You could either ask team members to pre-record videos, give the tour live during a Zoom meeting, or upload photos to a shared album. Get the latest news from Namely about HR, payroll, and benefits. I hope this article has in some small way helped your and your teams trek through this extraordinary time. We, humans, are emotional creatures. For more ideas, check out our roundup of team building workouts. Once the awards end, you can email digital certificates and e-gift cards to recipients, or mail trophies and paper awards to their houses. Therefore it's a win-win situation. It might sound kind of silly, but when the right company SWAG is used- it can have a big impact on building a positive workplace culture. The BIG List of School Spirit Week Ideas (80+ Activities!) 4 Ways A Single Word Has The Power To Positively Change Your Perspective, 8 Ways To Create Certainty Amid Current Workplace Uncertainty, Why Accountability Is At The Core Of Stewardship Delegation, 5 Ways To Grow Your Personal Brand As A Content Creator, Why We Need To Make Every Day Employee Appreciation Day, In A Competitive Job Market, Heres How To Win The Interview, 5 Tips To Recession-Proof Your Career And Bullet-Proof Your Security. Student Engagement: Spirit Weeks A number of schools and school districts have done weekly challenges where students participate in a themed activity, take a picture or video of it, and then upload and tag it with a specific hashtag so that the community can find, enjoy, and celebrate it with them. So, it's essential to consider this less of an idea and more of a thing that you have to do eventually. Offering extra time off pretty much never goes amiss, especially at this time of year: In lieu of bonuses and parties and all sorts of things, my employer is just closing for the week in between Christmas and New Years and giving everyone the time offits been a hit, because thats usually a huge use of vacation days for folks. 2022 Todos os direitos reservados. InDirect Report, she spotlights themes from her inbox that help explain the modern workplace and how we could be navigating it better. I hope the concrete strategies and steps I share below will help you to bring some added calm, focus and renewed energy to your team. Here's what you might be missing- employee appreciation ideas. Make the day memorable by organizing outside barbecues or small office parties. Just be sure to offer nonalcoholic options too: We had a celebration that even I (a person averse to holiday parties and Zoom calls) liked. Make Sure You're COVID Safe. Bring in a songwriter, band, or comedian to perform at your workplace. The events should also not take too long to do. For example, share with team members how you will be leading, how you will check in with them, what you will be asking about. Next, check our our list of ideas to celebrate Pride at work, online fun Friday ideas, and intern orientation activities. We also had a gift wrapping contest as part of itwe were a creative bunch with lots of backgrounds in the arts, so some gifts were a person making a donation to a charity in the recipients honor, but making a video that fit their interest to share that with them, or a homemade puzzle, or other similar fun announcements. Call in a local food truck specializing in the cuisine and make it mandatory for people to take a break and eat a taco. You could even include dessert decorating packs, tasting assortments, or craft kits. Starting a business during COVID-19 may seem impossible, but these 15 types of businesses can help you launch a business and even help others during the pandemic. Or, you can use an app like Donut to match up opponents, and pairs can play games instead of scheduling a video chat. You can even snap a photo and create your own hashtag for when employees achieve something especially commendable. An escape room Escape room activities are available virtually and in person. Or, you could start a gallery on social media or a cloud-based photo album, and invite teammates to vote on their favorite uploads throughout the week. Declaring theme days is one of the easiest spirit week ideas for work from home. I sort of roll my eyes at these, but they did a pumpkin carving contest earlier in the fall and people got very very VERY into it, and someone offered to lead a how to make the perfect apple pie for Thanksgiving and the voluntary sign-up had over 500 people. Few people are as knee-deep in our work-related anxieties and sticky office politics as Alison Green, who has been fielding workplace questions for a decade now on her website Ask a Manager. Virtual talent shows work best when there is a predetermined act order and an emcee to manage the flow. How to advocate for yourself at work during COVID-19. Want to enhance employee morale while improving productivity and boosting creativity? For three hours per week, staff can sign off anytime during the workday for rest and wellbeing, no questions asked. 3. Coronavirus has put a particular national spotlight on unmet needs of the growing older population in our country, and the tens of millions of overstretched family and professional caregivers they . Not every office can shut down for a full week, but even just an afternoon off usually goes over well: Our end-of-year celebration is usually a big lunch and then we get the rest of the afternoon off. Its been close to two months since the World Health Organization declared the spread of the novel coronavirus an official pandemic. Lifestyle contests that encourage employees to exercise or try a new activity can also help boost morale. Were working with local restaurants (some minority-owned) to provide cold reheatable family meals that our employees will take home to enjoy with their family. Virtual spirit weeks are weeklong events that consist of a series of fun and interactive online activities. We had a Zoom meeting were a bartender showed how to mix each drink using the provided measuring cup, and answered questions about how to make a good martini, what to substitute for white eggs in pisco sour, etc. You found our list of unique virtual spirit week ideas. All rights reserved. The games last 90 minutes, giving remote colleagues plenty of time to bond and have fun together. In this case they will contribute to providing some structure in an unstructured team situation. Explore them here: On Fridays, our team puts on ridiculous outfits to make each other laugh during virtual meetings. Typical spirit weeks involve decorating contests. The benefit of virtual dress up days is that employees can don elaborate costumes without worrying about travel, comfort, or attracting strange stares in Starbucks. Daily Dose of Kindness (sent daily) Weekly Kindness Idea (sent weekly) General Newsletter (for everyone) General Newsletter (for educators) The best online holiday parties encourage interaction. Many a time, showing some employee appreciation may seem hard. But some employers have devised celebrations that will keep people safe and actually sound fun (even to this curmudgeon). 2. Your objectives for the meeting will be to: Note: This is not a meeting to be rushed. For example, Marvel versus DC Comics, the '60s versus the '70s, or Batman and the Joker. and retains your top employees. 1. Coming together this way will help bring your employees closer to you and boost the employee-employer relationship. For more ways to excite remote teams, check out our list of free virtual team building activities for work, this list of virtual offsite ideas, and this one with Zoom meeting ideas. Do it privately-ish. Check out more more aboutonline retreat ideas. Ask each person to share one word to describe how they are feeling in that moment. Some teams are secretly supervillains who try to sabotage other teams, and players must also identify these sinister alter-egos to ensure evil does not prevail. Open windows, increase circulation, and keep room density as low as possible with fewer people in one space. Petit fours, miniature cupcakes, and macarons are the best tea party desserts, and finger sandwiches are another staple. "Everyone meet promptly at 5:30 p.m., and line up your cars by the parking lot next to my house," instructed the texts sent out by Amanda Perez, staff member and University of Miami School of Communication graduate student, and her mother, Wendy Perez. When you incorporate social media into your online spirit week scheduling, you make it easier for colleagues to find and friend each other. Another good team-building activity is a virtual workshop or workout class. 29. Part of the fun of spirit week is pretending, and murder mysteries cast participants in the roles of cunning detectives. I also personally feel that it's boosting my wellbeing and brightening my day. If you are looking to reward your employees with a little something extra. A team lunch is a great way through which everyone can bond with each other and with you. If you work in an industry where teamwork is crucial, sudden orders to . Gathering via video call and online communication platforms gives groups a chance to relax, re-energize, and reconnect with teammates. 6. The intensive schedule prevents routine responsibilities from interrupting the fun, and permits employees to focus on recharging and team bonding. Elaine is a true partner in every sense of the word and would be a huge asset to any company. Recommended Case Study: Indias Largest Telecom Company Boosts their Global Employee Engagement with Vantage Rewards. 2. The employee experience is better, and the company's outcome stronger. As we are a small team, we used to track this daily on a whiteboard in the office, but now we just check in each morning to see what each team member is planning to do that day. - Napala Pratini, Co-Founder at Habitual, We started including crosswords with internal jokes and references in our internal weekly newsletter. The disease is extremely contagious, yet many infected people are asymptomatic, and patterns of transmission are not always clear. Virtual Fun Run Cost: $$ Difficulty: 4 Earning Potential: Full coverage and live updates on the Coronavirus, This is a BETA experience. There's a lot you can do to be helpful from home. PopCap, the company behind legendary Facebook games like Bejeweled, offers some fantastic break rooms for its 400 odd employees. Contains 5 ml. When you actually take the time out to get involved with them personally, employees feel that you genuinely care about them. Toilet paper and Netflix memes are very popular right now. We have 30+ experiences to choose from, and thousands of five star reviews. Some good virtual spirit week ideas include virtual talent shows, Zoom spirit week backgrounds, online award shows, and theme days. Today's employees seek recognition and rewards based on the career advancement that they want. Invite team members to share any perspectives they have about other teams and stakeholders and their needs, concerns issues that the team should be aware of. Trivia can be a good way to help teams relax, inspire conversation and build relationships. Letting employees decorate their workspaces plays an active role in building relationships within the company. Use virtual coffee breaks to: Limit e-mail, insteaduse real-time, in person communication tools such as Skype, Zoom, etc., or even the old fashioned phone. There are few things that employees feel more love for than an extra day of freedom aside from the weekend. Also, it doesnt have to be expensive. With these 33 employee appreciation ideas, you will see reduced turnover and retain your top talents. Working from home can be lonely and mundane. Keep employees engaged and excited with some friendly competition. 17 Ways to Boost Employee Morale During COVID-19 That Arent Happy Hours, celebrate employee milestones virtually here, general tricks for managing your remote workforce here. Weve had a few teams compete in virtual relays, races, or step challenges using free apps to log steps, distance ran/cycled, etc. The essence of spirit week is enthusiasm, not physical proximity. Shared items such a candy jars, cereal boxes, and containers of nuts should be removed for the safety of all workers. Online retreats are company gatherings that take place online. It offers employees a brief respite from their daily work. 3 Ways Tech Company Sysomos Transformed Employee Experience, 5 Tips to Implement Summer Work Schedules, 6 Design Ideas to Create an Inspiring Work Environment. Heightened communication is necessary, not only to keep your remote team productively focused, but because the sudden move from the workplace to a home space can take an emotional toll on people when they no longer have the social contact with work friends and colleagues. Ive found its a great way to know more about what a persons workday and life outside of work are like, as well as to better understand coworkers even those who work across the country. - Angela Ceresnie, CEO at Climb Credit. These events typically occur through a series of video meetings, group chats, and collaborative online activities. Elaine has in-depth knowledge of digital, social, and websites both from a strategic and user . In times of isolation it can be very difficult to stay on top of where everyone is at. Company-branded swag can be simple everyday things like t-shirts, mugs, or even pen drives. All online escape rooms inspire teamwork and critical thinking in a fun and exciting way. Not to fear: There are plenty of Halloween-inspired crafts to go around. The Kaiser Family Foundation found . I also hired a local small business to make some custom iced cookies for us. Plan out your meals and snacks ahead of time, such as at the beginning of the week or workday. of 70-75% ethyl alcohol. For some, it's Christmas and Valentine's Day; for others, it's a birthday. Here are instructions on changing virtual backgrounds in Zoom, GoogleMeet, and Microsoft Teams. Chances are, your company has one too. This is a great way to begin your team meetings. #StayStrongWF Spirit Week April 6-10. Now more than ever it is essential to dialogue and agree on what team members need and expect from one another and from their leader. Maintain a positive work/life balance and encourage your team to do the same It's easy to work longer hours and take fewer breaks when working from home. And what could be better for this purpose than to offer E-Learning options? 1. Beyond bestowing traditional awards like extraordinary performance, team player, or rookie of the year, you can also create fun award categories. Social Media is the biggest influencer of our generation. There are numerous free crossword creating apps, and all you need to do is share the linkso easy and so fun! - Mira Rakicevic, Co-founder at Comfy Living. Also, busy workdays are where lunches are spent with a sad sandwich while staring at the computer. The team that plays together bonds better. To set the mood, you can encourage attendees to dress up and don fancy virtual backgrounds. The flipside to this is without the proper career advancement at the right time, employees will slowly grow disengaged and might look for new opportunities elsewhere. Get Chinese food somewhere. One is a gingerbread house session where theyll send you the kit, walk you through assembly, and then you can decorate with the provided candy and icing or your own. See: How Indoor Ventilation Systems Can Help Prevent or Permit the Spread of COVID-19 . This prevents you from working to the point of hunger and then scrambling to decide what to eat. Also, its really great to take your mind off the news that we are surrounded with every day. The top reason why the people enjoyed coming to work was because of "feeling appreciated.". Spirit weeks are a time-honored tradition, in elementary, middle, and high schools alike. These activities also make great spring spirit week ideas for work. But there is one occasion that should be praised with the same level of spirit and vigor as the restthe work anniversary. And encourage team members to let you know whenever they need any kind of support whether related directly to their work tasks or to any challenges they might be personally facing in the new situation. 33 Amazing Employee Appreciation Ideas [2023 Update], The Ultimate Guide To Employee Rewards and Recognition, 50 Best Words of Appreciation for Employees, Gift Cards Make For The Perfect Employee Rewards, Indias Largest Telecom Company Boosts their Global Employee Engagement with Vantage Rewards, 25 Employee Engagement Activities To Reinvent Your Workforce, 25 Employee Recognition Statistics You Shouldn't Ignore, Top 102 Employee Recognition Quotes To Celebrate Their Endeavours, 23 Awesome Ways To Make Every Employee Work Anniversary Memorable, All You Need To Know About Sales Incentive Programs In 2023, 10 Intrinsic Rewards That Your Employees Look Forward To, Empower the Workforce With A Culture of Peer-to-Peer Recognition. It's marketed as "COVID-19 style" since all schools across the state are currently shut down. You can also offer a myriad of health benefits. After the bartender presentation (which was short) everybody got to chat and enjoy their drinks for some time before saying goodbye. Their diaries are told in words and. Plus, you could throw virtual parties for any holiday. Getting your own parking space is a highly coveted idea to really recognize your employees for doing a great job. This calculation is based on it costing about six to nine months . This time has been invaluable to the team as they had been feeling scattered, stressed, and disconnected. Spirit week is a week-long event that promotes company pride and employee engagement through fun activities. 1. Were hearing from some people that while its not for everyone, having three hours on a Friday afternoon to do something fun together is really appreciated so were providing it for those who like/need it. Think small bags of chips, cookies, and candy, displayed so employees can. Superhero Academy is equal parts fun, intellectual, and competitive. Recommended Article: 25 Employee Engagement Activities To Reinvent Your Workforce. Declaring theme days is one of the easiest spirit week ideas for work from home. The Town of Wake Forest and the Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department want you to stay safe during the current COVID-19 pandemic by honoring Wake County's stay at home order. If your office normally does Secret Santa or Yankee Swap gift exchanges, you can keep it going this year too. Find out how to shape a culture that attracts, engages, But while you're indoors, there's no reason you can't explore your fun and creative side. Teammates can select a different background for each meeting or theme day, and can even swap backgrounds multiple times per call. Perhaps the best gift to give your employees is recognizing your employees publicly for a great job done. Unique SWAG ideas have the power to set your company apart. One idea that keeps popping up on our Principal Life Facebook group is the concept of a virtual theme week. SHRM estimates that it costs $20,000 to $30,000 in recruiting and training expenses to replace a manager making $40,000 a year. Check out our list ofonline escape rooms. You can even use it as a way to support local businesses: We were able to do family meals for our employees. Although workplace benefits help keep employees happy, they rarely tend to spark inspiration. Priorities. After all, who doesn't like a couple of free snacks? Walking not only counts as physical activity, but also provides some mental health benefits. You might feel anxious about: Your own safety and the safety of others. Its a really cool way to connect with your coworkers and find out more about their life outside of work. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the federal government (OSHA) has provided detailed guidelinesfor workplace safety policies. This year, theyre sending a food related gift to our homes and giving us the afternoon off. The time can be used all at once or in increments. - Molly George, Partner and CEO of Kickstand Communications, We host Netflix parties where we pick something to watch and an app syncs our screens, letting us instant message each other. Usually at this time of year, my inbox fills up with questions about company holiday parties: How many drinks are OK to have there? Engage in active family play time. On beach day, participants post virtual backgrounds of tropical locations and sip mock mai tais. Themed dress-up days are popular favorites, but they're really just the start. Even a simple gesture like an appreciation message or thoughtful gifts on valentines Day or anniversaries can make a huge difference. Your employees are amazing people with undisclosed talents. Here are some suggestions: A team reset meeting will ensure team members take time to identify how to best work together in this new reality so that the team can maintain a sense of community, transition through this change effectively, and maintain (and even improve) team performance during this time while supporting the well-being of team members. That's why it's vital to spread your actions around multiple methods of transports to appeal to the broadest proportion of your workforce. Thus becoming one of the best employee engagement activities that you can invest in. It all started with a group chat. From relaxing countryside walks to exciting challenges, your staff will have the time of their lives. They take place using video call software, online communication platforms, and occasionally social media. Feel free to customize it with your companys logos. People are encouraged to bring family (which is not something we typically can do with these events) and I would have loved this even before the new normal. Im kind of bummed Im going to be missing out on this one actually. We gathered the top employee morale tips, tricks, and ideas from businesses around the world. Successful fundraising during a recession is two-pronged: Focus hard on donor engagement and retention, and You. Wed have the holiday party on Zoom, where folks would open what they had received from their gift giver. It can be scheduled ahead of time or impromptu, just like you might invite a team member to grab a coffee with you while walking by their desk. Explore the challenges people face in working from home (and they will differ) and ideas for dealing with them or sharing personal practices that work. If time is not available to do this well in one meeting book another one but within the next 24 hours so as not to lose momentum. Recommended Article: Gift Cards Make For The Perfect Employee Rewards. Everyone can be a film critic and talk about how much they love or hate what we're watching. - Jess Guffey, Brand Partnerships at Design Pickle, To stay connected with our colleagues and support local economies at the same time, our company decided to launch Support Santa, a Secret Santa-inspired gift swap. national crime agency strengths and weaknesses, solaris show user info, consequences of speaking against god's anointed,