supplies to ensure our employees have everything they need to work remotely. - Stuart Cook, Marketing Manager at My Baggage, My company recently delivered a care package to all employees with a mix of fun and useful items. Due to the physical demands and psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, it's been difficult for many of us to stay physically active. Recommended Article: Top 102 Employee Recognition Quotes To Celebrate Their Endeavours. Remote team games like holiday Bingo, trivia, and scavenger hunts get guests moving and invoke the holiday spirit. 2023 teambuilding.com, all rights reserved | Terms | Privacy, virtual tours of museums, zoos, and parks, list of free virtual team building activities for work, list of the best remote team outing ideas, Post a picture from your first year at the company vs now, Take a screenshot in the unlikeliest Zoom meeting spot, Film a 30-second work from home snack cooking lesson, Dress-up accessories, like sunglasses, boas, and novelty headbands, Create a collaborative world map showing which countries team members have lived in or traveled to, Ask participants to compile top 5 travel bucket lists of the destinations they would most like to visit, and pair up teammates with similar interests for a video chat, Video chat with screen pals in different countries, Compile a photo slideshow of the teams collective travels, Most likely to forget to mute/unmute the mic, Lightning fingers, aka fastest Slack replies, Most likely to binge cat videos during the workday. The thing that giants like Google and Airbnb have understood is that the physical environment of the office matters. We All Hate It. Add some seriously "tricked out" kitchens on each floor of their facilities. Elaine is a true partner in every sense of the word and would be a huge asset to any company. An extra day off can mean a whole lot of possibilities to overworked and overstressed employees. Reward employees with a token or gift of appreciation from your side. Dress-up days find a niche at busy offices; employees can show up in costume but still get tons of work done. 18 Parent-Teacher Association Fundraising Ideas For During (And After 2020 Namely, Inc. All rights reserved. Team costumes Whether you're a team of two or twenty, you can dress up in team costumes for Halloween. The Town of Wake Forest and the Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department want you to stay safe during the current COVID-19 pandemic by honoring Wake County's stay at home order. But while you're indoors, there's no reason you can't explore your fun and creative side. But some employers have devised celebrations that will keep people safe and actually sound fun (even to this curmudgeon). This year, the questions are quite different, and nearly all are some variation of What do we even do for the holidays in a pandemic? Many employers are simply canceling holiday celebrations, since theres no way to safely gather. Wellness Resources One such example that predates COVID-19 (if you follow our newsletter, you already know that it's a personal favorite of mine) is the Be My Eyes app. Also, it doesnt have to be expensive. This year, theyre sending a food related gift to our homes and giving us the afternoon off. One-Word Check-ins. 3. You can even display this social media recognition on your offices digital displays to make sure the whole team sees it. Participate in the Boost Educators Challenge Encourage each student's family to challenge the rest of your school's families to give their teacher (s) a shout out or thank you over the school's social channels. How to Be Physically Active While Social Distancing Teammates could also give a short slideshow presentation of their home cities. Online escape rooms are online versions of thematic puzzle-solving games. Find out how to attract and retain your employees through their entire lifecycle. Usually at this time of year, my inbox fills up with questions about company holiday parties: How many drinks are OK to have there? Were working with local restaurants (some minority-owned) to provide cold reheatable family meals that our employees will take home to enjoy with their family. Celebrated on the first Friday in March, it pays homage to each employee's contribution to their company. Between the confetti, balloons, and cake, office birthday parties are always fun to organize. 10 Fun Halloween Activities to Try With Employees SHRM estimates that it costs $20,000 to $30,000 in recruiting and training expenses to replace a manager making $40,000 a year. Once the votes are in, book the top ranking classes. Wishing you and your team health and tranquility. Getting your workplace ready in case COVID-19 arrives in your community. Thus, make it easier for team members to congratulate each other on a job well done. For instance, plan a short gentle stretch, a high-intensity cardio routine, and a themed yoga class at different time slots throughout the day. Materialistic perks are fine. "Homeschool Spirit Week" lets kids have fun while - News 4 Buffalo