By Hannah Whittenly
It’s a known fact that happy employees often work harder, so it’s important for businesses to make their work environments enjoyable for everyone. There are several things that businesses can do to make their employees look forward to coming to work. Some of these ideas include offering workers certain perks or putting together group activities that encourage teamwork and healthy communication. Below are five such ideas:
Offer Chair Massages
Employees can relieve a lot of their stress and muscle tension by receiving chair massages. Businesses can arrange for chair massage therapists to come in maybe once a week to give massages to employees who are interested. A chair massage can generally be completed in 15 to 20 minutes and doesn’t involve removing any clothing. This type of bodywork therapy can leave workers feeling rejuvenated and will help them concentrate on tasks more effectively when they return to their work.
Have a Poster Making Contest
A poster making contest will give employees the chance to test their creative skills while engaging in friendly competition. Employers can choose to have their workers make posters that reflect a certain aspect of a company’s vision or another creative topic. They can also give employees access to specialized software, such as Adobe Spark Poster Maker, that will harness employee’s creativity and help them to increase their ability to work with different software as well. Contest winners can have their posters displayed in a hallway or another work space where other people can easily see them. It might also be a good idea to offer winners prizes such as gift cards or special treats.
Play Games
A weekly game that encourages employees to work together is a great way to build camaraderie and add more enjoyment to the work environment. The Huffington Post suggests games like binder clip tag and office treasure hunt. Employees can even be divided into teams. Playing office games once a week is a great way for coworkers to feel more comfortable around each other and may even help them network more effectively within the business.
Stage a Potluck
Good food always brings people together, and employees are likelier to look forward to coming to work if they can indulge in a potluck. Staff members should be encouraged to bring their own homemade dishes for a more personal touch. Some of the best foods to feature in a potluck include chicken wings, meatballs and chocolate chip cookies. A potluck can be a weekly event or more of a semi-regular gathering. Potlucks are especially great to have on employees’ birthdays.
Provide Performance Incentives
Performance incentives will give employees more motivation to work hard and do the best jobs possible. Incentives can be given to employees who meet certain production quotas or are willing to take on special projects. Some companies also reward employees who don’t take sick days or use up all their vacation time. Gift cards, free lunches and surprise gifts are some of the best incentive ideas. Companies can also reward employees with extra days off or bonus payments.
Making a work environment more enjoyable for employees is possible and can help yield better results. Some of the best ways to add more joy to a work setting are simple and won’t require a lot of extra time and effort.
Hannah Whittenly is a freelance writer and mother of two from Sacramento, CA. She enjoys kayaking and reading books by the lake.
