With Christmas right around the corner, the holiday spirit is in full swing and people are looking forward to celebrating and spending some time off of work.
The holiday season is also a perfect time to work on boosting your company culture. And what better way to do that than by throwing a holiday office party?
If you’re still skeptical about whether to throw an office party or not, let us convince you why these corporate celebrations are a great idea.
What is company culture and why it matters?
Before we jump straight into all the reasons why a holiday office party is a good idea, let’s discuss company culture. Company culture is best explained as a set of values, beliefs, and behaviors that determine how an organization functions. It’s basically the personality of a company, and in most cases, it is either formal or informal.
Companies with formal company structure work in a very formal, very structured environment. The management hierarchy and working relationships are much more traditional. Whereas, the informal company culture is pretty laid back and casual. Employees work together in teams, and the relationships are much more open and transparent.
Either one of these cultures works well for different types of businesses. These cultures also attract different kinds of employees. And it’s this culture that can also affect a company’s reputation and employee retention.
Those are some of the reasons why company culture matters quite a bit. And if you’re a company leader, you can shape the company culture. And one great way to do that is by organizing a holiday office party.
How can a holiday office party boost company culture?
Now that we know exactly what company culture is, let’s discuss in what ways a holiday party can improve it.
- It improves employee morale
The end of the year is a hectic time for most companies. It’s time to tie loose ends, meet many deadlines, and meet most, if not all end-of-the-year goals. This means that everyone is busy, and working hard, and that can result in a downslide in morale.
So, is there a better way to boost morale than to throw a holiday office party? Holiday parties are a great opportunity to cheer up your employees, help them relax, and remind them why they choose to work in your company.
- It allows everyone to mingle
The chances that your employees have met the members of the upper management in a large company are pretty slim. That’s why holiday office parties are a good idea. They allow employees to meet and mingle with upper management, executives, and their boss’s boss.
Interaction and open communication between employees and company leadership can build trust and, in that way, additionally boost the company culture. And what better opportunity for employees to interact with leadership than during holiday parties? During parties, there’s no stress, no work pressures, just a casual, festive atmosphere where everyone can interact freely.
- Interaction between employees
Every company with a culture also has a subculture within a department or a team. When working, employees don’t have time to hang out with other people who aren’t part of their team. That’s, once again, why holiday office parties, like Caribana, are great. They offer your employees chances to connect with colleagues in a setting that’s not work-related and to have conversations that also aren’t work-related.
Holiday parties offer a great opportunity to personally meet people from other departments. People they have collaborated with at some point but have never met. The party finally offers them the chance to meet these people and find out what they have in common with them.
- It offers opportunities for recognition
End-of-the-year or holiday parties are perfect opportunities to celebrate milestones, recognize team effort, and recognize employee top performers. By doing this, you’re building a strong company culture, and setting new standards and goals.
All of this will create a more positive work environment and promote a culture of excellence. How you choose to award your employees will depend on you and your company culture.
Some companies only offer a public thank you, while others reward their employees with time off or small gifts. You can go a step further and thank all your employees for their hard work by giving them small gifts such as gift cards, candles, mug warmers, or interesting custom stubby holders. It’s up to you.
- It offers opportunities to align goals
Holiday parties, just like other corporate events, offer a unique opportunity to remind employees of your company’s goals. The end-of-the-year party is a perfect time to think about the future and to align your business goals with everyone.
And since you have all your employees in one place, use the opportunity to remind everyone of your company’s values, goals, and plans.
- Engage everyone in party planning
Another great way to boost company culture and morale is by engaging everyone in party planning. Alleviate some of that end-of-the-year stress by asking your employees to get involved in the office party organization.
Give some employees the task of finding vendors, engage others in finding entertainment, and simply find ways to get all your employees excited about the party.
This is the best way to help boost morale and company culture.
- It helps create memories and traditions
Companies that hold annual holiday office parties are perfect examples of organizations that provide their employees with lifelong memories and traditions. It’s these memories and traditions that bring teams together, and create a sense of belonging.
And this is not easy. Not every company can create such a company culture that makes everyone feel like an accepted member of the workplace.
If this is your goal, then organizing a holiday party is a must this year.
Bottom Line
The end of the year is the perfect time to boost your company culture. It’s the perfect time to give your employees a well-deserved break after a successful year. And there is no better way to do this than by organizing a holiday office party.
Hopefully, we managed to give you enough reasons why a holiday office party is a good idea for your company.