The title of this piece is good advice in general, but this year, it’s more important than ever, because chances are that most, if not all of your employees are working remotely this year, thanks to the ongoing pandemic.
The simple truth though, is that the Holidays are coming, pandemic or no, and tradition dictates that we all get together and do something to celebrate them. That can be tricky though, given the aforementioned pandemic and the fact that if you’re like most business owners, a great many of your employees aren’t in the office right now, if your office is even open at all.
What to do in a case like this? If you’ve been scratching your head and asking that question as the Holiday season approaches, you’re certainly not alone. While we don’t pretend to have all the answers, here are a few ways you can honor our Holiday traditions, do something special for your employees, and include your remote workers, all at the same time.
Take The Party Virtual
You’re probably already using Skype, Zoom, or some other teleconferencing software to host virtual meetings since face to face meetings are currently out of the question. That same technology can also be employed to host a virtual party.
If you decide to do this, send out gifts to all of the employees who will be participating in the virtual celebrations with a note that says something like “Do Not Open Until The Celebration!” Then, on the day of, everyone has their wrapped gifts and can take turns opening them “on camera” sharing in the joy of discovery.
Include Snacks
In a similar vein, when you send out gifts and tokens, send out a care package with each employee’s favorite snacks. That way, as the party progresses, everyone can sit around chatting and enjoying their favorite snacks while sharing and conversing with each other.
Personalize!
This last item is almost certainly the most important. Great thought and care should be put into deciding exactly what to get for each of your employees. If it’s just a collection of random stuff they may or may not appreciate or get any use out of, and a short video conference, it’s not going to be much fun for anyone, so put some thought and heart into it. Make it atmospheric.
Part of this comes down to actually knowing your employees as human beings and having a firm idea about their likes, dislikes and preferences, and part of it comes down to having a bit of an artistic flair. After all, it’s not as easy as it sounds to turn a virtual meeting via videoconferencing software into a fun, festive holiday party. It’s possible, but there’s absolutely work involved.
In any case, if you take the three suggestions above, you’ll be far ahead of the game ,and well positioned to have a fun, memorable Christmas party this year. That’s good for you, and that’s good for your mostly remote work force, because these are trying times, and we could all use a bit of Holiday Cheer this year.