As many employees are slowly returning to the office, we have to understand the many feelings they may be experiencing. Anxious? Scared? Excited? Not excited? It’s been over a year for many people since they last stepped into an office space. So this is the time to brainstorm ways to get your team feeling comfortable and excited to be part of the office again.
1.Team Building Activities
We all love to hate team-building activities and the usual “Why do we have to do this” but maybe your office is not engaging in the right activities. Team building activities don’t need to involve creating a house out of sticks and paper or writing out a positive affirmation chart. Create fun activities that involve minimal relation to work because the whole point is to have your employees engage with one another on a different level than just co-workers. Throw a paint party with brushes and canvases, and everyone gets to joke around about one another’s artistic abilities. How fun! Throw in some cocktails, and it’s a party.
2. Encourage Side Projects
This doesn’t have to relate to a person’s role, but generally, a side project can bring joy and satisfaction. Side projects can be a side hustle, a hobby, a group related to their role, anything that allows them to expand their interests and time beyond just working.
3. Implement Keg Services
We’re not* encouraging drinking. We’re encouraging keg services. Besides beer and wine, you can provide your employees with nitro cold brew coffee and kombucha on tap. Not only is this a fun office perk, but it amplifies your office space and turns it into one of those trendy offices employees love to brag to their friends about.
4. Recognition Makes Employees Happy
Sounds obvious, but it’s certainly not done enough. We’re all adults here, so we don’t need a pat on the back for simply doing our job. But if something resonated with you or positively affects many teams, then it’s worth a shout-out.
5. Provide a Snack Program
Everyone loves free food—end of story. According to USA Today, 56% of full-time employees are “extremely” or “very” happy with their current job; that number jumps to 67% among those who have access to free food. Let the numbers speak for themselves.
6. Remote Services
Hybrid workforces are taking over, and we’re here for it. Just don’t forget to treat employees in and out of the office. Remote Breakroom makes it ridiculously easy to treat your remote employees to snacks and coffee by shipping boxes directly to their homes, plus you can add a little note! Their Office Box is perfect for hybrid offices because you can leave this box of 60+ snacks in conference rooms or coworking spaces. Amazing.
7. Offer Coffee Services
We all need coffee to function, so providing coffee to your teams is the best thing you can do. We’re not talking watered-down coffee pot coffee. We mean coffee systems that produce espresso, cappuccinos, mochas, and more. If you don’t know where to find one, start here.
8. Ask for Effective Feedback
People love knowing that their opinions and ideas matter. Ask your team for effective feedback because they’re telling you how these changes or concerns will help your overall office culture. You may not have space or time to implement every feedback you receive but start with a few and see how it changes the dynamic.
Going back to the office will never be how it was pre-covid, so this is the time to choose to do things like you’ve always done it or truly make work a place people want to be.
If you need a little extra help to get started, contact Agora Refreshments today to see how we can transform your in-office and remote work experience!