Fun Work Activities for Christmas

Posted on 17 December 2020 in Business | Gabriel Chua

COVID-19 in the way? Not a problem we say!

Even as the new year is fast approaching, many employees may still feel burnt out and exhausted from how 2020 has turned out. From virtual meetings, to work from home, COVID-19 has disrupted many of our plans and forced us to reconsider how we work. In these difficult times, it is important to keep employee morale high.

Improving employee motivation brings about many benefits. Firstly, it can encourage a more creative, adaptive and efficient workforce, where employees are well-versed to deal with various adversities. Additionally, an engaged, motivated workforce have a lower turnover rate, companies will have a reduced need to supplement existing manpower via new hires or training programmes, thus lowering unnecessary overhead costs.

In this fast-changing business world, HR’s prime objective remains the same, to be the backbone of the organisation empowering their employees and business to grow. How should they continue in carrying out this objective considering the current business climate? Below are 3 key issues for HR Departments to look out for and resolve so as enable them to continue empowering their organisations to successfully grow.

It can be seen why then it is important to set aside office time to hold casual bonding events such as parties and celebrations, as deviating from the traditional work norms have been proven to increase employee motivation.

So, what fun activities can Human Resources (HR) organise to motivate and uplift employees for Christmas?

Let’s get the fun started!

Fun Activity 1 – Turn an ordinary day extraordinary by dressing up!

Liven up the mood by encouraging your employees to have a dress up party! Whether it be in office or over web. Be it a Santa Clause costume, elf suit, or even just wearing a simple reindeer headband, dressing up to get into the holiday mood will surely bring a cheer to everyone’s faces!

Incentivise your employees to take part by having a best-dressed competition, with the prizes for the winners. After all, as the saying goes, "Dress to impress".

By allowing the opportunity to dress-down, employees will be able to feel comfortable and relaxed, even in the usual office setting. Employees will appreciate the freedom to express their individuality, and this comes at no extra cost to management. By regularly allowing dress-down or fancy-dress days, employees will even feel that their well-being is looked after, and overtime this will increase their organisation loyalty.

With all these benefits ^[1] of a best-dressed competition, who says that work and fun cannot co-exist together?

Fun Activity 2 – The Amazing Clue Hunt

A great activity to play in small groups is a good-old fashioned clue-hunting game, Amazing Race Style!

Before we start, it is important to incentivise active participation. Rewards can be offered in terms of small cash prizes, or vouchers and hampers to the winning teams, giving employees something to look forward to! With so many activities to be done for just one event, you may think that holding such a challenge would be a daunting task. However, once you break it all down, it becomes really easy. Also, such a game can be played both within or even off office grounds!

To start off the game, organise your employees into teams of 4/5 where you could have different teams start off at different parts of the office. Clues and hints would lead participants to different areas of the office and areas within its vicinity. For example, if the first destination for Team A is the carpark, a clue such as:

"Where rubber meets asphalt,

The screech sound pitches,

A deafening blow to the drum,

The start of the new day hinges.”

Once teams figure out the location, managers will present them with the next clue. Working together, teams will complete different check points and finally, reach the finish line where the winner will be crowned!

Working together to solve the clue hunt fosters not only unity, but by closely sharing and interpreting different pieces of information, teams can lean the skill of effective communication. In the future, employees will more efficiently communicate to work in tandem to navigate complex situations. With these inherent benefits, the clue hunt is undoubtedly a good activity to liven up the mood for the holidays!

Fun Activity 3 – Bonding over Food

After a long day, it is time to unwind with a nice, sumptuous dinner. With mass gatherings prohibited, the next best option would be to come together as a small team and have a relaxing meal with friends and colleagues. Teams could visit a member’s house where a special dinner could be provided for them, where perhaps they could receive food vouchers to buy dishes and beverages of their choice for a potluck. Not only is a mix and match of cuisines a delicious and hearty meal, but is also a great way to satisfy everybody’s taste buds.

In a casual environment, while partaking in delicious food, employees would feel comfortable to chat openly with each other, allowing them to get to know each other on a deeper level, thereby building trust and a meaningful relationship.

The Perfect HR Christmas Gift

Catering an entire day to the enjoyment and benefit of employees would represent the best

Christmas gift possible given the current COVID-19 situation. Such an event would serve to assist in helping employees to feel valued, thereby raising engagement and motivation levels despite such a tumultuous year.

And for HR professionals out there, we have the perfect gift for you! QuickHR is an award-winning HRMS software designed to make human resources more human, so you can focus on the things that matter this holiday season. Optimise your HR processes with our multi-faceted modules such as our Payroll and Applicant Tracking Systems.