Employee motivation: The importance of the office Christmas party

Date: 07/11/2011

Christmas is the traditional time to motivate staff with an annual party and even though many organisations are feeling the pinch it is still important to show staff how valued they are.

A quarter of the British workforce have been told that their company will not be throwing an office party this year, according to research by leading bowling companies.

More modest parties make sense, but as many staff are facing bigger workloads than ever this year, cancelling Christmas altogether is bound to be a blow for staff morale.

With this in mind, a well planned if not extravagant party will be on the cards for many workers up and down the country this year.

Christmas parties are that difficult balance between work and employees' social worlds and as well as having fun, staff are encouraged to remember who else is present and who they will have to report to on Monday.

As to the decision about venue – it depends on the company and the atmosphere at work, but hiring a venue or doing something different can break down the barriers.

Alternative parties which get away from the traditional are a good idea if you want to do a memorable activity, such as go-carting or visiting a local Christmas market.

The party is not a corporate event and although some of the skills involved in organising parties for clients may come into play, remember your staff are there to have a good time and forget about work.

Sometimes speeches from the CEO can go down really well, but it depends on your CEO and whether he will keep it light, brief and funny.

Jokes which show how well they know the staff can be endearing or offensive, so make sure it's the former and if there's any chance of the latter don't let them take to the stage.

Cheesy Christmas parties are incredibly clichéd and it doesn't take a lot of capital to throw a sophisticated party and make sure the theme is consistent.

Kieron O'Shea, client services director for the MotivAction Group, said: "Be different – include at least one element of surprise and/or delight to your event."

This could be achieved by getting an unannounced act to perform, some fun team activities or a little gift for each member of staff.

Such thoughtful touches are much more effective for staff motivation than large amounts of money thrown at an event without a lot of thought.

Try and understand your own boundaries and make your budget go further by getting the professionals to make sure the event goes swimmingly.

A badly organised event which the staff have been looking forward to but doesn't deliver will not add much to the feeling of team spirit and unity in the workplace.

Providing a fun and relaxing time for staff should be the paramount aim of the party and since it is not in work time it is important to take other commitments into consideration.

Mr O'Shea said: "Try and make people's lives easier by helping get them home or putting them up – even if it’s just thought and suggestion, if costs are prohibitive."

Anticipate questions in advance, as it is important to be consistent with all staff and issues such as whether or not to invite partners can be a deal breaker.

Some people will be more relaxed if their partner comes along, but if your office is mainly made up of single staff, those with partners may feel out of the loop.

Remember that inviting partners will also lead to more expenditure, so if you can offer your staff a better party with fewer guests then perhaps partners will not be appropriate to invite.

Try and find a date that as many staff as possible can attend and those in professions which don't lend themselves to parties before Christmas, such as bars and restaurants, can still reward their staff in the New Year.

Some employees can feel left out serving drinks to everyone else on their work night out, so give them something to look forward to once the Christmas rush has died down.
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