Work and play are two words that never go hand in hand. For all our lives, we have been taught to “work hard, play hard”. However, can fun be etched in work itself?
Creating a fun company culture is a great attraction and retention strategy. Besides that, it improves engagement levels within your organisation, driving productivity levels at the same time.
What entails a fun company culture?
Every organisation has a different definition of a “fun” company culture. For some, it might mean offering fun perks such as unlimited vacation or installing foosball tables in office. For others, the responsibility might all upon individual line managers to decide on activities or events to drive a fun company culture.
However, the last thing that your organisation should do is to “copy” a fun company culture from other organisations. Essentially, your company culture should be reflective of the values and the overall branding that your senior management wants to present to its employees. “Fun” has a different definition for every employee and it is key that your senior management tailor its company culture according to the needs and demographics of the employees.
Why is it good for the business?
As mentioned earlier, a fun company culture engages employees. Work can sometimes be dreary and stressful at times, and the last thing that you want is for your employees to dread coming to work. A fun company culture keeps employees enthusiastic about their tasks and makes them feel appreciated when efforts are being invested to create a positive work culture for them.
Likewise, your employees indirectly become your organisation’s ambassadors as well. When your employees love where they work, they are likely to share this with friends and family, promoting your company brand as well. In turn, this helps to attract like-minded talent to your organisation as well.
Ways to create a fun company culture
Innovation time – Having an innovation day to get different departments into work on new ideas can be a great way to foster collaboration. This can motivate and inspire your employees to engage in innovation alongside their day-to-day business. It is very important that the ideas don’t end up in a drawer, but rather have an effect that can take your business forward.
Positive Messaging – Happier words lead to a happier culture and happier employees. For example, encourage your employees to talk on the positive attributes of both their own and those of their team members. Use words that bring about positive interactions can be personal and encouraging. This can play a huge role in the overall company culture.
Celebrate achievements and wins – one of the most important ways to create a fun and engaging work culture is to recognise employees’ achievements and wins. Celebrating individual achievements should be a regular affair. It could be setting up an online message board for employees to post their congratulatory messages or a simple celebratory team lunch. At the same time, you can also celebrate company wins on a larger scale such as organising an after-hours drinks session.
Creating a fun company culture need not be an expensive affair. Most importantly, organisations should tailor their company culture according to the values that they wish to drive as well as based on employees’ needs.
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