It’s that time of year again – when companies start hosting their holiday parties. These celebrations are a great way for a company to express their gratitude for their employees, and people very much appreciate being recognized for their hard work. As Richard Branson says “The way you treat your employees is the way they will treat your customers.”

However, not all company holiday parties are enjoyable. Depending on how you plan the event, your employees will either have a blast, or they’ll start dreading next years party before this years even ends. Now, not every company can afford to send all of their employees home with a flat screen TV or fly all of their employees to some tropical location, but there are ways to make sure that your employees have a good time. Here are a few ideas:

 

Good food

Good food is alluring to anyone, especially when it’s provided by your company. You can either hire a catering service, or pick up goodies from local bakeries and restaurants. If you go the latter route, find someone in your office that knows the neighborhood well and can recommend something a little different. Having good food is also a great conversation topic, which is nice when you find yourself standing next to a colleague you have nothing in common with.

 

Timing

Don’t make your employees go to an event on the weekend, or occupy their entire evening after work. No matter how great the party is, chances are that they have their own things to be doing (especially around the holidays!). If you can incorporate even some of the holiday party time in to the work day, your employees will thank you.

 

Gifts/freebies

It doesn’t need to be big or expensive, but sending your employees home with a little gift is a nice touch. It’ll give them something to hold on to that reminds them of the effort you went to to show your appreciation. Last year, at SnapSuites, we gave our members potted succulents from Niche. If you put some thought in to it, and get something you know your employees will like, they’ll leave the event with a positive impression.

 

Give them something to do

While it’s great if your employees enjoy spending time with one another outside of work and have common interests, that isn’t always the case. If you set up some kind of game or activity for them to do during the party, that can help people feel a lot more comfortable. It will give them something else to focus on, and something to talk about with others. A few ideas would be to hire a live musician, set up a cookie decorating station, or organize a gift exchange.

 

Keep the speeches to a minimum

Just remember, your employees come to these events to enjoy themselves and let loose. Make sure that a manager or executive thanks everyone for their hard work, but past that, allow people to just mingle and have fun.

 

Every company and workplace is different, and is comprised of different kinds of people. The most important part of planning your holiday party is to pay attention to what you think your employees might enjoy. The party is a way for you to show them how much you appreciate their work over the past year, so make sure it’s reflective of how you feel about their work!