Working from home or in a small office can sometimes feel isolating. You spend so much time with your co-workers that it’s easy to forget you’re not an island. Even if you’re lucky enough to have an open floor plan and regular social events at work, there are still times when employees might feel lonely or left out. The good news is that there are simple ways employers can help employees connect and have fun at work. Here’s how:
Have a Clean, Well-Stocked Break Room
The break room is an excellent place for employees to relax, unwind and socialize. But it’s also essential to keep the break room clean and well-stocked, so people want to use it. Provide a microwave, refrigerator, and sink so people can reheat lunch or wash their hands after eating. You might even want to provide coffee machines, hot water dispensers, or tea kettles so people can enjoy hot beverages during their breaks.
According to a survey by ezCater, 78% of the 1000 surveyed workers find that taking a lunch break makes them more productive at work. Make sure there are tables and chairs in the break room if you have enough space. Otherwise, employees will be forced into awkward standing conversations while they eat their lunches at their desks instead of enjoying time with each other at the table in the break room.
Encourage People to Take Their Lunch Breaks Together
A traditional lunch break is a time to eat and relax, but it can also be an opportunity for employees to socialize. Encourage employees from different departments or teams to take breaks together at least once a week and build a sense of community within your workplace. Having your team members get to know each other better allows them to share their ideas more efficiently, which can help you grow as a company.
This type of bonding also helps increase employee engagement and happiness with their jobs since they’ll feel more connected with one another and the company. In addition, encouraging employees to eat healthier lunches will help reduce stress levels throughout the day because healthy food makes us feel better than junk food.
Besides encouraging the employees, you can also join them during lunch breaks. Many leaders practice this habit to bond with their employees. As mentioned in the Harvard Business Review article, the co-founder of Indian tech company Infosys, Mr. N.R. Narayan Murthy, used to eat lunch with employees in the cafeteria whenever he got an opportunity. This led to such a bond between the leader and his employees that Infosys witnessed high attrition when he chose to retire.
Organize an Office Happy Hour
The best way to help your employees socialize at work is by organizing an office happy hour. This will help you communicate better and increase employee well-being while providing a fun way to spend some time outside the office. You can easily plan an office happy hour by following the tips below:
- Set a date and place. It’s essential that you pick a day and time when everyone can attend.
- Encourage people to bring friends from other departments so they can meet new people and existing co-workers who may not know them yet. Having multiple groups will encourage mingling between employees and make it easier for everyone involved.
- Order sufficient food or hire a catering service provider. Let your employees enjoy some meals and soft drinks during the happy hour. If you plan to order everything yourself, ensure that there is enough food for everyone to enjoy. If you don’t want to take the hassle, you can simply hire a catering service provider, and he will take care of the rest.
Host Occasional Social Events
Social events are a great way to get your team members to bond and build rapport. They can be especially helpful in introducing newer employees to the company, as it allows them to meet and learn about their colleagues outside of the work environment. Research shows that team performance is greatly improved when new employees socialize with others in the organization.
Hosting social events is also a great way to reward your team for their hard work and provide some fun after long days of working together. This can be done by hosting a company picnic or barbecue, taking everyone on an outing to the movies or bowling alley, or even having a holiday party at the office.
Use Apps or Games to Bring People Together
If you have a group of employees working in separate areas, it might be hard for them to get together and socialize. While some companies offer perks like a lunchroom or free coffee, this isn’t enough for many people.
One way to help your employees break out of their cubicles and get to know each other is by encouraging them to use apps or games that bring them together. Playing games at work can improve productivity, team building, communication, and trust between co-workers.
The first step to encourage teamwork among employees is choosing a suitable game. Team-based activities such as charades or Mad Libs can be fun ways for groups of colleagues who don’t normally interact outside of meetings to get better acquainted while working towards a common goal. Other options include trivia games requiring knowledge from different departments within an organization.
You can also have team-based video game competitions. This will enable the employees to play together and have fun while working as a team. A recent study proved that these activities help team building and improve team performance.
Create Connections Between People Who Work in Different Departments
One great way to encourage socialization is to help employees connect with people in other departments. This creates a stronger team and allows employees to learn new skills while getting out of their comfort zones.
A company should encourage this type of interaction between different departments. Suppose there is a project that requires expertise from multiple groups. In that case, it’s essential for the managers overseeing the project to be aware of this and make sure everyone involved gets along well and has some time together.
This helps create an inclusive workplace where people are less likely to feel isolated because they work in different departments or have different responsibilities than others in their team.
Conclusion
It’s important to remember that socializing at work doesn’t just make people happier. It also makes them more productive. When employees feel connected to each other and their jobs, they’re more likely to be engaged in what they do daily, and the bottom line benefits are clear.
