As many of us know, the office Christmas party divides most workers – some view it as a great opportunity to let their hair down and celebrate a successful year gone by, while others can’t think of anything worse than getting drunk with their boss and singing along to Wham.
With employee engagement and retainment a hot HR issue at the moment, doing something nice for the workforce during the festive period is now pretty much essential. But is the traditional office party the best way to reward your staff?
According to a recent survey commissioned by Reward Gateway and reported on the On Rec website, office Christmas parties appear to be going out of favour – nearly a third (32.3%) of companies were not throwing a party for their staff, and more than half (54%) the employees questioned said they dreaded their work Christmas party.
On the other hand, the party vibe is still going strong among millennial workers aged 16-34, with almost one in five (18%) saying that it was their work highlight of the year.
Of the 39% of employees who do have an office Christmas party, one quarter (25%) were going to have an all-expenses-paid affair, while the remaining 14% said it would be subsidised. Just 15% of respondents were going to get a festive bonus, and 10% would be receiving a gift.
One of the most surprising statistics was that more than third (36%) of respondents said their employers didn’t do anything “nice” for the whole company at Christmas – for example, parties, bonuses, or shorter working hours during the festive period.
This led to 28% saying their employer could do more during this time, and a similar number saying that it would boost morale among the workforce.
As Debra Corey, group reward director at Reward Gateway, explains, “A strong reward and recognition strategy is the starting point and a must for businesses who want to attract, engage and retain the very best. Whatever you do this Christmas, it should be part of a wider year-long strategy, and not stand on its own.”
Having a strong reward and recognition strategy is important for all employers – why not review yours for 2016 and guarantee a motivated workforce?
