Host that office party to boost employee productivity
Employees share a bottle of wine during an office party. PHOTO | FOTOSEARCH
What you need to know:
Brands that show their appreciation for workers this season stand to reap in the new year.
As the year comes to an end and business closes for the holidays, many Kenyan companies will be hosting annual office parties as a way of appreciating employees, clients and partners, in a ‘thank you’ that evidence shows can serve as a good motivator to encourage staff to work harder.
In a 2013 employee appreciation survey conducted by online career website, Glassdoor, 81 per cent of the respondents said that they were motivated to work harder and 53 per cent said they would stay longer at a company if they felt more appreciation from their boss.
“There is a wide variety of ways to show employee appreciation that can go far towards keeping employees satisfied, engaged and retained,” said Allyson Willoughby, Glassdoor’s senior vice president of people and general counsel in the report.
“Even inexpensive forms of appreciation, like thank you cards and treats show employees you value them.”
It is the desire to celebrate achievements and motivate teams to achieve more that has seen companies such as Uber Kenya host an end of year appreciation barbecue lunch for its drivers and partners, as a way of marking a successful year in the country.
“The event is aimed at appreciating Uber partners and drivers for a successful year in Kenya,” said the company last week.
In the US, 80 per cent of companies are this year planning to show their appreciation to their employees for their hard work by hosting holiday parties.
“Our survey suggests that 80 per cent of employers are ready to spend some of their profits on their employees this year. More than 66 per cent of survey respondents said their companies are hiring caterers or event planners and 42.9 per cent said they will allow more guests at the party including spouses or family to attend,” said John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a global outplacement consultancy firm, that conducted the study.
“It is a great way for employers to thank employees. It is also an opportunity for staff and management to interact.”
Festive season celebrations, especially around a major holiday such as Christmas, create a happy environment for employees, helping boost their productivity.
A 2010 study by a global staffing services firm on employee productivity during the holiday season found that of the 34 per cent senior managers surveyed, their employees were less productive the week before a major holiday.
“Offices are often less productive during the holiday season than at other times of the year because of company parties, family festivities and other diversions,” said Max Messmer, the chairman of Accountemps, in the report.
“It can be challenging for employees to strike a balance between personal and work obligations.”
This challenge of striking a balance between work and personal life has led some companies to go to the extent of decorating the office so as to brighten the mood by creating a homey feel for employees whose minds may have ‘switched off’ from work during the period.
“Holiday decorations in an office changes the mood because it shows employees that they are valued and that their experience at work is important to their employers. This improves the management-staff relationship and actually can increase productivity over the season and into the New Year,” said a report titled, The Ultimate-Guide to Holiday Decorations by office-interior decorating firm, Ambius.
Indeed, for Kenyan companies looking for ways to motivate their employees especially those working during the Christmas season, there is need to consider some office cheer to increase productivity.
