Whether it’s nationally-sanctioned Fun at Work Day or an average Tuesday, having a good time at work is one important measure of employee satisfaction. In fact, we take employee fun into account during both our Best Places to Work assessment process and for our employee survey project customers when we administer our Employee Engagement and Satisfaction Survey. Specifically, we ask employees to dis/agree with this sentiment: At this organization, employees have fun at work. If you’re considering injecting some fun into the workday at your organization, use the the ideas below as a jumping off point.
1) Laugh!
Injecting a little humor into meetings lightens the mood and can actually make it easier for coworkers to connect and find common ground with one another. Sharing work-appropriate memes and cartoons can also add a little levity in times of stress. Who doesn’t love a good Dilbert calendar?
2. Be appreciative.
When you show gratitude, good things happen in the workplace and beyond. As an employee and teammate, it’s very motivating to know that your hard work and efforts are appreciated. Here are 8 Ways to Show Employees that You’re Thankful.
3) Compliment someone each day.
When you notice your colleagues for their general awesomeness, it’s hard to avoid making people feel good. Take that to the next level when you institute a formal program like a wall of fame, full of stickies with shout outs, or a slick tech solution that promotes peer-to-peer recognition, like Brighter.
4) Play games.
Whether you’ve got a Foosball table, an ongoing Scrabble game, or use Sneaky Cards, being playful invites in the fun. No room for ping pong in the office? Whip out the chalk and draw up a foursquare court in the parking lot for an old-fashioned lunchtime tourney.
5) Celebrate!
Whether it’s office birthdays, obscure national holidays, or achieving goals, there’s always a reason to celebrate. Celebrating successes and anniversaries a great way to boost employee satisfaction and motivation.
6) Goof off.
Silly surprises such as putting a container of slime on your coworker’s desk or donning Groucho glasses will surely crack smiles and lighten the mood. A healthy balance of concentration, hard work, and fun will make for a more well-rounded working environment.
7) Bring toys to work.
Toss a Koosh ball, shoot a Nerf gun, or leave an Etch-A-Sketch in the lounge. Dartboards, mini-basketball hoops, and putting greens also work well for blowing off steam. Check out Gearhungry’s list of the 13 best desk toys to see the latest gadgets and toys.
