Providing an adequate work environment is one of the best tactics you need to use in order to have a successful business. This can be achieved only if the employees are happy, if they are optimistic, and if they have something to look forward to other than the job when coming in at work in the morning. This is why I believe that employee fun at the workplace has become a requirement for any self-respecting business. But how do you provide employee fun at the workplace? Well of course there are a number of measures you can take, but you have to be prepared to spend some money. I would urge you to think of it as an investment because from my point of view there is clear connection between employee fun, employee morale and employee productivity. So if you are careful enough you might find that the money you invest in order for your employees to have fun will turn up in increased productivity and therefore a bigger profit. So, if it’s a win-win situation why doesn’t everybody invest in employee fun? Well, you need to take enough time and evaluate the situation well before you make an investment that doesn’t back-fire on you. This is why I have chosen some of the most successful methods of providing employee fun at the workplace in the paragraphs below:

1.    Game room in the common area. A great way to provide employee fun is to organize a game room where the employees can gather during their breaks. Supply that room with board games, or Ping-Pong tables, or even foosball, and you will find that suddenly employees have something to look forward too when coming in at work, like, for example, getting a revenge for the game lost yesterday at foosball. I have seen this tactic applied at various businesses and the results have always been very good.

2.    Online game breaks. Another way you can spark employee interest, especially if you have a lot of young people working for you is to organize online game breaks at the office. Give them restricted use to the company computers so that they can play a game or two which you provide for them. In many IT companies this sort of thing is done on a regular basis without manager approval, so I believe making it more organized, and in a controlled environment will get you lots of points with the employees, and will undoubtedly increase employee fun in the workplace.   

3.    Anonymous suggestions. Another way making the workplace a much happier place is to urge everybody to write down suggestions about what they believe should change in the office. Then organize once a week in a break the reading out loud of the suggestions, which, if they are anonymous usually contain a lot of humor.

4.    Costume party night. Make it a habit to organize at least once a month an office party. Set interesting themes, and try to get people excited with lots of surprises at the party. Everybody loves a costume party so this could be great way to increase employee fun.

5.    Game night, with bosses. Something that all employees love to do is to beat their bosses at anything. So a good way to let out steam built up for the duration of a month or so is to organize a game night where bosses are compelled to participate. This will give employees a chance to build the cohesiveness of the teams and also to get a better read on what kind of people their bosses are.

6.    Fun trainings. Another great program you can invest in is trainings and team building exercises. Focus on the types of programs that make teaching new skills fun. Training doesn’t need to be an intensive program where you study all day, but rather a fun activity that at the same time manages to teach you new skills.

7.    Food fight. My favorite thing. Of course it’s not professional, and nobody wants to have nothing to wear after their suit is filled with spaghetti, so it’s better to start “spontaneous” food fights on a casual Friday, preferably just at the end of the program. Not everybody will appreciate it, but I think it’s a great way to blow off steam.

Employee fun should be a priority for every new business, especially those which rely on the talent and creativity of their employees to get the best product. You can’t always be creative by working under stress and short deadlines, you need to be able to have some fun and at the same time, maybe come up with new ideas. As I said a positive and optimistic work environment is the key to a successful business, so maybe investing in employee fun doesn’t seem like such a bad idea after all.    

A good way to get an increase in productivity from your employees is to organize employee of the month competitions. They are excellent for making a much more competitive workplace, as long as it doesn’t get out of hand, and people start holding grudges. This is a team leader’s responsibility to keep everybody happy, and to stop conflicts even though people are competing one against the other. A good way to make these competitions more effective is to make sure you have prepared the right employee of the month gifts. This is not always the easiest of jobs, because if the prize is to large than there will be a cut throat battle between you employees to win it which will not be in your favor because it will ruin employee morale, while on the other hand you may find that the prize is not attractive enough and nobody will care about, thus making the competition useless, which will in turn make the whole effort of raising productivity futile. Having cleared that out, let’s go on and check out some of what have proven to be, in my experience, the best employee of the month gifts:

1.    Bonuses. Of course the thing that employees care about the most is their pay. So, a good way to go with employee of the month gifts is to give bonuses. As I said you need to make sure that the bonus you offer for that month to the best employee is not too big or too small. So I would recommend that to make things attractive you would need to give a bonus of somewhere between five and ten per cent.

2.    Days off. This is one of the most attractive employees of the month gifts. A day off or even two given out to the employee that has proven to be the most efficient in the previous month will result in a fierce competition. Everybody yearns for a prolonged week-end or just a day for yourself, and this is what makes this idea one of the most interesting.

3.    A day with your superior. This could prove to be one of the most productive ideas for employee of the month gifts, especially for the employees who want to develop their careers and are thinking off getting a promotion. Learning the job your direct superior does beforehand, might be exactly the edge you needed in order to get the promotion you were looking for. Hands on experience proves to be most of the times much more important than theoretical knowledge. This way you can learn all the tips and tricks of the job directly from your superior, benefiting from his or her experience.

4.    First pick on choosing vacation time. I have found that working in an office presents a peculiar problem. You almost never get to take a vacation in the exact period of time that you want, because you have to corroborate your schedule with all the other employees, so that there is always someone present in the office. This is why I believe this can be one of the most thought after employee of the month gifts.

5.    A bigger desk or even a bigger office. Sometimes some employees feel the need to privacy in their work because they can’t concentrate in big, open plan offices. This is why you could consider giving a private office for the next month to the best employee of the previous month. It is also a question of statute, having your own office makes you feel important and more confident, and this is one of the factors you need to take into consideration for an employee of the month gift.

6.    Free use of corporate facilities. Every corporation or big business benefits from corporate facilities, but usually just for high ranking members. I would suggest giving access to these facilities to the best employee of the month. It shows a lot of recognition from your part, and the fact that you consider him or her as an important, equal part of the team.

7.    Picking the place for the next team building exercise. This may prove to be a great incentive for people who like to travel and see new places. Of course you need to set a budget, so as to not come up with to exotic suggestions, which they will need to stick to. Still, it may prove to be a great idea, and many people will find it brilliant.

As I have stated, choosing the right employee of the month gifts might be a much more complex task than you would initially think. You need to strike a balance between something that everybody would do anything to get, while at the same time keeping things friendly, and having a professional and fun work environment.