Another holiday season is quickly approaching! While the festivities evoke excitement about warm and cozy family get-togethers and much needed downtime, the season can also be a stressful time for businesses and the workplace. Stressors can include dramatic shifts to work culture as remote companies continue to adjust to life post pandemic and looming end-of- year deadlines and financial quotas to reach. All to say, anxiety is at an all-time high and employees and employers alike are at risk of burnout.

In recent years especially, employees have worked tirelessly, despite tremendous adversity due to the shifting work landscape. To maintain a strong, healthy and flourishing work culture in these challenging times, corporations need to consider the human factor. Employers must remember that before they are employees, workers are human beings and need to implement a more human-focused approach into their corporate culture-building strategy. 

The end of the year is also a time for companies to reward their employees and show they value them beyond quotas and numbers they have generated. Bonuses are always welcome, but a chance to feel appreciated and unwind on a deeper level is what’s truly paramount to fostering a healthy and engaged company culture.

Companies typically hold fun holiday parties to lift their employees spirits, but in the wake of the pandemic, most companies aren’t ready to coordinate bustling, festive gatherings in the workplace just yet. How can you help your employees disconnect from work and turn stress into enjoyment and rest, while allowing everyone to feel included and safe? 

In this post, we will offer inspiration to help you plan holiday events to bring your team together and feel rejuvenated and recharged as they look ahead to a new year. Because after all, what good are overworked, uninspired and undervalued employees?

Cultivate Wellness 

Foster a corporate culture of engaged employees who feel empowered and invigorated by their workplace by offering chances for your team to focus on their personal wellness, not just the firm’s bottom line. This can include offering guided meditations or yoga sessions led by pros to target various stressors in your employees’ lives. Or you may even consider granting your employees a few much-needed, extra days off around the holidays to demonstrate your value for your team and appreciation for their efforts to push through and stick by your side through the challenging previous year.

Be Inclusive to Employees of All Backgrounds 

Corporations have been increasing their focus on inclusivity and diversity in their organizations. A more diverse workforce is a more dynamic one, often a more efficient one, and one in which employees increasingly want to work in. So make sure that in your company’s efforts to diversify your team, all members feel included in the holiday festivities. Consider how to make your holiday events accessible to everyone by holding non-denominational get togethers rather than focusing the festivities solely around the Christmas holiday. 

Think Small 

We are so used to always hearing “think big” that we need to recalibrate our mindsets this holiday season and perhaps learn to “think small”, instead. With health concerns still lingering around, the last thing most employees want to jump into is a big holiday event  where the entire company will be present. While some work in a 10-person office, others work in firms with thousands of employees, in which the idea itself of gathering everyone together may bring on holiday anxiety all on its own. The goal of a holiday party is to relax and destress, not add to it. 

So, if you’re going for an in-person celebration, rather than trying to organize a large company-wide party – think about breaking it down to teams instead. Granted all companies vary in size, but if you happen to be a larger organization, consider holding smaller celebrations for individual teams vs putting on a full on company-wide event. 

Include ALL of your employees

During this time we are still grappling with balance. While many people are back to the office, many companies are still offering their employees the option to remain remote, and we need to consider that those who choose this option will most likely not be eager to get back in the office yet this holiday season.  Therefore, when planning your holiday event, make sure all your remote employees will feel included, too. 

Some great, creative ideas for holiday team events that can be done remote, virtually or as a hybrid remote/ virtual situation include sending customized team crafting or cooking projects that everyone can participate in regardless of where they are. Offering customized options that help bring together your team regardless of their location will promote a feeling of togetherness and inclusivity which has been hard to uphold during these times in which workplaces are either remote or hybrid. 

Whether you are looking to hold a virtual, in-person or hybrid event, CraftJam is committed to curating a bespoke holiday event to help enhance and reinvigorate your team’s culture, while meeting your team’s particular needs. 

Foodie Fun 

How could we forget talking about all the delicious holiday eats? If you’re hosting an event and you’re serving food in person, think in advance of how you can use personalized delivery services to ensure that your remote employees are not just participating in the fun but are also included in the feast. This can ensure that everyone’s dietary needs and preferences are included! After all, we all know how a meal shared together can bring a group closer.

On that note, have a happy, healthy, safe, and delicious holiday season that empowers your team culture for a successful new year!