It’s that time of year again; Christmas is almoszet upon us. If you’re a business owner, then organising your annual festive party is no doubt rising up your to-do list.

Research conducted by Love Energy Savings has uncovered exactly what the British public love about their annual work Christmas party – something that has become a tradition in many businesses. Here’s what they found out…

  • More than one in four people stated that their favourite thing about festive get-togethers was being able to socialise with colleagues.
  • 24% of people said it was the food and drink that enticed them to take part every year.
  • One in 10 people said they enjoyed the opportunity to bond with colleagues in a less formal environment.
  • Finally, 7% of people said they relished the opportunity to get out of the office and do a fun activity during this most wonderful time of the year.

However, unpredictably, an overwhelming 31% of people said that their work didn’t throw a Christmas party at all. This was a surprising discovery given that restaurants and venues start encouraging businesses to book their parties as early as August; an annual Christmas do is something that many staff just come to expect.

While some people may think of a big party as an unnecessary expense, by not throwing one you may actually be missing out on a huge opportunity to get your members of staff in one place, interacting and engaging with one another in a fun environment.

Phil Foster, Managing Director of Love Energy Savings, commented:

“Employee engagement is a hugely important part of your business, and it really helps to transform your company from good to great. We know that our staff pull out all the stops and work incredibly hard all year round to make our company a success, and we believe that they deserve to be rewarded, relax and celebrate at the end of the year.

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be a huge party. In fact, if you’re a small business, something more intimate and friendly will do far more good for your engagement and happiness levels. Try and think of some ways that your staff can bond with one another, and it will have knock-on effects for the rest of the year.”

Love Energy Savings have compiled top tips for making your next Christmas party a huge success.

Here’s a few ideas…

Paintballing

It might not be everyone’s cup of tea but it’s certainly a tick in the team-building box. If the weather’s not on your side there are plenty of places to shoot paint indoors.

Cooking / mixology classes

What’s better than a traditional Christmas dinner? Learning how to perfect one yourself! Or, if you’re feeling particularly merry, book your staff onto a cocktail making class and find out who prefers it shaken or stirred.

Book an exercise class

Whether it’s Zumba or a HIIT workout, get those bodies moving and endorphins flowing with a pre-meal workout. It also gives everyone an opportunity to burn off enough calories to eat as much as they want later!

Don’t be limited by these suggestions. Open the floor up to your employees and see what weird and wonderful ideas they come up with.

Kathryn Minchew on Twitter gave her opinion on paying to attend your own work Christmas party…

“Don’t charge people to attend! My husband once worked somewhere and was told it’d cost £35 each. We didn’t go funnily enough.”

Remember that you don’t have to empty the company bank accounts to pay for a great party. It’s how you spend the time together that counts the most. But there are plenty of ways to cut back if you’re thinking of saving up for the big do; read our post on how to cut back elsewhere in your business whilst simultaneously boosting staff productivity!

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Employee Experience