Gary
Planning your upcoming company events?
What’s the point of the company office party, team building days or other staff events? If they aren’t done well they can be dull affairs, something put on out of obligation rather than desire. But a well thought out event can not only be fun for staff; it can also a gamechanger in terms of productivity.
Only one third of UK employees say that they are engaged at work. Research carried out in 2011 by employment and staff retention specialists Kenexa, showed that the UK has 6% lower staff engagement levels versus other countries with large economies.
Why does staff engagement matter?
Staff engagement has a measurable effect on productivity.
A report by ‘Engage for success’ found that companies with the highest levels of staff engagement had 18% higher productivity levels and delivered twice the annual profit.
Yes, that’s TWICE THE ANNUAL PROFIT. Worth shouting about.
Yet, according to recent research by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) UK productivity is 20% lower than in the rest of the G7; plus the OBR (Office for Budget Responsibility) found that companies in Britain are 15% less productive than their EU counterparts.
Why would engagement affect productivity?
Well according to the CIPD (Chartered Institute for Professional Development); engaged employees take an average of 2.7 sick days per year versus 6.6 days for disengaged employees. So there’s clue number one.
Clue two? Companies with high levels of staff engagement show a staff turnover rate that is 40% lower than those with low staff engagement levels. The true costs of losing staff knowledge and skills through poor engagement.
Engage staff with company events, improve productivity…
…improve profitability. Whether you choose to validate staff performance with award events or boost moral with a Christmas or Summer party; if you do it well your staff will feel valued and your company will reap the benefits too.
Reward your teams
Recognise hard work and reward your employees for good results. Add an awards ceremony to your office Christmas party or summer company events. According to research 84% of the worlds most admired companies stated that their efforts to engage employees had strengthened customer relationships and increased profitability.
When employees feel like their efforts have been recognised they begin to understand the importance of their role to the business. They understand that their actions and efforts do make a difference. And remember, an engaged employee is a productive employee.
Team building days
Team building days are great for building morale and for breaking down barriers. Get away from the office environment and mix managers and shop floor staff together within teams.
Cooperation and collaboration between staff is crucial to success. Team building days are not only fun and engaging, they also remove many of the social barriers that are often put in place by the shirts, ties, uniforms and walls of the usual workplace environment.
Office Christmas and summer parties
They don’t have to be the cliched and embarrassing affairs portrayed in our favourite TV sitcoms. A well thought out event, held in a beautiful venue, offering good food and great entertainment can do wonders for staff morale.
It’s when companies cut corners the problems emerge. Remember that you are trying to show your staff how much you value them. If their perceived value equates to a packet of dry roasted peanuts at the local community centre bar then your staff are likely to feel disengaged by the event; it probably wasn’t worth doing in the first place.
There are some incredible opportunities available. Don’t squander the opportunity to make your event count. Speak to a reliable and experienced local events company and give your staff the event that they deserve.
Planning your company events?
We’re are more than happy to discuss your ideas for your upcoming company events. We have some amazing ideas for team building days, staff parties, conferences and product launches.
Plus, we also know and work with some of the industries best suppliers, so please don’t hesitate to ask for recommendations.
Call our offices and speak to a member of our team to find out more.
