Say Thanks with these 3 Employee Engagement Ideas this Holiday Season

Finding and hiring the right talent is an expensive, burdensome, process. Yet, many firms fail to put in the effort and investment to retain their own top talent. Employee engagement continues to emerge as a critical driver of business success in today’s competitive business landscape. High levels of employee engagement promote retention of talent, foster long-term loyalty, and improve organizational performance and stakeholder value. But shockingly, according to Gallup, the percentage of “engaged” employees among the U.S. working population has remained at around one-third (33%) since Gallup began measuring employee engagement in 2000. Follow the below employee engagement ideas this holiday season and make your employees feel energized, motivated and strengthen the bond of your organization.

3 Employee Engagement Ideas

Volunteer as a Team

I’ve often heard the saying ‘people aren’t looking for a job, they are looking for a purpose.’ Volunteering for a great cause during the holiday season is the perfect way to give your staff a purpose and create a team atmosphere. Company-wide volunteer programs are one of the most effective ways to enrich your corporate culture and build a legacy of giving back that your entire team will find rewarding.

Pro-tip: If this is your first year coordinating a company-wide volunteer program, begin by sending out a survey to your entire team that gauges what causes and organizations employees are most passionate about as well as what skills they’re most interested in contributing.

Break Bread

Host a company-wide holiday meal! Provide turkey and ham and encourage employees to pitch in by bringing their favorite side dishes. Depending on the date and time of the event, consider streaming a sporting event for all to watch while eating.

Kick your company-wide holiday meal up a notch by participating in some fun team building activities. Ideas include:

  • Recipe swap: Ask each team member to bring recipe cards for their favorite holiday dish
  • Holiday-themed scavenger hunt: Break out into mini-teams and see what team can complete the scavenger hunt first
  • Decorate a “thankfulness” wall: Set-up a decorative wall and encourage employees to write down what they’re thankful for

Say “Thank You”

We are all human beings and genuine, yet simple, acts of recognition and appreciation are critical employee motivators. Improve your employee engagement this year by trying some of these tried but true ways of saying thank you:

  • Send short hand-written notes thanking direct reports for work-related and personal achievements
  • Distribute gift certificates for turkeys or hams. Nothing says ‘thank you’ like a great meal
  • Drop into an employee’s office for a handshake and a verbal acknowledgment of their continued hard work

Go Beyond the Holidays and Get Your Employee Engagement Strategy on Track

Remember, these employee engagement ideas are just a start. What you should really strive for this holiday season is to go beyond employee engagement to create meaningful relationships that last a lifetime. Doing so will reward you with not only with a strong employee retention rate but also with a culture that attracts the top-talent on the job market. Want to learn more about how to focus your employee engagement strategy? Download the white paper below!

New Call-to-action