[60+] Awesome employee engagement activities for startups

Every employee expects a fun time at the workplace. Employee engagement activities help an increase in productivity, increase in involvement, productive interactions that generate new innovative ideas that help the organization grow in all the possible directions. It’s always good to keep employees happy when you see your organization constantly accomplish a milestone. If you are looking for amazing ideas on employee engagement activities here is for you. These proven ideas will help your team bond better, improve productivity and even increase revenues. I will discuss how you can know your employees and engage them most effectively. Nowadays, employees want to invest emotionally in the work they are doing.

Today I will talk about

• What are employee engagement activities?
• Why are employee engagement activities important?
• How to improve employee engagement activities in remote working?
• Innovative ideas for better employee engagement activities
• Benefits of employee engagement activities at the workplace
• How do employee engagement activities shall help create a good environment at work?
• Ideas for employee engagement activities in a small-size enterprise
• Employee engagement activities in a medium-size enterprise
• Effective ideas to conduct employee engagement activities in a large-size enterprise
• How to conduct employee engagement activities in the manufacturing industry?
• Employee engagement activities in the automobile industry
• How to conduct employee engagement activities in the insurance industry?
• How to conduct employee engagement activities in the tech industry?
• Top ideas to conduct employee engagement activities in the healthcare industry
• Best team building activities for blue collar workers
• Engage employees to avoid work pressure at the workplace
• Topmost ideas to engage freshers
• How can you engage interns?
• Employee engagement activities to bring leadership qualities
• The bottom line
• FAQs

What are employee engagement activities?

The main motive of engagement activities is to make employees comfortable at work. It helps in making the organization a better place. Employees work harder and put in more effort. They look to contribute to the cause of business growth in any way possible. Engagement is a strategy to understand the amount of work done by employees in an organization. The surveys display work productivity. 

Why are employee engagement activities important?

These activities perform to make employees comfortable and happy at work. It is a process through which work productivity improves. It helps in improving the quality of work.

How to improve employee engagement activities in remote working?

With the pandemic operating at full force, remote working is prevalent. The companies are looking to keep employees engaged in remote working. Virtual Onboarding of Employees, Interactive Quiz Sessions, Mental Health Counseling Seminars, and Bonus on Improved Payroll are

Innovative ideas for better employee engagement activities

Employee engagement is important for any business organization. Making the employees stay in the organization is a tough task. The company needs to provide assurance. How will they grow if they work continuously in a boring workspace? They can help in keeping employees engaged and motivated. Here are a few innovative ideas to enhance engagement for startups.

1. How to make time for fun?

Human beings are not machines. They need some time for refreshment as well. Here are the activities that are helpful in this regard.

• Deciding to eat out with employees
• Visiting a sporting event
• Taking a day off and going for adventure trips

2. Offering unique employee discounts and benefits

Offering perks to employees is a great incentive. Sporting tickets to events using company endorsed coupons is a great way to keep the employees happy.

3. Maintaining open communication

Communication is the best way to ensure engagement. It helps in resolving doubts and conflicts. If two employees are on the same page, they will work more efficiently. The output will be better and the satisfaction level will be high. Open communication encourages straightforward talk between employees. 

4. Using value-based employee recognition techniques

Company Values are important. Recognition of the employee’s efforts to uphold company values is important. It shows that the company understands and acknowledges the effort put in by the employee. 

5. Know your employees

Build a personal relationship with your employees. Get to know them personally. The employees would feel that you care about their well-being. It will motivate the employees to work for you. Employee Support Systems builds on personal relationships established between employers and employees.  

6. Create opportunities for employee collaboration

Create opportunities for your employees to work together. It will help develop personal relationships among the employees. Employees who share a strong personal bond with fellow workers engage at ease. This measure would help improve employee engagement. 

7. How to strike a work-life balance?

Here are a few highlights to give importance to work-life balance.

• Prioritize the personal life of the employee.
• Provide adequate paid leaves, flexibility in work timings, and a reasonable workload.
• Do not overburden the employee.  

8. Offer flexibility in employee duties

Young employees bring dynamism to your organization. They are young and youthful. You should understand their ambitions and help them set their career paths. They are flexible to work in different departments. It would help improve their work knowledge. The employees can decide the departmental work that interests them. This mobility offered by you would boost engagement. 

9. Maintaining transparency with employee communication

An employee would feel inclusive to share things. Inform the employee about the company policy changes. Keep them informed about the company’s decisions and steps taken. It will make the employees feel their worth in the organization. 

10. Establishing a philanthropic mission to follow

Commit towards a charitable objective. Consider donating a percentage of your company revenue to a charity of your choice.  

11. Offering wellness perks and benefits

Offer personal perks and benefits to the employees. Understand the requirements of the employees first. Offer meaningful perks like paid leaves, free yoga classes, and the opportunity to work from home. 

12. Growth opportunities

Employees constantly look for opportunities to grow. They provide adequate scope for your employees to grow. On-the-job learning and lectures and seminars are a great way to promote employee growth. 

13. Enabling coaching and mentorship for employees

Coaching and Mentoring can help employees chalk out their careers. Encourage communication between senior and junior employees. The junior employees can learn the tricks of the trade from the senior employees. Their experience in the industry would benefit the junior employees. 

14. Creating provision of multiple feedback options for employees

Some employees are shy to offer their opinion in public forums. For them, separate feedback mechanisms must be present. Employee surveys, personal chats, and one-to-one discussions can be identified as measures to gather the feedback of such employees. 

15. Engaging in practices to integrate new hires

Make the new hires feel comfortable. Introduce them to the existing employees. Allow them the opportunity to bond with the existing workforce. As the new hire blends in the organization, employee engagement activities encourages become better. 

16. Develop a strong company culture

Promote a healthy working culture in your company. All the employees should believe in the core values of your company. If the employees have faith in the company values, they will work to fulfill them. It would help promote better workplace activities. 

17. Supporting employee goals and objectives

Understand the goals of your employees. Identify what they want to achieve and where they see themselves in five years. Nurture their sentiments and potential. That would bring out the best in your employees. It would help promote in-house workplace activities. 

18. Celebrating milestones and achievements

Celebrate company milestones by organizing a special day off. The company should host feasts, ordering-in food, and cultural meets as events of celebration. An employee fulfilling the target may celebrate by rewarding the employees handsomely, thereby promoting workplace events. 

General employee engagement activities that work everywhere

Differentiating and branding workplaces can’t always be possible under every circumstance. Implementing an employee engagement activity solely meant for a workplace atmosphere can have lower expectation results. 

19. Parties at work to blow off steam

Parties are an important activity to promote team building and know each other amiably. Office and lawn parties create a chance to interact with each other.

20. Competitions, tournaments, and games to improve team bonding

Team bonding is essential for employee engagement. Competition, tournaments, and games create a chance for colleagues to show off their athletic skills and intellect. A pool table will create a much easy and comfortable atmosphere for workers.

21. Programs that recognize the effort

Introduce programs that recognize the efforts and dedication of the employees. There is recognition in several offices that allow employees to give each star and badges to show their appreciation. 

22. Night outs and lunches to promote employee engagement activities

Night outs do not have to be very friendly and informal. A walk to a restaurant for a day will increase the level of employee engagement. If someone is not comfortable with night-outs, lunches work and positively. 

23. Frequent communication with the team

Regularly communicating and engaging with your employees shows that you care about their opinions and views. Frequent communication with the team will positively impact their emotional bond and team spirit.

24. Team development activities

Bowling, go-kart racing and one-question ice breakers are some of the famous team development activities. Workers at any place are tedious of doing the same thing over and over again. Activities let employees know their colleagues better.

25. Express appreciation for good work and boost morale

Appreciation over someone’s dedication and hard work will positively impact their work and increase employee engagement. Show public gratefulness and recognition for their work. Boost the morale of a member of staff with acknowledgment of the good work.

26. Days to remember/special Days

Special days at the office or workplace holds a productive impact and improve employee engagement by a healthy amount. Bring your child to work day, casual dress-no uniform day, and take your dog to work. Special days can even be based on cultural, traditional, and religious importance. It gives the employees something to look forward to and increases bonding among staff members.

27. Ask for feedback and points to improve

The worker knows the efficiency and productivity of their staff members. Ask for feedback and points and places where improvement is possible, ultimately leading to improved employee engagement. 

28. Enrichment programs focused on sports and charities

Charities, fundraisers, and enrichment programs focused on sports and arts allow employers to try something new, challenge themselves and work as a team. These programs ultimately lead to better engagement around the workplace, within superiors and general employees.

29. State the workplace’s purpose and how employees’ vision is beneficial

Convey to the employee the company’s goals, what projects they will be expected to create in the upcoming day, and how direction the company’s growth is sailing. Keeping your workers in the dark can be a huge disadvantage for the brand image and popularity. Explain how important an employee’s unique vision is important for the growth of the company.

30. Build ownership qualities

To increase the workflow of staff members and improve employee engagement give responsibilities to the individuals.  Appeal to the employees to work towards a specific goal.

 Assignment of tasks and work makes the employee feel considerably less energetic. Frame your words carefully and showcase how a task can take the shape of responsibility. It can boost the motivation of a remote employee too. 

31. Health and wellness program for employees

Employee engagement and the well-being of the workers are closely related. Creating a break room with a facility that can decrease tension and workload pressure will benefit the workplace environment. Make sure to keep the facilities that can help to address mental health problems.

32. Prevent burnouts, promote work-life balance

Jack Maa’s mantra of a 12-hour work schedule for the week is not only impractical but affects work-life balance too. The result is low performance, disturbing moods, and low efficiency of employees. Allowing your employees to find the right balance between work and life will improve their work engagement. A satisfied employee is a productive employee.

33. Build a circle of trust

Trust among colleagues and their managers may develop as an important part of the workplace culture. Show your employees that you trust their decision, visions, and plans. This helps to lead the company forward with their ideas, plans, and projects. An employee who does not believe he has his employer’s trust may not be motivating. His productivity level will decrease and he would ultimately leave the company.

34. Providing continuing mentoring and training for employees

There is always room for improvement, and the members of staff at your workplace know it too. Bring in an in-house motivational speaker, training manager, and mentor expert. These personalities can lend their guidance and lift the spirits of everyone at the office or work site.

35. Learn In-depth regarding company culture

Make an effort to know your colleagues and employees who work under you. Try to copy the same in your speech pattern with a good observation. 

Benefits of employee engagement activities at the workplace

Employee Engagement is a productive process benefitting organizational growth. There are several benefits of workplace events like the development of customer service software, growth of financial independence, and boosting employee morale. Here are the principal benefits of employee engagement.

Low employee absenteeism

If employee engagement improves, employees would seldom take a leave. The employees care about their jobs and their impact on fellow workers; they avoid taking unnecessary leaves. As a result, it reduces employee absenteeism. 

Higher employee retention

The employees who are free and extroverts enjoy the work time with their colleagues. They relate to and work towards fulfilling company missions and objectives. There are higher chances of retaining the services of such employees. 

Increase in business revenue

Employee Engagement encourages employees to work more diligently. The work productivity is high. The quality of work improves. It leads to an increase in business revenue. 

Better work quality

Engaged Employees love to take responsibility for work. The employees work with all their heart and soul, output levels improve. With Improved skills and better communication, the work quality improves.  

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How do employee engagement activities shall help create a good environment at work?

Here are the tips that help promote employee engagement in business.

• Have conviction in the plan you propose

Be Confident about the plan you propose. As organizational heads, employees will follow your lead.  This gesture would make your employees feel comfortable. Ultimately it promotes employee engagement. 

• Maintaining proper workplace layout

Exposed Sunlight lightens up employee mood. For example, if you plan to Offboard Employees in your organization, new furniture, and more office space would be necessary. 

• Addition of attractive indoor plants to improve the aesthetic appeal

Plants break up indoor space. They add an aesthetic appeal to the work environment. 

• Consult experts

Consult an expert for help to build a policy that will help you engage and empower employees. External Agencies provide such services. 

Ideas for employee engagement activities in a small-size enterprise

A Small Business Organization has limited resources. That should not become a barrier in promoting employee engagement. Here are some employee engagement activities that small businesses can execute.

36. Brown bag presentation

Employees can have a lunchtime for casual meetings. Lunch meetings are the best to make the discussion more interesting and fun.  

37. Take a half-day and arrange a fun event.

Company management can select Fridays for occasions of half-days and fun events. Give a break to the employees. Go out with them, engage them in an interactive activity. It can help in the growth of employee engagement. 

38. Try to encourage an escape room

Escape Room refers to a game where puzzles and riddles solve to enter the next phase of the game. Employees can interact and communicate with each other. Employee interaction can find a place to grow. 

39. Offer healthy snacks

Healthy snacks help improve digestion and increase positive energy levels. Employees can munch on them and continue working. They can work with higher energy levels. The engagement of employees with the work increases. 

Employee engagement activities in a medium-size enterprise

Here are some of the effective engagement activities for a medium-scale company.

40. Hosting team building activities

Team building activities help in knowing each other and develop personal bonds. It helps in improving company productivity. 

41. Make the onboarding process interesting

Hiring a new employee is a critical process. Making them familiar with the work environment is essential. It takes measures to integrate them with peers and mentors. Plus, it will ensure better employee engagement. 

42. Develop internal communication channels

Internal communication channels like emails, team meetings, websites, and newsletters play an important role. The employee increases consumer interaction. Intra-department communication between employees plays a vital role in engagement. 

43. Community participation

Encourage employees to participate in community service. The employees feel proud to be a part of the company. It encourages employee engagement. 

Effective ideas to conduct employee engagement activities in a large-size enterprise

Here are a few productive engagement activities for a large company- 

44. Spice up the work environment

Introducing new equipment in the company workplace is beneficial. A new chair or a desk can make an employee happy. Shun the boardrooms and hold meetings in coffee shops and restaurants.

45. Do a strengths assessment

Encourage employees to take strength assessment tests. You will get to know in which field they excel. Their knowledge level would help you tap their full potential. It will boost employee engagement.  

46. Avoid bossing around and encourage coaching

The workplace should not have too strict an environment. Coaching and mentorship are more effective. Nurture your employees with warmth, care, and guidance. 

47. Ask employees to write their job descriptions

Allow the freedom of the employees to write their job descriptions. It would give you an idea of whether they understand their job roles. Increased interaction would improve engagement in this regard. 

48. Make sure employees do not overwork

Maintain a work schedule for your employees. Avoid getting them in an extra workload. Allow them enough time to interact with friends, colleagues, and family members. 

How to conduct employee engagement activities in the manufacturing industry?

Here are some good ideas of engagement activities in the manufacturing industry. 

49. Provide job flexibility

Encourage employees to develop their work schedules. Allow them to operate and rotate the shifts. It would prevent employee overburdening. 

50. Implement “Great Game of Business” theories

Encourage employees to think like business owners. Sharing key company information and strategies with them. It will make them feel a part of the company.  

51. Attend industry trade shows and virtual events with employees

Invest in employee growth. It will make them feel that you worry about their future. They will be more inclined to work for your company and contribute meaningfully. 

52. Love your employees

Love your employees wholeheartedly. Remember that the longer they stay dedicated to your organization, the more productive your business would become. Offer them a chance to reciprocate your love and warmth. It would boost employee engagement. 

53. Sports and Games

Manufacturing industries involve laborious activities. The labourers have to do tiresome physical work. Their refreshment is of paramount importance. Therefore organize games and sports competitions. These can be organized on special holidays like Independence Day etc. 

54. Family Day

Invite the families of the labourers to come together on a single platform. This would boost labour engagement. They will feel valued. This day can be celebrated as a family day. 

55. Simulation Games and Workshops

Simulation games can test the intelligence of the workers. They can also keep their minds fresh. Productivity Improvement Workshops help. They test the skills and potential of the workers. It also identifies actions that would boost the workability of the labourers. 

Employee engagement activities in the automobile industry

Here are some good ideas of engagement activities in the automobile industry. 

56. Pulse surveys and employee feedback

Conducting Employee Surveys and Administering the Feedback mechanism helps the company grow. It ensures betterment and increased employee engagement. 

57. Ensuring employee-well being in COVID-19

COVID-19 has altered work dynamics forever. Enquiring about the health of employees and encouraging work from home practices have become important. You should make your employees comfortable working in a remote environment. Provide them with the required facilities to operate from home. 

How to conduct employee engagement activities in the insurance industry?

Here are some good ideas for employee engagement activities in the insurance industry. 

58. Conduct joint visits to clients

Encourage employees to conduct joint visits to clients. The productivity increases the time two employees pitch an insurance plan with a good presentation. The employees become more engaged with their work. 

59. Offer insurance benefits to employees

The employees in the insurance industry must bet on insurance benefits. They must feel that they can take advantage of the insurance policies. It improves employee engagement. 

60. Seminars and workshops

Organize seminars and workshops on the importance of insurance in the volatile finance sector of today. Employees will get the gist of the financial implications of insurance. They will be able to pitch their clients more professionally. 

How to conduct employee engagement activities in the tech industry?

Here are some measures that would help incorporate employee engagement in the Technology Industry.

61. Involve employees in the business planning process

Employees should be aware of the company developments. Let them involve in the policy framing process. This shows the worthiness of the employees in the organization. 

62. Create a knowledge sharing system

Workers in the technology industry love to work on collaborative information technology projects. Such collaborations offer them the opportunity to imbibe and impart knowledge. This process of sharing knowledge improves employee productivity. They get aware of their faults and the efforts they can take to rectify them. 

63. Have a Hack Nights

Just to eliminate the monotony of daily work, you can organize hack nights. Hack Nights refer to breaks given to the employees. 

Top ideas to conduct employee engagement activities in the healthcare industry

Here are some topmost activities that would help improve employee engagement in the healthcare industry.

64. Involve doctors in the mix

Invite doctors on common platforms and seminars and appoint leadership positions to doctors. Recommend their names for national honors. 

65. Encourage team bonding

Healthcare deals with one of the most critical aspects of human welfare. It involves a lot of stress and long continuous working hours. Team bonding and coordination between existing doctors and nurses are important. 

66. Ensure that leaders are on board

Doctors occupy leadership positions in healthcare. Taking a medical or administrative decision, you must ensure that the doctors are on board. They must consult the decision with the associate doctors, nurses and administrative machinery of the hospital or other healthcare unit. 

Best team building activities for blue collar workers

Here are some measures to promote employee engagement in the blue-collar industry.

67. Make the employees feel valued in the company

Wages at times are not the only incentive driving an employee. After attaining a certain organizational position, it is the recognition that the employee values more. To retain the services of blue-collar employees, make them feel a part of the decision-making authorities. 

68. Mixing blue with white-collar workers

Do not differentiate between employee positions. I would suggest you organize events for the white-collared employees and the blue-collar workers for better interaction. This would encourage the workers and serve as an incentive for them to reach the hierarchies of organizational control. Organizing separate corporate events for a separate set of workers does not help in improving employee bonding. 

69. Do not allow the employees to burn out

Allow adequate rest to the employees. Stress and fatigue can harm employee productivity. Let your employees enjoy short breaks to live a life outside the office premises.

Engage employees to avoid work pressure at the workplace

Here are some ideas to keep your employees away from work pressure. 

• Prioritize Mental Health and Well Being
• Offer Mental Breaks throughout the Day
• Maintain Realistic Goals and Objective Fulfillment Process

Top ideas to engage fresher’s

Here are some good ideas to keep your junior employees engaged in the organization. 

• Provide them with the tools for success
• Let them know how the company is doing
• Allow them to grow

How can you engage interns?

Here are some measures to promote employee engagement between interns.

• Focus on career development
• Aim for individualization in virtual internships
• Create a project marketplace

Employee engagement activities to bring leadership qualities

Here are some good ideas of employee engagement activities to bring leadership qualities to the table. 

70. Employees trust leaders 

Leaders should lead by example. Employee engagement brings employees together. The employees work in a cohesive environment to enhance leadership qualities. Assignment of team leaders and project heads is important in this regard. A project head can be successful only after proper work fulfillment and coordination of work functions with colleagues. 

71. Effective leadership promotes organizational health

Employee engagement ensures effective leadership. Leaders create the course for the company to run on. Without an effective leader, a team is like a rudderless ship. The individual capabilities of the leader operate efficiently with the collective capabilities and skills. It encourages employee engagement. 

72. Take care of the people, and they will take care of your mission

The above maxim is true under all organizational circumstances. Giving attention to your employees would increase their job satisfaction levels. The employees will be able to work without burden, and they will employ techniques to maximize efficiency. The organization will benefit. The company mission and objective would move towards fulfillment. 

The bottom line

Conducting workplace events is a critical part of any startup business environment. Financial resources are important. Without them, mobility and leverage are impossible. Employees are the backbone of any work setting.  

FAQs

Not to be considered as tax, legal, financial or HR advice. Regulations change over time so please consult a lawyer, accountant  or Labour Law  expert for specific guidance.