Christmas is a season of merriment, generosity, and community. Families come together to share Christmassy foods, exchange gifts, and catch up on the year gone by. A business should also create and foster a festive atmosphere over Christmas, So how do we deck the halls and create a holiday mood? Glad you asked!
Engaging your employees starts with the workplace culture. A positive workplace culture improves teamwork, raises morale, increases productivity and efficiency, and enhances retention of the workforce.
Christmas provides an excellent opportunity to express gratitude for the consistently excellent workmanship throughout the year, thus motivating them even further for the coming year! This does not need to be costly or time-consuming … and should even be fun. Here are some ideas for this holiday season.
Ways to Engage Your Employees This Christmas
Ensure that your team is given the opportunity to get involved this holiday season. And consider the following employee engagement ideas for Christmas.
1. Dedicate Christmas Sweater Day
Nothing screams “Christmas” like an Ugly Christmas sweater (think lots of reindeer, Santa pajamas, lots of baubles and sparkles) . Leading up to the Christmas break, dedicate an ugly Christmas sweater day … employees can show off their exaggerated holiday gear with pride and humour, making the most of the holiday tradition.
Truly a great guffaw tapping into the holiday spirit, especially in an office usually sporting formal attire. Wearing a bold Christmas sweater is a fun indulgence, and we’re all here for that!
2. Decorate the Office
Quite often the most effective Christmas ideas for work are the simplest. Add a little bit of Christmas cheer to the office by hanging Christmas decorations. Hang tinsel from the ceiling, put a Christmas tree in the corner, and hang a few candy canes!
Decorating the office boosts morale and builds excitement, demonstrating a personal side . I to engage employees further? How about getting them involved in the festive spirit and asking them to help decorate?
3. Host a Christmas Party
Hosting a holiday party is always a personable way for the team to have a little bit of fun and let loose after a hard-working year. Decorate the office and buy platters for a post-work celebration … or get together at a restaurant showing your appreciation.
A Christmas party is another great way to boost morale and reward the team for their hard work. Hosthours, getting to know them beyond the job. Play a few Christmas carols, feature a Christmas movie (National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is usually a great favourite) in the background, and fill the table with tasty Christmas treats and hot chocolate.
If budget allows, you can also get your employees a Christmas gift to thank them for their hard work. Browse our list of suggestions for meaningful gifts that show appreciation!
4. Establish a Holiday Quiz
Everyone loves a festive pub quiz … why not gamify the holiday season by setting up a quiz for the team? The social event can be hosted at the office on a Friday afternoon, or you can hire a venue if the budget allows. A holiday quiz is a great piece of Christmas fun that also feeds the competitive juices!!
Online and virtual quizzes has been increasingly popular over the pandemic … even though the world has readjusted to normal, the love for quiz games remains. Divide your employees into teams, draft festive-themed questions, and offer rewards for various categories!
5. Reward a Positive Performance with Time Off
Incorporating fun activities into the office is a great way to boost morale and improve employee engagement. However, the true essence of Christmas is enjoyed at home with family and friends — away from work.
Offer your top-performing team members who went the extra mile additional time off as a reward for their excellent and consistent work throughout the year. Spending more quality time with their loved ones will encourage them to maintain their performance in the upcoming year!
6. Host an Award Ceremony
Add a little bit of festive fun to the office by hosting a playful award ceremony. Ask your team to vote for a few fun awards —- such as the most organized employee, the most creative employee, and who has the messiest desk.
Silly awards will actually make employees feel valued and seen, hopefully evoking a chuckle or two. Present a certificate for each award and snap a few pictures to memorialize the activity.
7. Organize a Secret Santa Exchange
One of the most iconic Christmas traditions for employees is a Secret Santa exchange … employees get gifts for one another. Each gift must fall within a specific budget, and the game can take on different variations — from Dirty Santa, where employees can steal gifts from one another, or guess the Santa, where employees try to determine who their gift is from.
If you choose to organize a Secret Santa exchange, ensure you are sensitive to your teammates’ financial situation.
8. Use Celebrate Christmas and Employee Group Video Maker
Make an effort to show your employees how much you appreciate them by creating an employee appreciation video. Create a group video or create a singular, meaningful video on your own.
Mention specific recognition details and wish your employees a merry Christmas with a Christmas video maker. A certain winner … certain to boost morale and leave employees feeling valued and appreciated.
9. Use Celebrate.buzz and Engage Employees in Recruiting and Retention
Onboarding helps new employees learn more about the company they have just joined and what is expected of them in their first few months. With everyone in the office it was much easier to make face-to-face introductions and develop working relationships. Celebrate.buzz’s group video app (www.celebrate.buzz) helps managers welcome remote employees to the team quickly and affordably.
Engaging employees for a bit of Christmas teamwork (perhaps in elf or Santa outfits) to participate in an onboarding group video would be a fun exercise. A nice morale booster and would greatly contribute in both recruiting and retaining excellent talent
10. Consider Employees Who Don’t Celebrate Christmas
When planning workplace Christmas activities, take a moment to consider employees who do not celebrate the festive season in the same way. If your company’s values include diversity, it’s important to be sensitive.
Ensure you also show appreciation, (e.g. including kosher food during the celebrations), and focus on rewarding all employees equally.
Get Started with Celebrate
Are you up to incorporate these employee engagement activities for Christmas?
With Celebrate Buzz, it’s easy to create a Christmas group video for the whole team. Easy, effortless and fun to make, a fantastic group video from Celebrate is a thrill to receive! Little or no technical skill required … so follow the intuitive-like steps to make the video. Ready to get started? Create an account today and start wishing your team happy holidays!
