With it being the holiday season and end of the year, throwing a holiday party for your employees is a great way to show appreciation for how hard everyone has worked and that you really care about your employees. Here are a few suggested tips from Inc.com on how to throw a great holiday party for your employees this year.
- Have the party in January - moving the party to January will help you avoid the holiday rush and it will be easier and cheaper to book your venue and find a caterer.
- Hold the party during working hours and at the office – this option will also save you money from renting a venue and employees don’t have to spend their free time outside of work with co-workers.
- Throw a potluck – make sure your employees enjoy the idea of a potluck or it could end up being a bust. Another possibility is having the company provide pizza, sandwiches, or any entrée of your choice, and have the employees bring in their favorite sides or desserts.
- Do something nontraditional – go to the zoo, aquarium, or other local attraction instead of having the traditional holiday party.
- Don’t exclude spouses/significant others – if you decide to have a Friday night event dinner or party, give your employees the option of a “plus one guest” if appropriate.
- Don’t charge employees – only throw the type of holiday party that you can afford, whether you order pizza at the office or a fancy dinner at a nice restaurant. Charging your employees will not send them the message that the party is a celebration for their hard work.
- Provide transportation if alcohol is served – either make arrangements with a taxi company or hire a bus if alcohol will be served at the event. Even though transportation is provided, this does not give employees permission to exhibit behavior that go against company policies and they should still act responsibly.
- Don’t force people to attend – employees should always have the option to attend a holiday party regardless if it’s at the office or an offsite event. If someone does not want to attend, this is not a sign that they are not a team player and this cannot be held against them during their performance review.