While the fall and winter months are jam-packed with holidays people often forget about all of the fun holidays in the spring. Between Valentine’s Day and Easter, there is so much you can do for your employees without spending a great deal of money. No matter the size of your office, it’s always nice to do something for the people you work with and it only takes a few minutes to show you’re thinking of them.
Below are a few ideas I've come up with for the holidays:
1.
Valentine’s Day – What a perfect time to tell the people you work with how much you like them! An easy and cost-effective
way to share this appreciation is playing a little game called, “What I Like About You”. Cut out giant hearts with colorful paper and write each person’s name on one. Then the next time you are all together, pass the hearts around and ask everyone to write what they like about that person on the person’s heart. Not only will these make your employees stop and appreciate what their co-workers do for each other, but what a nice reminder for them as well to hear all the things that are noticed about them!
2. St. Patrick’s Day – This holiday always reminds me of being a little kid and my teacher decorating the classroom while we were out at recess. But while the idea of decorating your office with confetti and treats sounds like a good idea, I am not sure everyone will be a fan. Instead, plan a “Pot of Luck” event where every employee has to make or bake something green to eat! The dish itself doesn't need to be all green but the creative ways to incorporate the color green in the final product is what counts. Give out a few prizes for categories such as “most creative”, “most green”, and “most delicious”.
3. Easter – Candy, bunnies, and eggs, oh my! This holiday is always so much fun with the pastel colors and baskets of treats. Grab some plastic eggs and fill them with different prizes and treats. This could range from a gift card to a food place nearby, candy, or even cash. Keep it under $10 and let each employee pick an egg. Whatever is inside is theirs to keep! My suggestion would be to only have a few eggs with the gift cards and money to keep costs at a minimum but the excitement of anticipating what’s inside is the best part.
These are just a few of my own and I would love to hear how you engage your employees during the holidays! Remember, it’s not the quantity of the gift but the quality. Employees don’t need fancy gifts and “hot” items to have a remarkable experience at work – all they need is an environment where they feel engaged and thought of.