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It might only be July but any East Midlands based company that is on top of things is starting to think about planning its Christmas party now.
What is the point of a company Christmas Party? We’ve all been to a few in our careers and some where you would rather have been at home on the sofa.
Before I get into a few of the surprising benefits a well planned Christmas party can do for your business, let’s look at what it shouldn’t be.
3 things a Christmas party should NOT be:
- A chance for your company to throw money down the drain on the kind of event employees have been to 100 times before
- A chance for your employees to have one too many as they’re pressured into having “forced fun”
- An item to be ticked off a list because it’s what you’re meant to do and every other company has one
So what can you achieve with a good Christmas Party?
3 Key Benefits of a Well Planned Christmas Party
1) Give your company culture a huge boost for the year ahead and beat your competition
This is one of the best ways you can set your company up for success in 2018.
It’s your chance to show your employees that they are valued. Don’t make them go to a mediocre event they are bored by. Instead make it something they’re excited by and will be talking about for months to come!
If your team feels like you made an effort to put on an event they enjoy, they’ll feel like you actually care about saying ‘Thank You’ for their hard work.
TIP: This year, include an awards programme for employee recognition or tailor the event to something more personal than the standard cardboard cut out dinner, drinks and dancing.
QUESTION: What are you doing to tailor your event to your company and its employees?
As for beating your rivals – I’m sure I don’t need to explain how much of an impact company culture has on retention numbers plus it can be pretty powerful when it comes to attracting talent and recruiting the best in your industry.
2) Give your marketing an unexpected push
Remember I said your Christmas do should be something employees are talking about months later? I didn’t just mean to each other.
A strong event will have them sharing how great your company is with friends, industry peers, and the people they meet while out networking! You’d be amazed at how many people start enquiring about jobs or hiring our firm The Simplifiers, based on things we share about our company culture.
It’s also a way for you to showcase your company via digital and traditional marketing that will actually get people’s attention, encourage engagement and show that you are more than just a logo. TIP: Hire a videographer to shoot a 1-minute highlights video of the night and use it in your future recruitment marketing materials.
QUESTION: So what will you show potential employees and clients beyond a group of people holding drinks? Remember, remaining professional and having fun are not mutually exclusive.
3) Go into 2018 with a stronger team.
How many of us have made real, strong connections with a colleague or client over a drink, outside of the formal restrictions of the office? Those working relationships are invaluable as is having employees who see each other as more than just the people they’re forced to sit next to.
But it’s not going to happen at a stuffy event where everyone is only pretending to relax while really looking at the clock wondering how long they’ll have to stick it out.
And throwing money behind a bar isn’t necessarily the best way of achieving this aim. TIP: Think about incorporating details, entertainment and activities into your event to help everyone connect in a genuine and enthusiastic way. But please, I’m begging you – No cheesy ice breakers!
QUESTION: Which department at your company needs a boost most? Which departments could be working BETTER together?
As you can see, planning a Christmas Party is so much more than just a party.
It means getting a good return on your investment and helping your company achieve its goals. To do that, it’s going to take a lot more than booking a package deal at a venue or restaurant or ordering in some food and drink and having it at the office.
The real QUESTION is…
Can you really afford not to invest more than that into your company’s Christmas Party?
Click HERE to arrange a call and get your no strings attached consultation!
