It might not seem like it now, but with things changing, it looks like we are getting ever closer to returning to the normal that we may be used to in our previous lives. This means that we will be returning to work and returning to the social aspects of being in a workplace rather than being stuck working from home. 

Whilst it may be exciting returning to work, it can also be daunting too. This means that you will want to make sure that your staff feel welcomed and feel that they are ready to make the change.  

One great way to do this is with employee engagement activities. This will help them feel more settled when it comes to returning to work, but it can also encourage them to feel ready to get to work and be as productive as possible. Not every single engagement activity has to be huge; sometimes, it is minor changes that can really have the most significant impact, and surely now is the best time to do this?  

Stuck for ideas? Here are 8 employee engagement activities that you can try out to help engage with your teams.

Organise regular social events 

One of the best things that you can do is to make sure that you organise regular social events, within the covid confines of course. These can vary in size and type and depend on the number of people you have working for you and what type of things your staff may enjoy. 

It is a great idea to organise these social events because it will help your employees come together, feel connected, and think that they are part of a team.  Each year we put together our Inc Fest, where we have live music, DJ, and give away a holiday, this has always been on Zoom, but next year we’re hoping to have it in person.

Provide examples of how their work pays off 

We all work better if we feel that what we are doing has a point and that it will help in the long run. This means that you need to make as much effort as possible to ensure that your staff know just how much their hard work pays off.  

Provide them with examples of how things have changed and the importance of what they have done, and this is often enough to keep them wanting to carry on making those changes in the longer term.  

Give staff members responsibility 

Many people thrive on having responsibility rather than just work to do. So, it is a great idea to offer responsibility to your staff members as much as you can. It doesn’t have to be anything too much; however, sometimes the smallest changes and the smallest of responsibilities will help employees feel that their work is valued.  

Welcome them with a gift 

If you are thinking of a more direct approach to tackling engagement, why not leave your staff members a little treat on their return to work? This doesn’t have to be something huge; sometimes, just a new mug or water bottle is enough to show that you are thinking about your staff members and that you want to welcome them back in.  Each new employee gets a customised Chilli’s booth, pen, work essentials and benefits card, we’re always improving on what we give, and it gets better every year, but even a customised pen is a nice start.

Have an excellent health and wellness programme  

Employers have a duty to their employees to ensure that they have access to health and wellness benefits and programmes that will help them. Not only whilst they are working, but also in their private lives too. This means that you need to make sure that you take the time to work out what benefits and programmes will prove the best fit for your business.  

Don’t just choose things that will work for you, but think about the wider business and what may benefit your employees the most, such as gym memberships or unlimited virtual GP appointments.

Encourage a work-life balance  

The magical term “work-life balance” is something that many people wish to achieve; however, it seems to be much harder than you realise. As an employer, you need to try and help your employees to find ways that they can achieve a work-life balance themselves.  

This could be flexible working, working remotely on a schedule or anything else that allows them to take charge of their personal life whilst still being able to get their work done. This will help them feel that they want to do the best they can whilst they are at work.  

Praise, praise and praise  

We all do much better when we feel that we have done an excellent job and that our hard work is recognised. This means that one of the best things that you can do is to make sure that you praise your employees as much as you can.  

Even just a simple email to show that a job has been well done is sometimes enough to make sure that your staff feel great about the work that they do.  

Learn more about your staff 

One final point to try and help with employee engagement is to ensure that you learn as much as you can about your staff. They are all people; they are all individuals, which means that they should be treated. 

Sure, you can’t constantly tailor everything to every employee; however, if you learn that someone has a particular skill, you didn’t realise. Then you are going to want to try and help them work on this and use it in their everyday work. 

We know that it will be strange returning to work, no matter how long we have worked there. However, it should definitely be seen in a positive light. Being able to come together, work collaboratively, and communicate with one another face to face, rather than on Teams. Well, that is quite exciting for us all.  

If we can make things that little bit better when it comes to welcoming employees back to work, this will always be a great idea and definitely one that we need to try. It may make things easier for them in the office, allowing some more flexibility or perhaps just encouraging some social interactions. Whatever it is, the good news is that it will benefit staff and business owners alike.