Fun at Work: Balancing Enjoyment and Productivity

Imagine walking into your office on a Monday with a smile on your face and the motivation to get things done because you have fun at work every day. Sounds like a distant dream to some, but having fun at work is essential for a productive work culture.

Many of us have heard about Google’s work culture striking a great balance between fun and productivity. From play areas to theme-based office rooms, the company has redefined how to get the best out of its employees at the office.

In our post-pandemic era, employees often dread having to return to the office for a day of work. Creating an environment that is light-hearted and fun can often reduce the stress associated with tasks at work. This helps employees feel happier, allowing them to be satisfied and motivated to do their best work.

In this article, we discuss a few great ways you can introduce an element of fun to your office. From organizing simple team lunches to organizing elaborate themed parties, this will give you great ideas to bring back the smile on your employees' faces when they step into the office.

Let’s get the fun started then shall we?

The Importance of Fun at Work

Before we get to the different ways one can have fun at work, we must understand why it is important in the first place.

Employees in the workplace today look for a company that takes care of all their needs. This includes financial stability as well as stress-free and enjoyable work environments. The more balanced these requirements are taken care of, the more your employees want to do their best at work.

While salaries can help address an individual’s requirements, planning fun events at work can often lift the organization’s morale. Colleagues can bond and develop strong interpersonal relationships, helping build a sense of team spirit at work. This can have many benefits for the company with time.

The most important benefit of having a fun workplace is its direct correlation to productivity. Employees develop an inner drive to do their best at the workplace. They also show a positive attitude toward learning and growing on the job, allowing them to improve their productivity for the company by 31%. This makes them more valuable over time as a result.

Other benefits include

Better employee morale and engagement levels. They feel more committed and engaged in company activities and official duties, improving their performance as a result.
Improved communication amongst colleagues due to better interpersonal relationships and social bonds outside of work
Reduced employee turnover rates within the organization due to a stress-free and happy environment to work in.

Studies have shown that a more productive workplace has increased profit levels by as much as 21%. Considering the win-win situation for everyone involved, there’s no harm in having a little fun while on the job after all!

Ways to Incorporate Fun into the Workplace

Form an Office Sports Club

The Activity: Ask teams within your company to form sports teams to play sports like football, table tennis, badminton and cricket.
Why should you do it: Nothing screams team bonding like sports. Most employees can relax and have fun while playing sports, which can make for some brilliant and hilarious memories. It also has the added benefit of helping your workforce stay fit and healthy
Tip to remember: Ensure teams are inclusive to ensure better engagement and interaction.

Host a Talent Show for Employees

The Activity: Organize a talent show where employees can showcase unique talents that you may have never known about otherwise.
Why should you do it: Talent shows give employees who struggle with social interaction the chance to gain the appreciation of their colleagues. Their unique skills will be a talking point that will help them develop strong interpersonal relationships within the organization.
Tip to remember: Record the event so that you can create a highlight reel that can be used for company promotions

Celebrate Festivals and Holidays at Work

The Activity: Organize parties to celebrate various festivals and holidays during work hours. Encourage employees to dress up and do up the office with themed decorations that bring out the true festive spirit.
Why should you do it: Festivals give you the chance to celebrate the diversity of your workplace. It allows employees to understand and participate in festivities, giving them a real sense of engagement and happiness. It also helps build a sense of inclusivity while having fun at work.
Tip to remember: Have employees participate in the planning of the event from decorations to catering. (aka “The Party Planning Committee”)

Decorate the Office

The Activity: Gather your employees to spare some time to redecorate a public space at work or customize their personal workstations and cabins as per their tastes.
Why should you do it: Considering employees spend a large portion of their day at the office, the vibe of the space they work in can make a huge difference. Aesthetically pleasant surroundings with personalized decorations can motivate employees on an otherwise difficult day. As a team activity, employees across different teams can collaborate and interact with colleagues throughout the decorations. This will lead to improved communication and better team building in a professional environment.
Tip to remember: Provide your staff with stationery and fun equipment to bring out the creative geniuses at work.

Start an Office Book Club

The Activity: Have meetups during or after work hours for colleagues passionate about reading to discuss their preferred genres or a specific chapter in a book.
Why should you do it: Office book clubs can help people at work identify others with similar tastes in reading material. This can kickstart new friendships that help build a sense of camaraderie across teams.
Tip to remember: Encourage book club members to establish a small library for employees to read new genres during their breaks.

Throw Parties for Anniversaries and Birthdays

The Activity: Organize small gatherings for work anniversaries and employee birthdays during work hours. Have a cake-cutting and gift-giving ceremony to make things fun during celebrations at work.
Why should you do it: Remembering the small details such as birthdays and work anniversaries show just how important your employees are to you. This gives them the motivation going forward to focus and do their best at the office, building morale and engagement as a result.
Tip to remember: Collect small amounts from colleagues for some great swag to gift the person you are celebrating.

Create an Office Jam Session

The Activity: Have members of your company with musical talents get together after work to jam with their instruments and have a great time discovering their love for music.
Why should you do it: Music has improved productivity by up to 88% in the workplace. Giving employees a safe space to showcase their talents in the office can improve team bonding and communication. It can also help others discover hidden talents that would have otherwise remained unknown.
Tip to remember: Encourage office bands to take the stage at work events for a great and fun time for everyone attending.

Create a Game Room

The Activity: Have a dedicated room with a bunch of indoor activities that cater to a wide variety of employees. From ping-pong tables and board games to insane 40-foot rock climbing walls, the sky (and your budget) is the limit to what you can do.
Why should you do it: Having a game room at the office motivates employees to head to the office every day. It also gives them a great chance to relax and unwind during their breaks at work, reducing stress levels as a result.
Tip to remember: Always keep your game room stocked with the required equipment such as paddles, ping-pong balls and coins for board games.

Organize Happy Hour Meetups

The Activity: Gather employees of a team for an evening of drinks or dinner after work hours. Having the meetup happen at game nights can also make it a more fun experience for everyone to remember.
Why should you do it: Meeting outside of work gives teams the chance to unwind and get to know each other better. This helps them form bonds at a personal level. This encourages better communication and understanding in a professional setting while also helping build a sense of unity within the team.
Tip to remember: Schedule meetups with your team in advance to allow more employees to be present and allow you to plan budgets.

Develop a Wall of Fame

The Activity: Create a location at the office where leaders and managers can constantly show their appreciation for employees in public. This could be through the employee of the month celebrations or highlighting someone for specific contributions at the office.
Why should you do it: Many people find the motivation to do better when they receive encouragement in public. Being viewed as a successful employee drives them to improve further and seek excellence at their job, making them dedicated and committed to the organization as a result.
Tip to remember: Honoring employees on the Wall of Fame with personalized gifts makes this fun at-work activity a memorable one.

Send Notes of Appreciation and Encouragement

The Activity: Encourage team members to drop anonymous notes thanking a colleague for their contributions at the office.
Why should you do it: Everyone loves to be appreciated for their work efforts. Having a personalized note that highlights exactly this can be the source of motivation that helps them feel recognized and loved. This will motivate them to do better, increasing their value at the company. Everyone loves to be appreciated for their work efforts. Having a personalized note that highlights exactly this can be the source of motivation that helps them feel recognized and loved. This will motivate them to do better, increasing their value at the company.
Tip to remember: Having handwritten notes can add a sense of personal touch that makes this activity even more effective.

Design a Workplace Vision Board

The Activity: Create a vision board detailing the organizational goals at your company. Enlist the help of employees to bring out their creative side while making the board. On completion, the vision board can be displayed in the lobby or open space for public viewing.
Why should you do it: Collaborating and getting creative during the process of creating the board can lead to new friends being made and a sense of unity as a result. If you want to motivate employees on a daily basis, then vision boards do the trick quite effectively. Employees can slowly align their aspirations with company goals over time, making them more productive.
Tip to remember: Incorporate company branding such as colors, fonts and logos in your vision board to make it memorable.

Organize Karaoke Sessions

The Activity: Have an evening for employees to sing and dance their hearts out as they do their best impressions of the most popular hits.
Why should you do it: Karaoke is not about discovering the best singer in the office. It is about bringing the office together in a fun atmosphere to have fun at work. Whether your employees can sing or not, this activity will leave a lasting impression and foster team spirit and unity.
Tip to remember: Ensure that all people participate in the activity, irrespective of their singing skills.

Incorporate Group Exercise Sessions

The Activity: Create events during work hours for employees to get together and try out physical activities like long walks, riding bikes or even something like Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) like judo or kickboxing
Why should you do it: Part of employee well-being is ensuring they stay healthy and happy. Physical activities have proven to boost social bonding amongst colleagues while reducing stress levels. This gives them the chance to bond outside of their professional lives.
Tip to remember: Hire trainers to assist you with the needs of your group during physical activities.

Share Jokes with Coworkers

The Activity: Have informal chat groups or email chains where employees can exchange jokes and memes with each other during work hours for some lighthearted relief.
Why should you do it: Laughter and humor can really help destress employees having a tough day in the office. Giving them the chance to laugh and shrug it off can help them get back on track while also conveying the message that having fun at work is not a crime.
Tip to remember: Encourage lighthearted jokes that do not offend the sentiments of other employees or can stir up controversy at the office.

Balancing Fun with Productivity

Having fun at the workplace should not be something that happens randomly. If planned and strategized effectively, it can boost the potential of using it as a stepping stone to boost employee morale and happiness at the office.

As a company, employers must understand and communicate the importance of prioritizing work to those working for them. While employees must be encouraged to participate in organizing fun activities for their colleagues, at no point should it come at the cost of their productivity or official responsibilities.

For managers and team leaders looking to strike a balance between fun and productivity at work, here are a few tips we recommend that will help you achieve this goal.

Schedule Fun Activities Strategically: Good leaders must identify the right time to celebrate with their employees in the office. Celebrating the successful completion of a project or adding fun during a hectic workday can have positive impacts in reducing stress and boosting employee morale.
Communicate Clear Expectations: Let your team members know exactly what is expected of them. Set goals and targets to help them strike the perfect balance between fun and productivity at work.
Incorporate Fun into Team Meetings: Meetings with a group of people who interact regularly do not always have to be formal and rigid. Encourage light banter and some personal chitchat at the beginning of the meeting. This will allow everyone to settle in before getting to the matter to be discussed. Doing so will lighten up the mood and encourage the participation of everyone involved.
Encourage Employee Input: It is always a great idea to make employees feel involved in planning fun activities at work. Having polls conducted can help you understand the fun activities employees prefer as well as creative ideas to make an existing plan even better.
Provide Resources and Support: As someone in charge of the team, it is important to provide those planning fun at work events with the resources and support they need. This could be budget approvals to arrange for catering and decorations, or allowing employees to spend some of their work hours assisting in the preparations for such events.
Lead by Example: If you want your employees to feel motivated and happy, then you must lead the way. Encourage a positive work culture that allows those working under you to have fun at work. Conduct meetings to discuss fun activities in the workplace and try to come up with new suggestions to keep things fresh and engaging,
Monitor and Adjust as Needed: Fun at work must have the resulting benefits of a team that is more productive and better motivated. In your role, it is important to track and analyze the positive impact such activities have on your team morale. This will help you understand the pulse of your team better and plan activities that align with their individual tastes.
Foster Inclusivity: You need to include everyone in activities that promote fun at work. Encouraging employees who hesitate in social settings to participate in these events can show them that you value them and consider them to be a part of the team. This will help you communicate with them better and give you the chance to help them build stronger bonds with their colleagues and the organization.

Conclusion

Having fun at work can have many benefits for your company if done right. From boosting productivity amongst employees to increasing the financial performance of the organization, it can have a long-lasting impact that can shape the future.

If you are looking to plan some fun activities at work for your employees, then you should consider rewarding them for their participation. At Swageazy, we provide you with the best corporate gifting ideas that will help you make your fun at work event a memorable one.

Browse our extensive catalog and get started on your journey of creating the most fun gift for your employees at work.