Summer is here and planning season is in full swing. As more and more employees make their return back to the office, the need for purposeful and engaging physical work environments is high. In fact, According to Deloitte’s 2022 Commercial Real Estate Outlook, which surveyed around 400 senior commercial real estate (CRE) executives across the globe, about 77% of respondents are expecting increased leasing activity in the next 12 months.
After months of virtual happy hours, employees are beginning to switch gears from Zoom to in-person collaboration. This is why now is the perfect time for business leaders to establish a strong employee experience and company culture through workplace events. Focusing on employee satisfaction, the success of physical workplace environments depends deeply on providing valuable and memorable experiences that will safely draw people back to buildings and keep them coming back for the long term. The opportunities for engagement are endless. Here are just a few workplace events companies can do to maintain a positive employee experience.
Wellness Events
Returning to the office after years of working remotely can be stressful for all team members. To help make this transition easier, partner with local wellness providers and services to offer a variety of stress-reducing activities. Your office could have a professional masseuse giving massages, a yoga instructor, a barista to make specialized coffee orders, and anything else that will encourage employees to step away from their desks and leave them feeling well taken care of.
Happy Hour
Mixology events are always a crowd- pleasing event. A mixology class is a highly engaging and entertaining corporate bonding activity where employees can learn craft cocktail techniques. This team building activity gives employees the opportunity to not only enjoy aspects of a traditional happy hour, but lets them create the drinks themselves. Plus, mixology classes can be inclusive of everyone — through both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options.
Brunch and Lunch
Meals provide the most simple time of the day to create a workplace event, since this is naturally when most employees take their breaks. Promote a company-wide brunch or lunch where employees can come together and socialize. And, this is a good way for business leaders to promote diversity by exploring different cultures and cuisines in the office. Lunch can be inconvenient for people to bring, which means a catered meal can surprise and delight the employees who come into the office..
Trivia
Get employees ramped up and excited about being back in the office with company trivia. Trivia not only teaches and quizzes employees about company (or local) history, but gets employees interacting with each other. Take it a step further and reward employees with unique perks and prizes, guaranteeing positive employee feedback and encouraging them to engage more with your workplace culture.
Office Cook-Off
It’s easy for employees to feel a bit of burnout in the summertime due to the sweltering heat. Employers can ease these tensions with a nostalgic and fun summer event. Foster friendly competition between employees with a cook-off. Every employee can compete for the best dish. The competition can be split into teams to foster teamwork and promote team bonding which can encourage strong business performance.
As offices continue to focus more on in-person events, you’ll also need to make sure to collaborate with the right partners and technologies to make this happen. For example, a robust workplace experience platform like HqO can easily facilitate many of these experiences both digitally and in-person, bridging the gap between hybrid employees and their workplace. Additionally, HqO’s long list of best-in-class Marketplace partners can lend their area of expertise to any office space — such as Building Impact for community-focused philanthropy, Ritual for office food ordering, and EXOS for corporate fitness and wellness events.
For more information about how HqO can enhance your employee experience, schedule a demo today.
