Pretty much anyone who has worked in a company knows of the dreaded corporate event. Horror stories of boring programs and embarrassing moments come to mind. Some businesses aim to make it mandatory for employees, but they fail in actually getting the people to attend. If your company is one of those, then maybe a change of strategy is in order. Instead of pushing them into the event, you can adopt some pull tactics. Learn how to encourage them to go with these suggestions and ideas.
Make a Lasting Impression
Some employees don’t go to events simply because they think that there’s no value for them. You can make yours different by doing it for a worthwhile purpose. For example, it can have an inspirational or educational talk that they can get a lesson or two from. Or you could find a way to turn it into a humanitarian event that they can participate in. You can remind them of the social affair through the use of challenge coins, custom-made for the occasion.
Get Them Out of the Workplace
It may be a company event, but let’s be honest, they don’t want to be reminded of work when they’re encouraged to have fun. In this case, present it to them as a chance to get away for a while without negative consequences. You can choose to hold them during work hours and tell them that it’s going to be counted as part of their workday. For better results, you can also rent out an events place for it.
Make Food a Selling Point
This suggestion may seem shallow, but you can’t deny the power of free food. In some events, participants do have to suffer a bit and go with minimal snacks for the entirety of it. Offering a full meal or two can do wonders in pulling your employees in. You’ll also be surprised at how your event rating can increase just because you added some excellent and filling food. Some people would even comment if it’s delicious. Compliments to the chef indeed.
Involve the Employees in Planning
One of the reasons why employees don’t find it in themselves to attend events is that it doesn’t catch their interest. There are almost no elements that they like or can relate to. In this case, what you can do is to involve them in the planning process and hold a survey regarding their preferences. You don’t have to give them too much free rein, of course. Give them choices that are within your means and limits.
As the employer, you’re the one holding the event, so you have the power to make it more inviting to your employees. Instead of merely forcing it on them, you can encourage and give them plenty of reasons to attend and be invested. If you do so, you are making a win-win situation for both parties. They can have a good time, and you won’t waste your time, money, and effort in organizing it.
