Showing that you appreciate your employees and all the hard work that they do is one of the best ways to keep your teams motivated. Never fall into the trap that getting work done is the same as getting it done well. A motivated, loyal team sticks around and comes up with innovative ideas that push the very future of your business forward because they see their own future with your company.
Excellent pay and benefits go a long way, but sometimes you need to show your appreciation with a genuine compliment. So, if your team has performed exceptionally and you want to show how grateful you are, it’s time to host a lunch out, and it’s time to use these tips to make it something memorable:
Book Off a Long Lunch
To properly celebrate a huge sales season or other milestone, it’s best to think of this lunch as an afternoon off to appreciate that you and your team have done it simply. Perhaps you’ve finalized a major client handoff or achieved a record number of sales. Whatever the goal, you and your team deserve an afternoon off. Rather than have them disperse, bring everyone together for a team-building, morale-boosting long lunch. This will encourage everyone to properly let loose and relax, especially if you choose a Friday!
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Choose an Excellent Private Venue
If your team is small, you can likely get away with booking a private room at the restaurant. If you’re celebrating an entire department or the entire company, however, then you’ll need a proper venue that offers corporate event planning services. Choosing such a venue provides many benefits, the most important of which is that you can keep the catering and drinks bar in-house, saving on costs and hassle.
Choose the Vibe of Your Event
The vibe of your event definitely depends on your company culture. A prestigious law firm, for example, would benefit from a sit-down plated lunch event, while a marketing team at a new startup can be looser with a buffet lunch. Just be aware that if you do choose a plated meal, you’ll need to get everyone’s dietary requirements/preferences in advance, and having a plated dinner does not mean that there aren’t also appetizer stations or hors d’oeuvres being passed around.
Create an Event Timeline
While it’s easy to let your employees have fun and enjoy themselves, that isn’t how you can maximize the morale-boosting benefits of your company event. At a minimum, consider hosting a few thank-you speeches featuring the CEO, manager, and other upper-level management, thanking your employees for their accomplishments. If you really want to go above and beyond, select a short list of staff members who have gone above and beyond (excluding management-level staff) and include them in your speech to ramp up the recognition.
Consider a Gift
Another way to really celebrate your employees is to include a gift for everyone. While you may reserve bonuses for your top-performing employees, everyone on the team should receive a smaller gift, such as a gift basket or gift voucher. If you do choose a gift voucher, give your staff the option to turn it in for cash or another service.
These little thank-yous go a long way towards building goodwill between you and your staff, encouraging them to continue working hard quarter after quarter. It’s also an excellent way to bond together.
