Engagement & Motivation

The holiday season is coming and with it, the party season opens up. Whether you're gearing up for a festive Christmas gathering or ringing in the New Year, a well-planned holiday party can leave a lasting impression and be a highlight that employees talk about for months

So, how do you ensure your holiday party is one to remember?

This guide will walk you through key steps and offer 27 creative ideas to help you choose the perfect holiday party that fits your company culture.

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3 Key Steps To Prepare For Your Holiday Party

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Holiday parties aren’t a cookie-cutter thing; you'll need to consider your company's unique culture when planning an employee holiday party. A quirky, themed event might be perfect for a young, innovative tech startup in San Francisco but it may not resonate with a traditional company in the Midwest whose employees may prefer a more traditional, cozy gathering. It’s important to tailor your party to your organization’s vibe.

Culture matters heavily, so make sure that your holiday party idea aligns with that. If you’re stuck figuring out which idea works best for your company culture, look at your brand. With it, you can see how your company presents itself to the world and what kind of people it attracts. This will tell you how to proceed. 

For example, the clothing company Patagonia is all about environmentalism and saving the planet Earth. So a party idea that would go against that or create unnecessary trash isn’t the best one. 

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To ensure your party idea is a hit, here are three critical steps to get you started:

• Plan early. Don’t wait until the last minute! Starting early ensures that all details are well thought out and executed smoothly. A hastily thrown-together event is noticeable, and it’s much easier to avoid last-minute stress by giving yourself plenty of time to plan.

• Get the budget. Once the plan for the holiday party is ready, you need to get budget approval. It doesn’t matter how cost-effective your holiday party idea is, you still need some funds. Get this squared away early so you can plan within your means, knowing what kind of party is feasible.

• Prepare logistics. The plan’s set. The budget’s there. Now, it’s time to prepare all the logistics so that the party really shines. If you’re having a wine-tasting night, book a sommelier well in advance. If it’s a game night, make sure all games and supplies are ready to go. Proper logistics are essential for a smooth, enjoyable event.

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Now that the prep work is done, it’s time to dive into some fun and festive ideas!

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The Ultimate Employee Holiday Party Ideas

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Remember that the most important thing is for all the employees at the party to have a good time. To ensure that they look forward to this enjoyable time, we drafted the following 27 ideas for you to pick from. Whether your team loves games, food, or a more laid-back atmosphere, you’re sure to find something that fits your team.

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1. Christmas Karaoke

A karaoke night can be such a crowd-pleaser. Rent a machine earlier or set up a do-it-yourself karaoke using office technology, load up a mix of holiday hits and classic songs, and encourage employees to belt out their favorite tunes. To keep things fair, just make sure that you limit people to only one song at a time to avoid anyone hogging the mic.

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2. Cookie Decoration Night

Bring out everyone’s creative side with a cookie decorating event. The best thing about cookie decoration is that no matter what mistakes you make decorating, you can still “eat your mistakes.” Set up stations with cookies, icing, sprinkles, and other fun toppings. Make sure that you prepare enough open space in advance so that everyone can participate in the activity. In the end, you can have people present their cookies and even give an award!

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3. Movie night

Prepare a projector, set up chairs, get plenty of popcorn, put an awesome movie in, and enjoy your time with a holiday party movie night. The one thing you can do beforehand is set a poll with a couple of movies and let employees vote in advance. This will ensure you play a crowd pleaser of a movie.

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4. Virtual Holiday Party

Remote companies require remote solutions. With a virtual holiday party, you’re connecting everyone to a single video chat and having a blast. Keep the energy high with activities like virtual Christmas tree decorating, sharing festive recipes, or a quick game of holiday-themed trivia so that people can stay engaged while they’re on the call. 

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5. Virtual Party Trivia Quiz

A virtual party can really benefit from a trivia quiz. Prepare the questions, topics (like holiday traditions, company history, or fun facts about employees), and themes ahead of time, explain the rules to the employees, and let them know what the reward for winning the quiz is. This will create a healthy competitive atmosphere and will lead to a great night. 

6. Casino Night

Having a casino night party can be something small, like having one table for card games such as Blackjack or Texas Holdem. Or you can create a casino feel, with roulette games, card games, and even find machine slots so that people can truly feel immersed in the casino feel. If you’re going for the second option, make sure that you plan the logistics correctly. If you don’t have one large space where you can put everything, you can have one game per room and get a similar feeling. For a true casino atmosphere, you can get card dealers that would dress up like it’s a real casino and add to the excitement with prizes for those with the most “winnings.”

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7. Christmas Around The World

Explore holiday traditions from different cultures by hosting a “Christmas Around the World” theme. Some cultures have bonfires, others swim in cold water, and some write real letters to Santa. You could decorate rooms to represent various countries, like a German Christmas market or a Swedish Saint Lucia’s Day. Consider incorporating traditional foods, music, and even games from each culture.

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8. Themed Game Show

There are so many different game shows that you can use to create a really great holiday party. Try recreating a popular game show like Family Feud, Jeopardy, or The Price is Right with holiday twists. You can even create your own variation if you’re not satisfied with how regular game shows function. The most important thing is to pick the right themes and topics for your people. Craft questions or themes around the season, your industry, or your employees for an extra personal touch. Make sure that the themes match the interests of the employees and you’ll have a great night.

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9. Santa Claus And Krampus Party

You can use the Santa Claus and Krampus Party in multiple variations. You can have someone play Santa, handing out small gifts or holiday “tasks", and another person plays Krampus and gives humorous “punishments” to the naughty. This is a fun way to bring some holiday spirit while getting everyone laughing.

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10. Costume Party

A costume party can be a great way for people to unite around a common theme, let loose and show their creativity. You can spin a costume party any way you like, going from decade parties (20s, 80s, 00s), characters from a popular TV show or a movie (Harry Potter, Lord of The Rings, The Office, etc.), or let everyone choose their favorite holiday-inspired look.

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11. Murder Mystery

There’s been a murder and your employees need to solve it! You don’t need to have the game Cluedo to do a murder mystery, you can find plenty of free or inexpensive murder mystery scenarios online. People love murder mysteries because they’re engaging, last for enough time, and really push people to become true detectives. 

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12. Ugly Sweater 

Everyone has an ugly Christmas sweater hanging at the back of the closet. And that’s the point. Encourage employees to wear their tackiest, most outrageous holiday sweaters and let them compete for titles like “Most Creative” or “Ugliest Sweater.” The best thing about the Ugly Sweater party is that the clothes usually have a story behind them so it really gets interesting when people start sharing the story behind the sweater. 

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13. Bingo Night

Bingo is all about playing games and winning rewards. A bingo night can really be a fun activity for your office holiday party. Have someone charismatic host the event and include fun prizes for the winners. Customize the bingo cards with holiday images or office-related themes for an extra festive touch.

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14. Photo Booth

Photo booths are, in general, really fun by themselves. When you set one up as an employee holiday party, make sure that the booth is in a visible place so that people can take pictures. Also, you can put fun requisites next to the booth so that people use them while taking pictures. Oversized glasses, a monocle, reindeer antlers, or a Santa hat are all fun stuff to have on photo booth pictures. Employees can take pictures with coworkers to create memories they can keep and share on social media.

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15. Secret Santa

Secret Santa as a party requires a bit more logistical preparation. You need to ensure that everyone has their Secret Santa (both giving and receiving gifts), that you limit the budget to something reasonable, and that everyone follows through by coming to the party. Encourage creative or humorous gifts to keep the energy light-hearted.

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16. Tree Decorating Party

A tree decorating party can be an amazing employee holiday office idea. If you have a bigger office, you can even have multiple trees and have different teams compete against each other for the best-dressed tree in the office. Just make sure that you provide ornaments, lights, and other decorations.

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17. Gingerbread House Competition

People love making gingerbread houses. Some make them for eating, but the biggest fun lies in decorating your gingerbread house and then showing it off. You can announce a competition early on, divide employees into teams, provide supplies, and let the creativity flow as they build and decorate gingerbread houses. Offer prizes for categories like “Most Creative” or “Best Theme.”

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18. Escape Room

An escape room functions similarly to a murder mystery. You have a bunch of people who have a highly engaging task in front of them that they need to solve. This can be done at an actual escape room venue, or you can create a DIY version in the office. You can create different types of rooms that require employees work together to solve puzzles and “escape” from a locked room. Depending on your employees, you’ll see if it makes sense to have escape rooms that last for 20 minutes or those that last two hours. Whatever you choose, just remember that it’s not about “escaping the room” but about having fun. 

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19. Christmas Potluck

A Christmas Potluck requires a bit more logistical coordination from your side. Assign dishes or categories (appetizers, main dishes, desserts) and let everyone bring their favorite holiday recipes. Christmas potlucks are a great way to share cultural traditions and try new dishes, and employees can showcase their cooking skills to their colleagues.

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20. Interactive Cooking Class

You don’t just have to cook the stuff you know for Christmas; you can learn how to cook a new dish! Host a virtual or in-person cooking class where a professional chef guides employees through a holiday recipe. With an interactive cooking class, you can follow along with a professional and create your dish with their instructions and guidance. This can be a fun way for everyone to learn something new and end up with a delicious meal or treat, especially if you’re a remote company.

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21. Wine and Cheese tasting

One more employee holiday party idea that can work both onsite and online and that adds a touch of sophistication to the celebration. When doing the activity in person, hire a sommelier to guide employees through different pairings. When doing it remotely, you have a bit more logistics to take care of if you send a tasting package to each participant, but it’s still a fun night for cheese-and-wine lovers. 

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22. Cocktail party

A cocktail party can be a festive way to unwind and mingle, especially if you have the budget to get a bartender to mix drinks for you and your colleagues. A cocktail party can really be great because you can do it with almost no budget and set up a DIY cocktail station where employees can make holiday-themed drinks.

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23. Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt can really be a great employee holiday party idea because it’s so engaging. Organize a scavenger hunt with holiday-themed items hidden around the office or virtually for remote teams. Divide employees into teams and give them clues to find the items. Add some prizes for the winning team to make it competitive and engaging.

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24. Ice skating/Hockey

Embrace winter by organizing an ice-skating outing or a friendly hockey match. Employees can bond over shared laughs (and falls!), and it’s a great way to get everyone out of the office. Depending on your organization’s size and demographics, you can even create a tournament and give a reward to the team that wins it all.

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25. Bowling

If ice sports aren’t available in your local area, you can still have a great team-building activity by booking a few lanes and bringing people together to the bowling center. It’s a fun activity where employees can unwind and socialize in a casual setting, and the risk of injury is far lower than on ice!

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26. Paint night

A paint night can be combined with wine for a paint-and-sip event, where employees can enjoy a relaxing evening creating art. Get out the canvases and have people paint their pictures. You can use different ideas for a paint night: guide people through a holiday-themed painting, let them create something from their imagination or from a real model that they should paint as close to reality as possible.

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27. Masquerade Ball 

Last but not least is the masquerade ball. You can have different styles of masquerade ball, going from full costumes to black tie suits with only a face mask for people. Whatever you choose, just make sure that you inform people in advance so that they can prepare their clothes in time and dress appropriately for the party. This is a great way to end the year in style.

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In conclusion

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We have presented you with 27 employee holiday party ideas that will help you pinpoint the right one for your team and host an unforgettable holiday celebration that brings everyone together for a great time. Whichever you choose, make sure that you prepare the plan, the budget, and the logistics ahead of time so that there are no surprises on that night. By picking the right theme and creating an inclusive, festive atmosphere, your party can be the highlight of the year!

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And if you’re preparing Christmas gifts for your employees, make sure that you read our 15 Best Christmas Gift Ideas for Employees: From Unique to Practical to get some really cool ideas. 

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Investing in employee wellness can significantly boost workforce productivity and efficiency. According to data from Growth Market Reports, the global workplace wellness market was valued at $50.2 billion in 2022, with projections to reach $80.1 billion by 2031. More businesses are prioritizing workforce health to help improve business operations and output. Workplace wellness benefits take various forms, from fitness classes and digital workplace offerings to health coverage that ensures healthcare remains accessible to employees.

One often overlooked yet highly impactful element of workplace wellness is employee recognition programs. By acknowledging employee contributions, organizations can foster a sense of appreciation that directly impacts health, well-being, and job satisfaction, all while boosting performance.

As workplaces become increasingly digital and remote, organizations are adopting wellness programs to meet different employee needs. These programs often include employee recognition initiatives that promote a supportive, collaborative culture, which is key to reducing stress and improving both mental and physical well-being. In this post, we’ll discuss how employers can equip their workforce with the right wellness tools for health and well-being in the areas of vision, stress, and movement, while integrating the benefits of employee recognition programs.

Vision

While 88% of employers offer vision benefits, only a little over a quarter of employees fully utilize them. The key is to encourage employees to take advantage of these resources, especially since about half of employees report experiencing vision problems. Research indicates that untreated vision issues can negatively affect performance, but when employers offer comprehensive vision care, they help reduce overall healthcare costs by addressing problems early on.

Digital work environments often lead to extended screen time, increasing the risk of eye strain and other related issues. Employers can provide access to blue light glasses or cover their cost, helping employees reduce exposure to harmful blue light. Researchers suggest that eyeglasses with amber lenses can help filter out blue light and protect the retinas, limiting blue light exposure. Blue light glasses do not fully eliminate blue light since the sun naturally produces that, and you still need its benefits. Instead, the lenses block out the high energy short wave between 415 and 455 nm, which is what causes the most damage to the eyes. At the same time, companies can promote mindful working habits, such as encouraging regular breaks to rest the eyes.

Recognition programs can play a key role in reinforcing the importance of utilizing these vision benefits. By incorporating vision care into employee wellness incentives, companies can increase engagement with these programs. For example, using a platform like Qarrot, employers can track and reward employee participation in vision programs, which not only boosts morale but also helps ensure long-term eye health and productivity.

Stress

Mental health is increasingly recognized as essential to workforce productivity. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, positive mental health is linked to higher levels of innovation and work engagement. Employee recognition programs are powerful tools in mitigating stress, particularly by addressing feelings of underappreciation, which are often tied to job dissatisfaction and burnout.

By celebrating milestones and acknowledging contributions through tools like Qarrot’s Peer Recognition feature, employees feel more valued and supported, creating a positive work environment that helps reduce stress. This recognition fosters emotional support among peers, strengthening relationships and reinforcing the importance of well-being.

In addition to recognition, employers can adopt wellness initiatives that prevent burnout, such as sending break reminders and using time-tracking apps to ensure employees aren’t overworked. Recognizing employees for maintaining work-life balance, or even offering rewards for participation in mental wellness activities, is an effective way to promote stress management and well-being.

Movement

Maintaining physical activity in a largely sedentary work environment is crucial for employee health. Long hours spent sitting can lead to various health issues, including muscle aches, fatigue, and more serious conditions like heart disease. Top-performing companies understand this, often offering benefits like on-site fitness facilities or discounted gym memberships to promote physical activity.

Gamifying physical wellness through employee recognition programs can help encourage participation. Using Qarrot’s Incentive Campaigns feature, employers can reward employees for engaging in fitness challenges, which not only boosts morale but also promotes a healthy, active lifestyle. Friendly competition through leaderboards or badges can inspire more employees to stay active, improving both their physical and mental health.

Incorporating movement into daily routines, even through short breaks for stretching or walking, can significantly enhance creativity and productivity. Recognizing and rewarding employees for integrating physical activity into their workday ensures that wellness goals are consistently met.

Provide the Right Wellness Tools Today

Integrating employee recognition programs with workplace wellness initiatives offers a powerful combination for improving workforce well-being. Recognition fosters a supportive environment that enhances employee engagement, reduces stress, and boosts participation in wellness activities. Whether it’s through vision care, stress management, or encouraging physical activity, the right tools and recognition strategies help employees thrive.

With Qarrot, organizations like Cornerstone Insurance and SMTP2GO have successfully launched employee recognition programs that not only improved engagement but also supported overall wellness. By investing in both wellness and recognition, you can create a healthier, more motivated workforce. Contact Qarrot today to learn how we can help your organization succeed.

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Anything can be a good Christmas gift for your employees; it’s all about personalization. A gift card, book, or coffee mug can be either the best gift for Christmas or a missed opportunity—  it all depends on personalization.

Did you give them a gift card for something they actually want? 

Did you give them a book they actually want to read? 

Did you give them a personalized coffee mug about something they actually care about?

The trick behind giving your employees the best Christmas gift is personalization and with this article, we’ll help you uncover what your employees want for Christmas. 

But first, let’s see why you should even give your employees a Christmas gift. 

Why Christmas gifts matter

Gifts have been an important part of our culture for centuries. With gifts, we convey care for each other, strengthen our relationships, and show appreciation.

Now, this matters because a happy employee is an engaged employee and you want your employee to be happy about a gift they received in the workplace. According to HBR, when employees are happy, they have a lower turnover rate, have a higher performance in the workplace, and are more productive. 

A Gallup study about the effects of employee engagement in the workplace added a couple more benefits to this list: 

• 81% less absenteeism

• 64% less accidents at work

• 10% increase in customer loyalty

• 23% increase in profitability

A happy employee is an engaged employee and with the benefits you get from that, you want to have engaged employees. One thing to consider is that the biggest driver of employee engagement in the workplace is how much care leaders and managers show toward their employees. 

And one of the best ways to show that appreciation is by ensuring that you give your employees the best possible Christmas gift. With that in mind, let’s look at some Christmas gift ideas. 

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The process of picking the best gift (always)

When picking out a gift for your employee, you should have three things in mind: 

• Personalization. Will this gift make sense for the person? 

• Meaning. What kind of meaning do I want this gift to represent when I give it to the employee?

• Effort. What’s the effort I need to invest so that the employee feels cared about? 

According to a study done by Fox Business, 81% of employees said they were disappointed by holiday gifts in the past. The same study stated that 77% of employees said that they would prefer picking their own gift instead of the boss choosing the gift. 

The data doesn’t show us that the employees prefer to pick their own gifts; the data shows the disappointment from employees that their bosses can’t pick the right gift for them. So if you get this right, your employees will cherish it! 

Depending on your company's size and budget, you can do different things with Christmas gifts. The first thing is that the gifts don’t have to be universal— not everyone in the company needs to get the same gift (remember personalization). However, you need to be careful not to accidentally create a major disbalance in gifts. 

As an extreme example, it would mean that you can’t gift one employee a brand new car as a Christmas gift and another a coffee mug— the perceived difference in values in those gifts is too much. The best way to ensure equality is to have a dedicated budget for gifts and keep all gifts within a certain budget. 

If you have a larger company and can’t buy gifts for everyone by yourself, then give your managers a budget so they can get the gifts for their members. They’re the ones that know their members the best. 

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15 best Christmas ideas for employees 

1. Gift cards

Employees love gift cards!

With gift cards, employees can spend them with pre-approved vendors to get anything they prefer. It’s like LEGO cubes but for grown-ups. The wide range of choices is what makes gift cards so appealing. An employee can use it on LED TVs, VIP tickets to a concert, spa sessions, travel arrangements, and even Steam games. 

It’s no wonder that 75% of businesses use them as a preferred non-cash reward. Also, they can serve as a perfect Christmas gift for your employees. 

2. A book

Books, like coffee mugs, are getting a bad rep as Christmas gifts. However, that’s only true if you don’t personalize the gift. When picking out a book as a Christmas present for your employee, make sure that you don’t give them a book that teaches them how to do their job better. They might take that the wrong way. 

Instead, give them a book that’s about their personal interests. This will show personalization and that their manager or you as the HR person in charge know about their interests.  If they just started baking, ask their colleagues which chefs and bakers they follow on YouTube and get their cookbooks. The key to the book being a great present is just like any other gift— personalization. 

3. Baking tools

What’s Christmas without the sweet smell of cookies? Baking tools such as dough scrappers, bread makers, Dutch ovens, or iron pans can be really great gifts for people who like to spend time in the kitchen. 

Again, you’ll have to ensure that you personalize the gift and get the person a gift they need and they will use. 

4. A set of knives

A set of knives can be a really great Christmas gift because it’s super versatile. If you know someone in the office who is on a meat diet and prefers eating steak quite often, then you can get them a set of steak knives. 

If the employee likes fish/sushi, get them a set of sashimi knives. If they enjoy food all around, get them a set that includes a chef’s knife, a boning knife, and a Cooking knife (cleaver).

5. Humidifier/dehumidifier, air cleaner

If you have employees working from home (WFH), a humidifier/dehumidifier will be an excellent Christmas gift. They’re spending a lot of time at home and the moisture in the air most likely isn’t in the optimal range so a humidifier/dehumidifier will fix that. 

On top of that, humidifiers/dehumidifiers will also improve air quality in the space, helping people with asthma, allergies, dry sinuses or dry throats, and congestion. The best thing about this present is that it can also be used in the office environment (if the employee has a dedicated office space). Maybe their allergies are causing them to take sick days during pollen season and a great air cleaner can help prevent that. 

6. A houseplant

A houseplant can be a great Christmas gift when done right. With a houseplant, you need to not only look at the function of the plant (cleans the air) but also look at its aesthetic. This is something people will have in their space and they want something that’s aesthetically pleasing and that fits their style. 

This is the case where bigger isn’t always better— make sure that the plant fits the decor of the person or they won’t like it.  

7. Coffeemaker

Millennials love coffee. According to a study from Empower, 62% of Millennials say they’re willing to spend $7 on a daily coffee because of the joy it brings. That’s why a coffeemaker would serve as a great Christmas gift, especially to Millennial and Gen-Z employees. 

There are two things you can do with a coffeemaker: You can either gift the employee a simple, affordable coffee maker or you can get a dedicated coffee machine for their section of the office. Maybe you know that the team on the office floor wanted to get a good coffee maker so you decided to purchase a team gift and give them a great coffee maker that they’ll use on a daily basis.

8. Nutribullet/Blender

Blenders are amazing as a gift; they’re versatile and multifunctional. Your employees can use them for various things and that’s why they’re so good as a Christmas gift. 

If you know that your employee goes to the gym often, you can gift them a Nutribullet blender so they can do their shakes pre/after their gym session. If you know that your employees love to eat berries, then they can use the blender to make shakes out of them. Also, anyone who bakes or cooks can use the blender for a variety of things in the kitchen.

9. Exercise/yoga ball

When it comes to the exercise equipment, the yoga ball reigns supreme. It’s multi-purposeful and it’s universal in its size and shape. Avoid giving other exercise equipment such as dumbbells unless you absolutely know what kind of weight/shape of the bar the person uses. 

Also, be mindful that many people struggle with their weight and with a healthy body image. So use the yoga ball as a gift only if it makes sense for the person or the entire company involved. If you’re a company operating in the health industry, the message behind the gift is quite different than if you were in the fashion industry and started giving your employees yoga balls as Christmas gifts. 

10. Games

Since gaming as an industry is bigger than the music and movie industry combined, let’s immediately differentiate the gifts you can give to three types of games (and gamers):

• Online games. Online gamers are people who play games using various consoles such as PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo (or PC games). When giving games as Christmas gifts in this category, be mindful of the console the person uses and give them a game they can play on their console. 
• Board games. Board games range from simple games such as Don’t Be Angry, which lasts for 20 minutes to games such as Twilight Imperium which lasts around eight hours. If you know your employee plays board games, either get them an expansion pack for one of the games they already have (such as Catan), or gift them an entirely new board game that they might play with their friends. 
• Card games. Last but not least are the card games. You probably have at least one person in your company who enjoys playing card games. Magic The Gathering is the most popular card game and is played by around 50 million people. By figuring out what kind of card game your employee likes, you can buy them a pack/deck of cards from that game. 

11. A yearly subscription

Yearly subscriptions can be an excellent way to show to your employees that you care about them. Some of the gifts that might not look that great as a one-off gift are perfect for a yearly subscription. 

For example, gifting your employee French cheese once doesn’t seem like a good idea, but giving them a yearly subscription to the cheese is a great idea (if they like great cheese). 

Not all subscriptions have to be for Netflix, HBO, or Amazon Prime— you can give your employees various yearly subscriptions such as “Fruit Basket of the Month,” exotic coffees each month, or wine for the year. 

Whatever you pick, make sure that the person would enjoy that because they’re gonna be getting that throughout the entire next year! 

12. Educational programs

Employees want to invest in their professional development. So a great Christmas gift would be to give them access to to educational programs they can use to improve their skills. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) such as Coursera or Udemy are a perfect example of this or LinkedIn’s Linda program that gives people certifications on LinkedIn once they finish the courses. 

13. Wellness weekend/program

Employee wellness is a big thing in today’s working environment. Considering the amount of stress and the fast-paced environment everyone’s working in, a nice way to relax and avoid burnout would be a wellness weekend in one of the facilities in the vicinity. 

With wellness, you have a plethora of options to choose from: 

• Massages
• Spa
• Sauna
• Manicure/pedicure
• Facial
• Hot-tub
• Swimming in a pool

Now, depending on your employee’s location, they might not have a facility nearby that has all of this. So, focus on the wellness program they can get nearby and provide them with a Christmas gift that will leave them relaxed and well-rested. 

14. Time off

You don’t have to spend any money on this gift, but it’s a win-win situation for everonye. When the employee gets additional time off, they can relax and recharge their batteries and the company doesn’t spend any resources on it. Look at the employees who want to visit their (distant) relatives and give them some additional time off so they can do it stress-free. 

15. Office-related gifts

Office-related gifts can be any number of gifts that you know will improve the quality of life of your employees when they’re in the office. They can be any of the following things: 

• Personalized journals

• Specialized pens (like the 5-in-1 pen)

• Desk calendars

• Adjustable (laptop) desks

• Fidget toys (remember the fidget spinner?)

• Art

• Dust/Snow/City globes

• Palm rollers

• Specialized bookends and bookmarks

• Wireless chargers

• Headphones (headset)

• Desk organizers

• Coffee mugs 

The best thing about office-related gifts is that you can combine them any way you like so you can get all of your employees a desk organizer along with a wireless charger or give them desk calendars and palm rollers. 

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In conclusion

Gifts, especially Christmas gifts, are a deeply personal matter and you should approach each employee’s gift individually. If you manage to do so, you’ll have happy employees who turn into engaged employees, which is a win-win situation at work. 

We know that picking Christmas gifts isn’t easy, and it can be especially challenging if you’re not well-versed in employee rewards and recognition programs. But you don’t have to worry— we can help you with that. With Qarrot’s catalog of e-gift cards, you’ll make picking Christmas gifts a walk in the park. So book your demo today and let us lead you through the process.

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If you work in HR, you know that fostering “engagement” goes much deeper than just throwing a fun social activity, especially if these activities are mandated. “Forced fun is not exactly a driver of employee engagement. In other words, you can’t expect mandated pizza parties and team-building activities to reduce employee turnover. Although these initiatives can provide a temporary morale boost and help with team bonding, true employee engagement goes much deeper than these surface-level initiatives. 

That said, the benefits of employee engagement are well documented. A growing body of research shows that more engaged employees are happier, more productive, and stay longer within their organizations. All these factors have a tangible impact on the organization's performance.

So, if social events don’t drive higher employee engagement, what does? This article presents recent workplace research and discusses the most critical drivers of employee engagement. We’ll also offer some concrete examples of initiatives you can easily implement today to encourage these key drivers in your workplace. If you’re getting started with an employee engagement plan, recognizing these key drivers is a key step in systematically tackling the engagement issues in your workplace.

8 Key Drivers of Employee Engagement (and How to Promote them Today)

1. Meaningful Work

Meaning at work might seem like a fluffy, vague concept. But it’s one of the most important drivers of employee engagement. In this Psychology Today article titled How to Foster Meaningful Work, the author discusses the definition of meaningful work, “It’s the subjective experience you have that your work matters, facilitates personal growth, and is significant and worthwhile.”

Of course, not every little task an employee performs has to be meaningful. It’s more about the bigger picture impact of their work, how employees feel and relate to their responsibilities, and how those duties align with their goals and personal growth plans.

Many leaders may feel overwhelmed and wonder how to encourage such an abstract idea. The author offers some concrete suggestions, like 

• Continuously communicate how your employees' work impacts the bigger picture—your organization, clients, and even the larger social impact of the work. 
• Nurture potential by putting employees on projects that challenge them and match their professional goals.
• Give employees flexibility and autonomy in how they perform and complete their work.

As you can see, fostering meaningful work doesn’t have to involve rolling out shiny new initiatives that require tons of resources and time to set up and run. It may be as simple as leaders communicating the impact of their employees' work and aligning employee tasks and duties with their interests and passions. 

2. Leadership Quality

It's a well-known fact that employees perform better under competent leaders. Yet, the reality is that many companies are wrestling with subpar leadership, leading to significant issues in employee engagement. 

Gallup recently reported that only 23% of U.S. employees strongly agree that they trust their organization's leadership. Calm's yearly Voice of the Workplace report showed that about half (49%) of employees claim their manager genuinely cares about their well-being. Those are some discouraging statistics. 

Fortunately, effective leadership can be taught and fostered. Business leaders, HR professionals, and managers have the power to implement changes and improve the leadership in their organizations. For example, leadership training, mentorship programs, and anonymous surveys to gauge leadership quality can be implemented to ensure your company's leadership meets standards that help employees thrive.

3. Opportunities for Development and Growth

Work is a core pillar of modern life. What else could explain the most common question people ask when they first meet, "What do you do for work?" Work goes beyond something we do for a paycheck; it's a core driver of our identity. 

As a result, many people see work as a vehicle for growing, learning, and evolving as professionals and people. Of course, some people are in a phase in their careers where they are happy just going to work, executing their job well, and nothing more. Yet, many people desire to be stimulated and challenged at work.

A recent BetterWorks State of Performance Enablement report revealed this truth and found that 86% of employees say skill development and coaching are important to them, but only 54% are receiving it. At the same time, a report by Canadian health tech company Dialogue found that 63% of HR professionals agree that employee career development is a significant challenge for their business. Simply put, Employees want to be challenged and developed, but practically speaking, businesses and their HR teams are struggling to meet this demand; there aren't unlimited promotions to go around to everyone who wants it.

In the book Promotions Are So Yesterday, workplace expert and author Julie Winkle Giulioni addresses the common issue of "how to offer growth when promotions are in short supply."

A few of the suggestions she offers:

• Re-define what "growth" is: Promotions or title changes should not be the only way we define growth or career development. Moving beyond this traditional definition will open up countless opportunities to offer "growth" to your employees.
• Build employees' confidence: Help identify areas of strength and weakness and nudge employees out of their comfort zones.
• Help employees build connections: Support employees in fostering internal connections. For example, can you help employees with the following: Attending an event, meeting key leaders, or leading a meeting?

4. Recognition and Rewards

Imagine going to work and never getting positive remarks or “good job” from your leaders or peers. It wouldn’t be too long before you felt resentful and burnt out. Paychecks are important—as we will see later in this article, but they cannot replace the positive feelings that genuine recognition can evoke.

A wealth of research supports the importance of recognition in the workplace. For example, a recent Gallup research report found that employees who receive great recognition are 20X as likely to be engaged as employees who receive poor recognition. Recognition is even critical to more physically demanding work environments like manufacturing and production. A Manufacturing Institute report showed that workers who felt valued were more than 4X as likely to report high levels of work engagement and less likely to feel stressed out on a typical workday. 

a recent Gallup research report found that employees who receive great recognition are 20X as likely to be engaged as employees who receive poor recognition.

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That said, there are many types of employee recognition in the workplace—from casual “good jobs” to more formal years of service programs. Organizations can grow appreciation in the workplace in various ways.

Some examples of employee recognition programs that leaders can be implemented in a workplace include:

• Peer-to-peer recognition: Peer-to-peer recognition programs can be facilitated through digital platforms like Qarrot, where employees can send kudos, thank-you notes, or points redeemed for rewards.
• Anniversary and milestone awards: Celebrating work anniversaries and significant milestones is a great way to show appreciation for long-term commitment and loyalty. These awards can be given for milestones such as 1, 5, 10, or 20 years of service.
• Social media shoutouts: Highlighting employee achievements on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, or the company’s blog makes the employee feel valued and showcases the company’s positive culture to a wider audience.

There are countless ways businesses can start fostering a culture of recognition. For organizations new to recognition programs, the best approach is to start with a small initiative and work your way up from there. 

5. Work-Life Balance

The pandemic forced people to reconsider work-life balance; people started reevaluating their priorities and values around work. As a result, hustle and burnout culture came under scrutiny, and work freedom and flexibility became one of the most important factors driving employee happiness and engagement. 

A Randstad Workmonitor report found that work-life balance now ranks as highly as pay on talent's priorities (93%)—far ahead of any other category. Another report by Canadian healthtech company Dialogue found that work-life balance is a top contributor to employees' mental health after financial situation and job satisfaction.

Work-life balance has become a core consideration for candidates and a powerful driver of employee engagement. Thankfully, employers can help protect employees' work-life balance in many ways, both at the higher policy and program level and at the managerial level. 

For example, at the organizational level, companies can create initiatives for flexible work hours and remote work options. At the managerial level, clear boundaries can be established around communication expectations outside work hours. Showing employees that the organization and leadership care about protecting their work-life balance can improve employee engagement and lead to a more productive and happier workforce.

6. Autonomy and Empowerment

Autonomy and empowerment are vital drivers of employee engagement because they tap into the basic human need for control. When employees are free to make decisions and feel empowered to take ownership of their work, it fuels their intrinsic motivation—meaning they're driven by the internal satisfaction of the task rather than external rewards. 

According to self-determination theory (SDT), a well-established psychological model, humans are naturally motivated when they feel competent, connected, and autonomous. In other words, people are often motivated by external factors such as money, awards, and prestige (i.e., extrinsic motivation); however, self-determination theory focuses primarily on internal sources of motivation, such as a need to gain knowledge or independence (i.e., intrinsic motivation).

This sense of autonomy doesn't just make people feel good; it actually boosts their engagement, creativity, and overall job satisfaction. Empowered employees are more likely to be passionate about their work, leading to better performance and a more vibrant workplace.

Organizations can help drive employee engagement by fostering greater employee autonomy and empowerment. This can be accomplished at higher levels through official policies and programs, but it can also be achieved in smaller, everyday ways at the team level. 

For example, organizations can offer flexible work arrangements, allowing employees to work from home or even abroad for a given period of the year. On a team level, managers can give some flexibility over employees' schedules or give employees some input into their goals, tasks, and responsibilities. 

7. Communication and Transparency

Dishonesty, distrust, and fear are the opposites of healthy work cultures. Doing your best work is impossible when you are tense and on edge. In other words, a sense of safety and security in the workplace is vital to employee happiness and productivity. Organizations and leaders must provide employees with a sense of trust. 

When leaders are open and transparent about decisions, goals, and challenges, employees feel more connected and valued, knowing they’re in the loop. This clarity helps reduce uncertainty, which is a significant factor in reducing stress and boosting motivation. 

Unfortunately, recent employee engagement statistics show some bleak numbers in this area. According to recent Gallup findings, employee trust in leadership has significantly declined in recent years, with only 23% of U.S. employees “strongly agreeing” that they trust their company’s leadership.

Thankfully, organizations can implement strategies for improving organizational communication and trust. At the organizational level, leaders can hold regular all-hands meetings to discuss the company’s goals, challenges, and progress. Accessible channels for sharing company updates can also be set up, which can keep everyone informed and aligned. 

Zooming in on a team level, managers can hold frequent check-ins, encourage open dialogue, and actively listen to concerns. Executing an open-door policy can make it easier for employees to voice their thoughts while providing regular feedback.

8. Fair Compensation and Benefits

We couldn't finish this article without mentioning compensation. Of course, pay isn't the only factor driving employee engagement, but it's a crucial baseline factor. When employees feel fairly compensated, it sends a clear message that their work is valued and that the organization respects their contributions. In other words, ensuring fair pay directly addresses basic human needs for security and recognition.

Looking at classical psychological theories like Maslow's hierarchy of needs, we can see that financial security is fundamental and needs to be met before humans can feel motivated to work towards and focus on higher-level motivations like achievement and growth. Seeing results like this one from Calm's yearly Voices of the Workplace Report makes sense. It shows that employees' top mental health stressor in 2024 is the cost of living/inflation. When people are not able to meet these fundamental needs their mental, emotional, and even physical health can suffer.

This research suggests that the financial stress of not being able to make ends meet or keep up with the cost of living has a significant detrimental impact on people's mental health. For employers, this has substantial implications. People's work performance, concentration, and productivity suffer when they are chronically stressed and worried about their living situations and finances. To that end, ensuring employees are being paid fairly and given a wage that allows them to meet their basic living requirements is critical to protecting employee engagement.

Final Thoughts

Employee engagement is a multifaceted and deeply rooted aspect of organizational success.

While it may be tempting to rely on surface-level activities like social events or extra snacks, true engagement requires a more thoughtful and comprehensive approach. By focusing on core drivers like meaningful work, quality leadership, and, recognition, organizations can create an environment where employees feel valued, motivated, and connected to their work.

Implementing these drivers of employee engagement isn’t about making sweeping changes overnight. Instead, it's about consistently cultivating a workplace culture that prioritizes these core elements, leading to a more engaged, productive, and loyal workforce. Remember, engagement is an ongoing process, not a one-time initiative. By taking the time to understand and address what truly drives your employees, you’ll be investing in the long-term health and success of your organization.

A successful business is one with engaged employees. In fact, we've recently reported statistics finding that companies that actively make an effort to engage employees can reduce turnover by over 18%. Despite that, 85% of employees aren't engaged at work. One of the biggest reasons why? A lack of well-being in the office. Due to factors like stress, worsened health and wellness, and toxic workplace cultures, many employees feel they don't receive the support they need to stay at their current jobs.

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Fortunately, this is something your own business can avoid. With the right strategies, you can enhance your employees' well-being in the workplace and better engage them in all the right ways. Here are some health and wellness tips you can try to achieve just that.

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Promote better eating

Ensuring employees get the proper nourishment, even just at the office, will guarantee that they can always function at their best. That means sharpened physical and cognitive skills for more energy, less absenteeism—and, ultimately, improved productivity. Case studies on workplaces in Canada and other countries around the globe even find that nutrition-focused workplace interventions can significantly influence how healthily employees eat at home, which can help them feel like you genuinely care for their well-being and better engage them at work. Some things you can try to promote better eating include providing healthy meal and snack options in the office and curating more nutritious menus when booking catering services for work events.

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Motivate more movement

This tip is one you should keep in mind if your employees work desk jobs. Prolonged periods spent sitting down can negatively impact their health by elevating blood pressure and sugar levels while increasing their likelihood of developing obesity and even cancer. That said, give your employees more opportunities to move around. Think of walking meetings and staff walking contests; charity runs as team-building activities and gym memberships as employee incentives. 

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You can also integrate that motivation for movement into your employees' daily routines. In particular, consider outfitting their workspaces with ergonomic furniture. Sit-stand workstations like the VIVO and VariDesk Pro Plus 36 can help employees vary their work positions and break up those long sedentary periods during office hours, reducing the risk of them developing aches and pains that can ultimately take away from their well-being. In fact, standing desks have helped big companies like CBRE create modern workspaces that significantly increase employee satisfaction.

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Prioritize vision care

Though digital transformation has been especially beneficial for businesses, companies need to watch out for worsened employee eye health. An increasing reliance on devices to get jobs done means more screen time. That can cause pain and discomfort through computer vision syndrome, negatively impacting their productivity and well-being. 

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Fortunately, you can avoid that by prioritizing employee vision care. Consider starting by working with optometry clinics to provide eye exams free of cost to your employees. That can help them easily determine if they need to buy corrective aids or update their existing prescriptions. You can help here, too. By allocating funds to add vision care to your benefits package, your employees can purchase eyeglasses from reliable brands at a cheaper price. One major retailer you can consider is Ray-Ban. It accepts most insurance plans upon checkout, meaning employees can more easily avail of eyewear from its optical line. Aside from updated prescriptions, these can come with advanced lens technologies like blue-violet light filtering to reduce eye strain from excess screen time. Ultimately, that means you can give your employees a more accessible way to safeguard their eye health at work and improve their overall well-being.

Support mental health

Another thing you need to keep in mind is that the modern business landscape is more fast-paced than ever. That means employees are more likely to get stressed and burn out—making it especially vital for you to engage them in ways that support their mental health. One way you can start is by promoting better work-life balance. Offer flexible work arrangements, establish boundaries like discouraging work communications outside office hours, and support employees taking time off for mental health reasons. 

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For longer-lasting results, consider implementing more serious workplace initiatives similar to Health Canada's Employee Assistance Program, which provides federal employees and their families 24/7 access to mental health support. Your efforts in this direction can involve connecting your own team to mental health professionals for counselling and offering rebates for any sessions they attend. As with vision care, you can also add mental health coverage to your benefits packages. With nearly 43% of Canadian employees unable to afford mental healthcare, your efforts can help better enhance their well-being for improved engagement.

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The term "employee engagement" is often used in the HR sphere and can start to sound like just another corporate buzzword. Yet, in the day-to-day reality of a workplace, how engaged employees are impacts so many important workplace metrics like morale, productivity, and overall organizational performance. 

The case for employee engagement is strong – it’s not just a fluffy corporate concept but a key driver of company performance. Research by Gartner reveals that higher employee engagement is associated with tangible benefits for organizations, such as increased revenue growth, net profit margin, customer satisfaction, and earnings per share. 

Despite the widely recognized importance of employee engagement, recent statistics paint a bleak picture. Gallup's yearly State of The Workplace report reveals a significant decline in employee engagement, with a staggering [85%] of employees not engaged at work. This marks the lowest level of employee engagement in 11 years, highlighting the urgent need for action.

So, how can businesses achieve such a nebulous goal? It would be similar to trying to reach a personal goal, like being happier and leading a more fulfilling life. Of course, these goals can't be reached overnight by implementing one or two changes in your life. It is a multi-step process that requires strategic thinking.

Employee engagement plan: A holistic approach

To that end, companies need to think long-term to combat employee disengagement. Building an employee engagement plan is a great starting point. This is an actual action plan that should be well thought out, implemented, and, of course, documented.

This article is designed specifically for HR professionals ready to take a more strategic and comprehensive approach to employee engagement. Whether you're looking to revamp your existing initiatives or build a new engagement plan from the ground up, this guide offers valuable insights and practical steps to help you achieve your goals.

We will explore common mistakes when creating an employee engagement plan and outline key steps to creating and implementing an effective strategy. Additionally, you'll find tips to navigate common pitfalls and ensure your engagement efforts yield long-term benefits. By the end of this article, you will understand how to cultivate a thriving workplace culture where employees feel valued, motivated, and committed to your organization's vision.

5 Mistakes When Creating an Employee Engagement Plan

1. Looking for silver-bullet solutions

"Employee engagement" is a big, cloudy term. It's a concept that, when understood, can bring significant benefits to a company. Yet, ask different people what it means, and you will receive various answers. This lack of a unified understanding can lead to skepticism about the ROI of employee engagement. If you can't prove with some level of certainty what kind of benefit the company will derive from it, your initiatives may not be approved. 

As a result, most companies don't even have an employee engagement plan in place. Rather, they favor low-cost or single-stroke solutions, and employee engagement isn't looked at holistically. For example, businesses may lean towards surface-level initiatives like mindfulness training, snacks in the breakroom, and social events. Of course, these programs and activities can improve work culture and boost temporary morale, but they aren't strategies. 

This idea is explained in the Psychology Today article When Workplace Mindfulness Training Is Worse Than Nothing. The author explores how using "token gestures" like mindfulness training to help employees cope with stress and burnout can backfire. When serious, underlying issues are overlooked, these gestures appear hollow to employees. In turn, they can actually make employees feel worse – even more angry and cynical – than if a business had done nothing at all! 

2. Assuming why employees aren't happy

If you Google "employee engagement idea," you'll surely fall on several list articles offering ideas on how to engage employees. You might find solutions like "snacks in the breakroom" or "organizing a fun social event." While these ideas might help temporarily boost employee morale and create a fun working atmosphere, they are certainly not employee engagement strategies.

Strategic employee engagement involves identifying and addressing your employees' deeper pain points and challenges. This approach is not about guesswork or assumptions but about developing targeted solutions. A key step in this process is to directly survey or converse with your employees about their experiences within your organization.

Gathering objective, data-driven insights and feedback can help you understand where your employee experience falls short. For example, are your employees satisfied with their compensation, leadership, day-to-day duties, and the company's overall culture? You only know once you ask. If you operate on assumptions, you risk developing initiatives and solutions that do not address the real problems your employees are facing.

3. Copy-pasting other businesses

Similarly, you should ask yourself: Are you developing employee engagement initiatives based on your employees' actual pain points, or are you just copying/pasting trendy HR initiatives other businesses use? 

It might be tempting to copy popular HR initiatives that seem to be working well for other businesses. The problem is that their workforce may differ completely from yours—the company's demographic profile may be unique in many ways. As a result, they may be facing a different set of challenges. 

Being more strategic starts with uncovering exactly what your employees are struggling with. It's about developing solutions that directly address those issues and needs. This may take more steps and time than just coming up with an idea and rolling it out. However, the benefit is that the initiative will be more likely to be successful long-term because it addresses a real and current problem in your company, not just assuming what your employees will want.

4. Only looking at the short-term gains

Employee engagement is a long game. In short, it's a marathon, not a sprint. Similar to achieving any long-term goals in our lives, like being happy in our careers or bettering our physical health, these goals cannot happen overnight. They are the fruit of consistent, small steps that compound over months, if not years. 

However, businesses often lean towards short-term initiatives that promise quick rewards. This preference for 'low-hanging fruit' can divert attention from developing robust employee engagement plans, which are more likely to deliver sustainable business results. 

When businesses are biased towards short-term gain, they often resort to a reactive approach to employee engagement. In other words, engagement initiatives are only considered and developed once a glaring problem, like high turnover or low morale, crops up. 

When these engagement issues reach a boiling point, they are likely complex and caused by an interplay of factors that not one employee engagement initiative, like "snacks in the breakroom," will resolve. That's why developing a robust employee engagement action plan is a critical step for companies that want to take a proactive approach to employee engagement and address some common issues before they spiral into more complicated problems for your business. 

5. Failing to track the impact of initiatives 

Employee engagement is like personal happiness, a nebulous concept that can ebb and flow. While it can be objectively measured with surveys, what can be more difficult to achieve is proving how employee engagement impacts businesses financially through metrics like productivity. 

In other words, many businesses roll out engagement initiatives only to fail to track their objective impact on their company via metrics like employee happiness, engagement, turnover, etc.

As a result, ROI-focused executives may be reluctant to invest in employee engagement initiatives further if HR teams can’t articulate a clear or expected ROI for the business. In turn, it can be difficult for HR teams to get even a small slice of the budget. 

Learning to track and measure the impact of HR initiatives is critical to approach these conversations with decision-makers more logically. A concrete action plan can help you show executives clearly.

• What workplace metrics you’re looking to impact (i.e., employee turnover, eNPS, etc.)
• Which initiatives will help achieve this goal
• Milestones you’re aiming to reach

When presented with a clear plan that outlines concrete, measurable goals, ROI-focused executives can feel reassured and confident in the capacity of these initiatives to produce tangible results. Once the impact of these initiatives is proven, it can unlock the necessary resources and support for more impactful engagement initiatives in the future. 

Related: Uncover the potential ROI of your recognition program with our free Business Case Template

5 Steps to Create an Effective Employee Engagement Plan

Step 1: Identify high-level problem areas

The first step is to zoom out. Think about the big picture of your workforce and company.

What areas do you believe need work? If you are an HR professional or leader in your business, I’m sure you already have some theories or an intuitive idea of where employees are unsatisfied. Although formal surveys are useful, you may already know where your business needs work based on casual conversations with peers and second-hand information.

For example, here are some common high-level drivers of engagement to consider:

• Benefits and compensation
• Leadership and management
• Rewards and recognition
• Well-being and mental health 
• Safety and security
• Career growth and development

All of these areas are critical to employee happiness. To approach your employee engagement plan more holistically, you must start by identifying which areas need the most urgent attention in your business.

Step 2: Survey employees (back it up with data)

The next step is to back up your intuition or theories with concrete data. The best way to achieve this goal is to speak with or survey employees to assess objectively how your business is performing in each area. Depending on your budget, there are various approaches to collecting employee data. It's important to remember that a large budget is unnecessary, particularly for small businesses. In fact, this goal can be easily achieved with free online survey tools, making it a feasible and accessible process for businesses of all sizes. 

Related article: Face the Truth, 6 Questions to Evaluate Your Staff Motivation

Step 3: Develop your key initiatives

Now it's time to zoom in. Once you've conducted your employee surveys, you should better understand where your business is falling short and, in turn, where your HR priorities should be. For example, you may find out your company is falling short in the area of "rewards and recognition."

At this point, the goal is to develop specific and concrete initiatives relating to each high-level area of employee engagement and document those as well! 

For instance, prioritizing rewards and recognition is a powerful tactic to enhance employee engagement. But this tactic can be expressed in many ways. It's up to you to "bring it to life" with specific initiatives. For example you could implement a peer-to-peer recognition program, a work anniversary program, or offer a budget for lunch and celebration for employee birthdays.

Initiatives are not just specific; they are strategic. They should mirror and strengthen your organization's core values and culture. Most importantly, they directly address the engagement issue within your business. To build a robust, long-term engagement plan, start by selecting one or two drivers of employee engagement (for example, Career Growth and Leadership) and asking yourself: How are we doing in this area? Or, what could we do better? This strategic approach will instill confidence in the effectiveness of your plan.

By the end of this process, you should have a list of actionable initiatives to help kick-start your engagement plan.

Step 4: Establish key metrics to track

Your employee engagement plan must include benchmarks (or success metrics) to help you track the progress of your initiatives. 

This is a critical step for both your team and for receiving buy-in from executives. If you can show that your initiatives are impacting the business, your decision-makers will be more likely to free up time and resources for your team to continue making efforts in these areas.

Examples of benchmarks can include: 

• Increasing eNPS scores by X% in the next six months
• Increasing retention by X% in the next year
• Decreasing absenteeism by X% in the next year

Step 5: Adjust the plan accordingly

An employee engagement plan should never be set in stone. A business is always in flux; employees come and go, and external influences such as the job market and the economy's health will affect the business and its employees. 

As such, whenever you create an employee engagement action plan, remember that this plan can constantly shift and change as your business's priorities shift. For example, you may consider "career growth and development" a top area of consideration. However, after a few months, the priorities might shift to other areas, such as "rewards and recognition" or "wellness and mental health."

We strongly advise revisiting your plan every 3-6 months to ensure its relevance. This proactive approach reassures you of the plan's effectiveness and instills confidence in your employees that their needs and wants are being considered and addressed. 

Final Thoughts

Employee engagement is more than planning one-off social events or providing better snacks in the breakroom. Of course, these small perks and events do help to temporarily bolster company culture and morale; however, they are not strategies and fail to address employee engagement issues holistically.

To strategically address employee engagement, you must peel the layers back and look deeper. The goal of a robust employee engagement plan is to validate with objective data where and how your employee experience is falling short in some key areas, like benefits, compensation, recognition, and leadership, and make changes accordingly.

This involves continuous feedback loops, transparent communication, and a genuine commitment to improving based on employee input. Only by embedding these principles into the fabric of your organizational culture can you foster a truly engaged and motivated workforce, driving long-term success and fulfillment for both employees and the company as a whole.

Organizing office events that resonate with employees can be challenging for leaders and HR professionals. Whether your company is a startup with a handful of employees or a large corporation with hundreds, finding the right activities everyone enjoys—and ensuring high attendance—can feel like an uphill battle. 

As we all know, traditional office parties and standard team-building exercises sometimes fall flat, leading to low participation and reduced engagement. Employees may feel that these events are just another obligation rather than an opportunity to relax and connect with their colleagues.

To help solve these challenges, let’s have a look at a few fun and budget-friendly office event ideas. These suggestions are designed to cater to businesses of all sizes, ensuring that there is something for everyone, regardless of company size or budget. From interactive workshops and themed parties to wellness activities and outdoor adventures, these events will spark creativity, boost morale, and encourage participation.

Incorporating these corporate event ideas into your calendar can create a more dynamic and inclusive workplace culture. So, let's dive in and discover how you can transform your office events from mundane to memorable, making them an anticipated highlight for all employees.

12 Office Event Ideas To Put in Your Calendar (for Every Sized Business)

1. Innovation Labs

Ideal for: Small to medium-sized businesses

Budget: None

How it works: An "Innovation Lab" is an exciting initiative where companies allocate dedicated time for employees to come together and brainstorm innovative ideas. Open to participants from all departments, this initiative encourages creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, free from the typical constraints of the workday. A moderator should host sessions and can have some parameters around them, like each session can cover a certain topic or area of improvement. The sessions can be hosted more frequently, like on a monthly basis or even just a few times a year. Ultimately, it's up to you! One of the greatest benefits of these events is that they are free to roll out and host.

2. Volunteer day

Ideal for: Small to medium-sized businesses

Budget: May require a small budget

How it works: Volunteer Day allows your company or certain teams to dedicate their time and effort to a cause they care about. During a volunteer day, employees are offered time away from the office to volunteer for a particular organization in the community. Some organizations require a donation for corporate volunteer days – hence the possible small budget required, but some don’t. If your company is trying to get more involved in social causes, this might be a fun and meaningful way for your team to get together and spend an afternoon. 

‍3. Lunch and learn

Ideal for: Any sized business

Budget: None

How it works: "Lunch and Learn" sessions are informal training events held during lunchtime, where employees can gather to learn about a variety of topics while enjoying their lunch. These sessions can be a great way for internal talent to show off their knowledge and expertise in certain areas, as these sessions are usually hosted by employees themselves and cover a wide range of subjects. Lunch and learns are also ideal for fully remote teams, as they allow employees to get together, learn from each other, and chat in a more informal setting. 

‍4. Fitness challenges

Ideal for: Small businesses

Budget: Small budget for prizes for winner

How it works: Launching a fitness challenge can be a great idea for small businesses looking to develop a wellness program for employees who are already active or eager to be more active! Each fitness challenge can have a theme like “monthly step goal challenge” or “monthly running challenge.” Set up a reasonable goal that employees have to reach for this particular challenge and ask employees to keep track of their activity. At the end of the month, those who reach the goal can receive a prize. This can also be a great activity idea for remote teams, as they can keep each other in the loop of their progress towards their fitness goals via creating a channel in your chat tool for this monthly challenge or if you’re using an employee engagement tool like Qarrot employees can post updates on the company’s newsfeed.

‍5. Photo contest

Ideal for: Small to medium-sized businesses 

Budget: Small budget for prizes

How it works: Photo contests are ideal for remote teams, but they also work for hybrid teams or teams that are fully in the office. These types of creative contests are great for employees to show off their artistic skills and serve as a jump-off point for discussing non-work topics like pets and vacations. In short, they are a great icebreaker! The event is simple; it asks employees to present their best photographs, and usually, there is a theme. For example, pets, nature, travel, etc. For remote teams, photograph submissions can be made in a chat channel created for this challenge, and a panel of judges can rate the quality of the photographs based on certain criteria. The winners, of course, receive a small prize. 

6. Job shadow day

Ideal for: Any sized business

Budget: None

How it works: When you work for an organization, it's normal to be curious about what other people in your company do daily. Moreover, it can actually be a great way to boost a company's performance and collaboration when people appreciate what another's job entails. In addition, some people may be curious about moving positions but unsure if it's right for them. Job shadowing is a great opportunity for employees to learn about each other's work and test the waters of a new role or responsibility. Setting up a special day where any employee can shadow another for an afternoon is a great way to hit all these goals all the while being budget friendly.

‍7. Outdoor picnic

Ideal for: Small to medium-sized businesses

Budget: Modest to moderate

How it works: A classic company outing is a great way to give your employees a way to relax and unwind during the warmer months of the year. This is an ideal opportunity to offer employees half an afternoon off; consider making the picnic during lunch hour and allowing employees to enjoy the rest of the afternoon with their colleagues. They may not be traditionally ‘productive’ during this time. However, taking the time to bond with teammates is an important part of morale and team building and indirectly impacts productivity and engagement.

9. Talent show

Ideal for: Small to medium-sized businesses

Budget: Modest

How it works: Hosting a company talent show can be a playful, creative, and, not to mention an often hilarious, way for employees to express themselves, get to know each other, and break free from the daily grind. These talent shows should be open to any and every employee who wants to show off a special skill, and they can also be scaled up or down depending on the size of your company and budget. There is a lot of flexibility here, depending on how big or small you want this event to be! In addition, you can make it into a really friendly competition, and a panel of judges can score participants so that your winners receive a prize. 

‍8. Friday happy hour

Ideal for: Any sized business 

Budget: Modest

How it works: A classic happy hour or a “beer Friday” event is always a tried and true idea for employees to unwind and reward themselves after a long work week. These events should never be mandatory but more casual, allowing employees to pop in for a drink and refreshment before heading home. To spice up your happy hour, consider incorporating some ice breaker exercises or games to help people ease into interacting. A few icebreakers can be highly appreciated by socially introverted individuals and a great motivator to get them involved in these events.

‍9. Employee recognition events or “office awards”

Ideal for: Any sized business

Budget: Modest

How it works: An office award ceremony is a lighthearted and informal event celebrating team members' unique qualities and contributions. This event can be a standalone, or part of a greater recognition and rewards program and initiatives. Categories could include "Best Attitude," "Best Outfits," and "Most Helpful," highlighting both professional achievements and personal flair. Preparation includes picking fun award categories, gathering nominations, and making simple yet personalized awards, like certificates and trophies. The event can also have refreshments, music, and an MC to present the awards. The goal is to boost morale, foster camaraderie, and recognize the diverse talents and personalities within the team. With a little bit of creativity, resourcefulness, and the right communication tools like Qarrot, these types of office awards can be hosted virtually for remote teams as well.

‍10. Family days

Ideal for: Small to medium-sized business

Budget: Modest to moderate

How it works: Organizing a "Family Day" for office workers involves planning a fun and inclusive event that welcomes employees' families to the workplace, fostering a sense of camaraderie and community. When employees get to know each other's family, it can foster a sense of closeness that can actually be beneficial to employee happiness, engagement, and even productivity. Not to mention, having an afternoon where employees are encouraged to have fun and relax can show employees you care about their well-being. The event can involve games, refreshments, workshops, and other activities that are family-friendly. This can all be achieved on a small to moderate budget with some resourcefulness and creativity.

‍11. Cultural festivals

Ideal for: Any sized business

Budget: Modest to moderate

How it works: Workplaces are richer when diversity is celebrated and educated. By hosting a cultural festival, your office can honor many nationalities. You may want to set up various stations on the same day to emulate a trade show or hold a series of festivities throughout the year.

Here are a few global holidays and festivals you may consider:

• Holi: An Indian spring festival often celebrated by throwing brightly-colored powder, occurring at the end of March
• Cinco de Mayo: A Mexican holiday celebrated on May 5th and has evolved into a significant cultural celebration of Mexican heritage and pride, marked by festivals, music, dancing, and traditional Mexican foods.
• Lunar New Year: Following a lunar calendar, many Asian countries celebrate new Year over two weeks in January or February. Families celebrate together by eating large meals, cleaning, and honoring ancestors.
• Oktoberfest: A German beer-centric festival that takes place the last week of September and the first week of August.
• Carnivale: A mid-winter celebration popular in Brazil and the Caribbean with parades and elaborate costumes.

12. Company tailgate

Ideal for: Small to medium-sized 

Budget: Modest 

How it works: Organizing a company tailgate involves planning a casual and enjoyable event that allows employees to unwind and socialize in a relaxed outdoor setting, often in conjunction with a sporting event. To ensure it's fun and relaxing, select a suitable location, such as a stadium parking lot or park, and set up tents, seating, and tables for comfort. Arrange for classic tailgating activities like grilling, games (e.g., cornhole, ladder toss), and possibly a live stream of the game if not attending in person. Various food and beverages, including non-alcoholic options, ensure everyone is catered to. Organize carpooling or provide transportation to facilitate attendance, and consider creating a sign-up sheet for potluck contributions to diversify the food offerings.

Final Thoughts

When employees take the time to socialize at work and get to know each other, it fosters a deeper sense of engagement and happiness in the workplace. This can have a huge, positive impact on a company's productivity and even overall performance.

The problem is that socialization cannot be forced. But sometimes, people need a little push to get out of their comfort zone. In other words, they need a bit of motivation to get to know each other. These office event ideas allow employees to meet each other and socialize in a relaxed, casual setting while being budget-friendly. Hopefully, these social events will be the jump off point you require to create some buzz and engagement in your workplace. 

There was a time when checking in with your workforce was simpler. You could monitor employee morale by scanning the office during your morning stroll to the lunchroom for that second cup of java. 

However, the workplace has evolved dramatically.

With the rise of remote work, flexible hours, and diverse global teams, the old "reading the room" method doesn’t cut it anymore. Add on a frontline workforce and a business leader’s job is even more challenging. 

As the dynamics of our work environments have shifted, so too have the needs and expectations of employees. Today, staying connected with how employees feel is essential for business success. 

Here’s how data can be used to create a more supportive and engaging workplace. 

Why Boost Morale and Recognition? 

The overall sentiments within a workforce can influence the success or failure of your organization.

Dissatisfied employees have led to the downfall of many companies—just look at Circuit City. Haven’t heard of them? That’s because a disgruntled workforce contributed to their 2007 bankruptcy.

Elevated employee morale is closely linked to employee engagement. And engaged employees are generally more motivated and committed to doing a good job. They work more productively because they enjoy their roles and are likely to speak positively about your organization, which can help attract new talent. 

The impact of happy employees extends beyond internal operations. Your employees are the face of your company. When content and motivated, they deliver better customer service, directly influencing customer satisfaction, loyalty, and profit.

High morale is also an excellent buffer should your organization experience a big change. Recognized and valued employees are more likely to trust their leaders and stay committed during a rough patch. 

Boosting morale and recognition helps build a stronger, more cohesive team and fosters an environment where employees thrive, innovate, and drive sustained growth. Conversely, low morale can lead to higher absenteeism, decreased productivity, and, ultimately, a negative impact on your bottom line.

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6 Tips to Use Data to Improve Morale and Recognition

Data isn't just a tool for measuring sales or tracking logistics anymore—it's also helpful in understanding and improving employee morale.

Your organization can create a more engaged and satisfied workforce with thoughtful data analysis and strategic implementation. 

Here’s how you can use employee data to help boost morale and recognition.

1. Conduct Regular Employee Surveys

The best way to learn how your employees feel is, well, to ask them! 

But depending on the size of your workforce, it could take an entire year to ask each one individually. And then collating that data would be a spreadsheet nightmare. 

However, thanks to digital platforms like SurveyMonkey and UKG, sending anonymous employee surveys is now easier than ever. These apps, and others like them, analyze the results with statistical tools that reveal patterns and pinpoint areas where employees feel overlooked or under-appreciated. 

Transparency in sharing these findings and action plans to address them helps boost trust and morale by showing that feedback leads to real change.

2. Create Unbiased Employee Reviews

An unfair work environment can lower morale faster than a four-year-old can drop an ice cream cone. 

Whether intentional or subconscious, workplace biases can lead to a sense of injustice, undermine the credibility of performance evaluations, and significantly impact career progression and satisfaction.

No one wants to see Carl get the promotion that Jane so clearly deserves. 

Once again, it’s data to the rescue. Advanced data analytics tools can examine employee review scores across demographics and departments. This can help identify any disparities or trends that might suggest bias. For instance, if a particular group consistently receives lower performance ratings despite similar output and engagement levels, this could indicate a systemic issue that needs addressing.

Creating a standardized scoring system is another effective way to ensure fairness in employee evaluations. A system that uses specific, measurable benchmarks for job performance rather than subjective feedback can provide an objective assessment.

3. Monitor Workload and Overtime

It’s easy to lean on your employees to pick up the slack in a worker shortage, or unwittingly pile on the work without realizing the impact on your employees.  However, overwork can lead to a burned-out and despondent team. 

The good news is that tools like Toggl or Asana have time trackers that can illuminate how employees spend their time, and highlight where they are bogged down. Evenly distributing the workload based on this data can help prevent burnout and communicate to employees that you care about their well-being. 

Plus, regular workload reviews encourage open discussions between employees and management, cultivating a commitment to maintaining a healthy and balanced work environment.

4. Implement a Peer Recognition Program

There’s nothing quite like peer recognition to put a little pep in your step. Your colleagues know what goes into doing your job well, so recognition from them carries a lot of weight. 

Peer recognition programs can improve morale by fostering an environment of appreciation across all levels of your organization. In fact, studies show that 37% of employees want to be recognized at work. And when recognized, the effort meter can rise by 69%. Not bad for a simple “thanks for doing a great job.”

Make recognition part of your company culture and set up a system that allows employees to award each other points or badges for daily wins and helpful behaviors. A little positive reinforcement in the workplace can go a long way in helping your employees feel good about their jobs and your organization. 

5. Communicate Employee Growth Plans

Data can help develop and communicate employee growth plans. Analyzing performance metrics, training completions, and career progression paths can help build individualized development programs that align with company goals and personal aspirations. 

This approach ensures employees see a clear trajectory for advancement and understand the milestones they need to hit. Regularly updating employees on their growth plan progress via digital dashboards or one-on-one meetings keeps them engaged and aware of their professional development, enhancing their motivation and job satisfaction.

6. Measure Morale KPIs

Setting clear key performance indicators (KPIs) for employee morale is critical. To know where you’re going, you need to understand where you started, and how you’re measuring success.

These KPIs could include metrics like employee net promoter scores (NPS), turnover rates, frequency of peer-to-peer recognition, and results from regular engagement surveys. 

No matter what KPIs you choose, what’s important is that you create a quantifiable morale benchmark and regularly evaluate the effectiveness of new initiatives. 

Build a Thriving Workplace Culture

Using the insights provided by data, you can help your team stay ahead of the curve and feel genuinely appreciated and valued.

And although data is integral to boosting employee morale and recognition, don’t forget human connection is still central to building a thriving workplace culture. After all, behind every data point is a person who contributes to the success of your organization.

In today's workplace, staying current on the latest trends in employee engagement isn't just beneficial—it's essential. As we get deeper into 2024, learning about the dynamics of workplace engagement can significantly impact organizational success. 

Drawing on recent findings from industry leaders like Gallup, Calm, and BetterWorks. We've curated a list of 18 critical statistics encapsulating the current state of employee engagement. These employee engagement statistics provide an overview of what drives higher engagement, common issues companies face, and innovative strategies to combat them. 

Whether you're looking to refine your HR strategies, benchmark your company's performance, or stay ahead of the curve, these statistics offer valuable guidance. They reflect broader trends in corporate culture and employee expectations and shed light on the effectiveness of new tools and methods in enhancing employee engagement.

What is Employee Engagement

If you search Google for “employee engagement ideas,” you’ll surely come across many articles that share ideas like “bring your dogs to the office” or “plan team-building activities.” While these might be good ideas that can help boost culture and morale, genuine efforts to improve employee engagement go much deeper than these types of surface-level initiatives.

For example, engaged employees are more likely to agree with some of the following comments:

• In this organization, the leaders demonstrate integrity. 
• I find my job rewarding and challenging.
• My employer cares about my opinions and suggestions.

Interestingly, in this Psychology Today article titled "Why Do Employee Engagement Initiatives Fail?" author asserts that "many engagement interventions focus solely on addressing surface-level indicators of engagement." He argues that as a result of this "organizations may implement superficial solutions that fail to address systemic issues such as poor leadership, lack of career development opportunities, or workplace inequities."

As you can see, the experiences of highly engaged people have little to do with the types of social events the company plans or snacks available. True employee engagement has more to do with the quality of the leadership and the emotional and intellectual components of a work environment. 

Drivers of employee engagement

That said, if you think about what makes up a truly engaging work environment, you can break these factors down into several components that are shared across industries. These are considered key drivers of employee engagement.

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For example:

• Employee stress & Well-being
• Leadership & Management
• Career Advancement & Growth 

In our look ahead 2024, we will examine three of the most critical drivers of employee engagement and the related statistics. We’ll see how organizations are faring in each of these categories and what this means for HR professionals for the year ahead.

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20 Employee Engagement Statistics You Should Know For 2024

Employee Sentiment & Engagement

1. 85% of employees are not engaged at work. Gallup

After climbing and reaching a record high in 2022, according to Gallup’s seminal yearly State of The Workplace report, employee engagement has dropped significantly as the majority of employees are not engaged at work. 

2. 81% of hybrid employees report high engagement.  Quantum Workplace

Engagement rates vary based on work arrangement; hybrid employees have the highest level of engagement, while in-office employees have the lowest (72%), and fully remote employees are in between (78%).

3. Businesses that actively engage their employees see an 18% decrease in staff turnover. Gallup

It’s no surprise that actively working to improve employee engagement leads to better outcomes in employee engagement levels within an organization.

4. Office workers, salespeople, and construction workers have the lowest level of engagement among employees, with a mere 12% rate. Gallup

‍Employee engagement in manufacturing has always been challenging. Due to the inherently difficult working conditions of these environments, HR professionals in these settings have additional obstacles to overcome when it comes to employee engagement.

5. Only 16% of employees use technology to track their engagement levels. Gartner

Many tools and software technologies exist that can help companies and their HR teams track employee engagement more objectively via employee surveys and other measures. Despite the widespread availability of these tools, companies that use them to track engagement are the minority.

6. Half of employees surveyed feel negative about their organization, using words such as “toxic” or “tumultuous” to describe their workplace. Calm

Unfortunately, such a high number of employees feel negative about their work culture and environment. A toxic work culture has been known to be a core driver of employee turnover; identifying the root of this cultural dysfunction is critical to treating and addressing the core of the issue. 

Employee Stress & Wellness

7. 52% of employees reported they experienced a lot of stress the previous day. Gallup

According to Gallup’s yearly State of the Workplace report, employee stress, unfortunately, remains at an all-time high. In the U.S. and Canada, employee stress is even higher, with over half of employees reporting high stress levels at work

8. 85% of HR professionals indicate overworked staff is a pressing challenge. Dialogue

Canadian health tech company Dialogue’s yearly State of Workplace Health and Wellness in Canada report shows that the top challenge faced by HR professionals is the “overworked staff.” This comes after the number one concern of “employee mental health.”

9. 56% of workers said that their level of work-related stress has increased since last year. Owl Labs

Echoing the data found in Gallup’s and Dialogue’s report, OwlLab's yearly State of Hybrid Work Report shows that worker stress has significantly increased. The report also found that worker stress is more of an issue for employees in large companies than for employees in smaller companies.

10. 4 in 10 working Canadians (37%) report that their employers do not prioritize mental health. Dialogue

This is surprising considering that the same study found 86% of HR leaders affirming their companies value employee mental health — highlighting a significant gap between employer actions and employee perceptions.

11. The top mental health stressor in 2024 is the cost of living/inflation. Calm

In Calm app’s 2024 Voices of the Workplace report, they found the top mental health stressor to be increasing the cost of living, followed by financial instability and being overworked. Again, these findings reflect the data provided by Dialogue, showing 85% of HR professionals saying “overworked staff” is their most pressing challenge.

Management & Leadership

12. Only 23% of U.S. employees strongly agree that they trust the leadership of their organization. Gallup

According to Gallup’s yearly State of the Workplace report, employee trust in leadership has dwindled since the onset of the pandemic. 

13. 52% of employees state “a supportive manager” as a “very important” factor in their satisfaction at work. Owl Labs

OwlLab’s report analyzed different factors influencing employee satisfaction, and good management came ahead of other factors like benefits, growth opportunities, and the ability to work flexibly in days. 

14. 72% of Canadian workers strongly agreed that lacking resources and support from leadership is a top contributor to poor mental health. Dialogue

In Dialogue’s yearly report, they examined the factors that impact employees' mental health, top factors included financial situation, job satisfaction, and work-life balance.

15. Only 38% of employees say their manager fosters a low-stress work environment. Calm

Unfortunately, Calm’s yearly report also found that the majority of employees aren’t satisfied with how their managers promote a healthy work environment and manage stress. Only about half (49%) of employees claim that their manager genuinely cares about their well-being.

Career Advancement & Growth

16. According to 42% of employees, better career opportunities is one of the top reason for seeking a new job. OwlLabs

Seeking new and better work opportunities has often been anecdotally cited as a reason employees quit their jobs. OwlLab’s report confirms this trend is still holding strong. Other top factors for employees seeking new job opportunities include better compensation and work-life balance.

17. 63% of HR professionals agree that employee career development is a significant challenge for their business. Dialogue

Diglogue’s yearly report cites employee career development as one of the most significant challenges for HR professionals, along with factors like employee mental health and overworked employees.

18. 37% of organizations plan to invest more in training and development, making it the most common investment area. SHRM

According to SHRM’s State of the Workplace Report, a large portion of the companies surveyed plan to invest more in employee training and development in 2024.

19. 28% of employees stated that compensation was their reason for leaving a job. Pumble

Some new employee engagement statistics published by Pumble show that compensation seems to be the biggest issue for employee retention, along with a lack of career progression and more work flexibility. This result is consistent with the findings from OwlLab’s report as well.

20. 86% of employees say skill development and coaching are important to them, but only 54% are receiving it. BetterWorks

Unfortunately, BetterWork’s yearly State of Performance Enablement Report found a big disconnect between employees' wishes for greater career and skill development and the amount they actually receive from their managers and employers. 

This issue may be the result of inadequate career and development training for middle managers. The same report found that only about 1 in 3 middle managers said they have the clarity, support, and resources from executives to succeed at coaching employees effectively in skills and career development.

Final Thoughts

Exploring these recent employee engagement studies and statistics, we can see some obvious trends and patterns in the workplace in 2024. 

Some findings might surprise you, such as engagement levels being highest among hybrid employees and not those who are fully remote. However, other findings present a more dismal view of the workplace, such as persistent reports of employee’s being overworked, stressed, and suffering from financial worries and hardships.

From the institutionalization of remote work to the importance of mental health support, these insights highlight the evolving landscape of employee engagement. As organizations navigate these shifts, prioritizing strategies to foster connection, purpose, and well-being will be essential for driving success in the future of work.