It is a truth universally acknowledge that employees want and need recognition and appreciation. Recognition is about providing positive feedback according to their performance. Meanwhile, appreciation is about recognizing our team’s inherent value, regardless of what they could achieve and not achieve in the past year. Both are crucial to creating a company culture that values people for who they are, not just the work of their hands and what they can give to the company.
And because the past year and a half have been challenging, to say the least, we can assume that our team needs double the encouragement and whatever words of life may come their way. Not to mention, it will help prepare your team for the coming year, which experts are saying could be when the United States goes back to normal.
Honoring your employees is an excellent way to boost their morale as 2022 approaches. Here are some tips for organizing a safe corporate year-end party for you and your team during the holidays.
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Enlist the help of party organizers
Think of your corporate year-end party as a worthy investment. There is no better time than now to gather the members of your organization for the first time since the pandemic happened. Suppose your state allows the number of attendees, and you abide by health and safety protocols set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In that case, there’s no reason you and your team cannot gather to celebrate the end of the year, and professional event organizers can help make this as smooth as possible. Here are the benefits of hiring party organizers to mount your event:
- You don’t have to worry about the nitty-gritty of the event, especially if it’s not your forte. You will spare your employees the added work, too. The organizers will be the ones who will have to worry about party rental essentials like the venue, the decor, catering, lighting, audio and visual, and other crucial aspects of the event.
- Event organizers tend to be up-to-the-minute on health and safety guidelines from the state and the CDC, so you don’t have to worry about being updated yourself. They can also help inform the guests on social distancing guidelines, mask mandates, and other important health and safety reminders for the event.
Balance fun and reflection
While it’s essential for everyone to have a good time at the event, it’s also equally important to treat the pandemic with the gravitas it deserves, especially if you have members in the organization who have lost loved ones due to the virus. Here are some tips for organically inserting remembrance and reflection throughout the event:
- Before the food is served, consider having someone lead a minute or two of silence for those who succumbed to the virus. It doesn’t have to be specifically religious or spiritual since people will be free to quietly pray to themselves as they please during the time of silence—make sure to incorporate it into the program so that everyone knows that the company remembers all the grief and the losses.
- Think of the event as another tool for expanding your company’s brand reputation: Don’t insert—from language to activities—that you wouldn’t post online. Don’t say or do anything that can be considered triggering, insensitive, or offensive to your guests and those who might hear about the event.
Find ways to acknowledge everybody
While it may be virtually impossible to give awards to everyone in the company, especially if you have dozens, if not hundreds, of employees, you can recognize your team members without leaving anyone behind. You can prepare small but helpful or meaningful gifts for everybody—presents you know are useful and have value. Here are some examples:
- Indoor plants
- Gourmet sweets
- Monogrammed gifts
- Charity donations based on their personal passions and advocacy
- Gift certificates for groceries
- Noise-canceling headphones
- Branded tumblers or clothing
- Whimsical desk items like stress balls and mug warmers
- Products and flavors from your hometown
Think of your office culture—is everyone big on coffee? Is your team made up of introverts or extroverts? Observe your employees and see what kinds of gifts will be helpful for them in the coming year.
2020 and 2021 have proven to everyone just how toxic hustle culture can be, and while we all have goals and KPIs, our employees deserve a break, too. Consider throwing a year-end party for them during the holidays and allow them to see how valued they are in your company.