Companies with employees that are happy and satisfied at work tend to outperform their competition by a massive 20%. When you make the workplace a fun and happy environment, employees are naturally going to be more productive. Showing your employees that they are not just important to you for the work that they do but that you are also committed to making sure that they’re happy and having a good time at work will change their mentality and boost loyalty levels. Here are some fun ideas that you might want to consider to instantly boost the work environment.
Organize Group Outings
You want to show your employees that you care about their downtime and want to provide them with plenty of opportunities to get to know each other outside of the office too. One of the best ways to do this is to organize regular group outings where your team can come together and socialize without the pressures of work. Nights out are a popular idea, but it’s a good idea to change it up a little bit and add a few unusual and different things to do as not everybody is going to be a fan of partying all the time. Hiring a luxury car and treating your employees to a unique driving experience from San Diego Prestige is a great idea that your employees are sure to love.
Provide a Chill-Out Area
Everyday mundane work tasks and the pressure to meet deadlines can quickly take a toll on employees. Providing a chill-out area in the workplace where employees can go to recharge their batteries after working hard is a good way to keep your team motivated and let them know that you care about their well-being. Being burned out from working too hard is not going to be beneficial to anybody in your business. Providing a space with some fun things to do will encourage employees to take some time away from their desk, whether they want to play a game of darts or pool with a colleague or chill out on a comfortable sofa or beanbag.
Get an Office Dog
Many companies that are truly committed to making the workplace fun and welcoming to their employees are doing so by getting an office dog. Everybody knows that dogs make the best companions and having a dog around in work can lead to all kinds of benefits including boosting productivity, reducing stress, and making everybody happier overall. However, if you are considering getting an office dog, it’s important to make sure that everybody is going to be up to the task of looking after your pet. You’ll need to allocate people to make sure that the dog gets food and water, a comfortable place to sleep and play, and walks during the day.
Wellness Incentives
Often, employees who are working hard might find it difficult to focus on their own health and wellness, which unfortunately can have a knock-on effect on their performance and productivity at work. One great way to make the workplace more fun and social for your employees is to offer fun wellness incentives such as a fitness or steps challenge, or encouraging employees to walk or cycle to work instead of driving with prizes to be won for those who perform best or keep it going for the longest. It’s also worth upgrading your kitchen space in the workplace so that employees find it easier to bring healthier lunches and snacks into work.
Invest in Professional Development
Not all methods of improving employee happiness and satisfaction have to be about playing games and having fun. In fact, most employees today are looking for a workplace where they can progress in and advance their careers. By investing in your employees, you are not only helping them out by making it easier for them to meet their career goals, but there will also be several benefits for your business when you have better-educated and more knowledgeable employees to choose from when positions that you need to hire for come up.
Encourage Workplace Friendships
Since work is a place that we spend our time eight hours per day five days per week, it’s no surprise that some of the best friends in our lives are going to be people that we meet at work. While not all colleagues are going to be best friends forever, having friends at work can definitely make the experience more fun and enjoyable. And, work friendships also help to create a more helpful and compassionate workplace culture as after all, people are always going to be more inclined to help others out if they know and get on with them.
Working hard is great, but if that’s all employees are doing, it can soon lead to burnout and have the opposite of the desired effect on your team and business. A fun, enjoyable workplace that’s committed to improving employee happiness will typically perform better every time.