30 Employee Engagement Activities to Boost Workplace Morale and Productivity

Employee engagement cannot be understated as a performance metric for organizations. Offering competitive salaries and productivity-focused working environments is only one part of the equation. Employers must also find proactive ways to keep their employees engaged.

A recent Gallup study shows that companies with engaged employees saw 23% more profitability, further emphasizing the benefit of this approach. Employee engagement activities can include various outings or in-office bonding moments.

This article reviews different activities and lists 30 events you can organize this year to boost your staff’s engagement.

The Importance of Employee Engagement Activities

When employees feel disconnected from their work environment, peers, and employers, the entire workplace experiences side effects. From a general loss of productivity to reduced creativity and churn, employee engagement is crucial to keeping a healthy business.

Examples of staff engagement, such as team-building activities and recognition programs, can significantly boost morale. According to the same Gallup study, engaged employees have a 43% lower chance of turnover.

It’s quite simple: Employer-organized activities create a sense of belonging and fulfillment when employees go to work. This suggests that companies should prioritize employee engagement initiatives to enhance workplace culture and performance.

Learn More About Employee Engagement in Explorance’s Guide

Top 10 Team-Based Engagement Activities

While not all engagement activities are team-based, the most rewarding and cost-effective ones are done with your entire workforce. It’s essential to keep the activities varied so your staff remains interested. Here is a list of fun team engagement activities to get you started:

• Team-building workshops: Interactive sessions with experts on a specific subject to encourage collaboration and the development of new skills as a group.
• Office trivia: Answering general knowledge questions together is a great way for staff to interact with their peers in a casual setting and learn about any common interests they might have.
• Escape rooms: This puzzle-solving activity is excellent for building trust and teamwork in a fun context.
• Volunteer days: Unite your team towards a common cause while creating lasting memories that will bond your staff.
• Cross-department lunches: Team lunches are a great way to develop connections between departments that might not work together often.
• Office scavenger hunts: To help your staff see the office in a new light, create a fun investigative exercise in an environment they know well.
• Skill-sharing sessions: To fill knowledge gaps and foster new relationships affordably, put on lunch-and-learn sessions hosted by employees.
• Hackathons: For developers, hackathons are an excellent opportunity to stimulate your staff’s creativity and potentially discover new avenues for your company’s product.
• Board game nights: Friendly competitions, such as board games, are a great way to foster friendships and bond over classic games.
• Group fitness classes: Get your team moving with activities like yoga, pilates, or a simple stretch session. It’s a great way to help everyone unwind, recharge, and connect outside of work tasks.

10 Fun, Creative Employee Engagement Ideas for the Workplace

Infusing fun and creativity into the workplace boosts morale and fosters a culture of positivity. Lighthearted activities spark joy and help employees connect with their peers. Engaging ideas given daily routines and promoting unexpected collaboration.

• Video game tournament: Pick an easy-to-understand game like Mario Kart or Fall Guys so everyone can have fun without feeling frustrated and act as a fun staff engagement game.
• Theme days: These can be anything from a concept like “Throwback Thursday” to wearing a specific color or costume around a particular holiday.
• Wellness challenges: Encourage your staff to get fit together and help them reach fitness milestones with prizes and work-related rewards.
• Compliment wall: While a public compliment wall might seem silly, it can be a great way to recognize the most important members of your team in a public way that everyone can see daily.
• Pet-friendly days: If your office can safely accommodate it, try to have a weekly day where staff can bring their dogs to work. It’s a great morale booster and can lead to additional coworker connections.
• DIY workshops: Host an event to entice your workers to take up new hobbies, such as pottery or painting. Then, they can learn more about the hobby from their peers.
• Employee playlist: Most people listen to music while at work, and creating a shared Spotify playlist that anyone can add songs to can be a great way to bond over music tastes.
• Office book club: Reading will always be a popular hobby. Hosting a monthly book club can be a great way to get your staff to broaden their horizons or stay in touch with industry trends.
• Obscure holidays: Find obscure holidays like National Hot Dog or Donut Day and offer the food item to your staff. Employees can look forward to these events and have their day brightened.
• Office wellness days: From offering in-office massages to sessions with an ergonomist to fine-tune their working environment, employees always enjoy a relaxing moment at work.

Gather employee feedback to align events and ensure activities remain inclusive and appealing. It is essential to offer alternatives for those unable to participate directly, make participation voluntary, and focus on accessibility for all team members, including remote workers.

By rotating themes and addressing cultural or lifestyle differences, you can create activities that resonate with everyone. This approach fosters a sense of belonging and enables all team members to engage meaningfully.

5 Seasonal and Event-Specific Engagement Activities

Seasonality is a significant factor in the success of employee engagement programs. Most traditions revolve around a specific time of the year, and spending time in the office is much more enjoyable if employees can continue honoring those traditions.

• Summer barbecue: Nothing beats a barbecue or team picnic on a warm day. This engagement event is a great way to let employees enjoy their summers even more.
• Holiday party: Christmas parties are universal, but don’t forget to celebrate the other holidays that might be important to certain employees from different traditions.
• Employee birthdays: Keep it fun by grouping birthdays and uniting people by birth month or astrological signs.
• Back-to-school supply drive: This is an essential moment for parents worldwide, and this kind of event allows your staff to give back to their communities.
• Themed monthly events: Call for various foods or dishes at different times of the year, such as winter hot cocoa stations or fall pumpkin decorating contests.

Celebrating holidays, supporting back-to-school initiatives, or hosting fun seasonal events boost workplace morale and create lasting connections that strengthen company culture.

5 Long-Term Engagement Programs

Employee engagement programs must include a variety of activities and initiatives to work. A mix of direct, short-term activities and longer-burn institutional programs must be implemented. Here are a few standard options that employees appreciate:

• Mentorship program: This program matches employees with senior staff members and leaders to provide a safe space for them to ask important questions about their roles, the industry, and their overall growth.
• Employee recognition program: Publicly recognizing employee milestones and applauding performance helps employees put their work into perspective and feel valued.
• Professional development opportunities: Offer online courses, certifications, and education credits to help your team build critical business skills.
• Internal mobility initiatives: All companies support internal mobility, but it’s important to structure it into an official public program that employees can look into and follow.
• Diversity and Inclusion Council: This group spearheads initiatives, provides feedback on company policies, and organizes events that celebrate cultural differences, fostering a more equitable and welcoming workplace.

Long-term engagement programs create lasting value by showing employees they’re indeed supported and valued. They turn the workplace into more than just a job, building trust and loyalty that last by showcasing the company’s commitment to its growth.

7 Tips for Successful Implementation of Engagement Activities

Turning great engagement ideas into reality requires more than planning—it also requires making them meaningful and impactful for your team. A little extra thought can go a long way, from getting leadership on board to ensuring everyone feels included.

Leadership buy-in

To truly gain traction, leadership must support and actively promote employee engagement programs. Ideally, leadership should also participate in most activities to break the barriers that roles and authority can create.

Employee feedback

Activities should be tailored to your workforce’s interests and needs. Employee engagement programs should be built differently depending on department, industry, and location. Organizations can foster a more motivated workforce by focusing on their unique aspects.

Marketing your initiatives

Communicate your employee engagement activities and programs using various channels, such as email newsletters, office posters, and company intranet posts. These programs should also be promoted during the onboarding process.

Leverage technology

Using a dedicated feedback platform allows you to gather your employee’s interests and further customize your programs. Technology like Zoom and Slack can also help you address the challenges around keeping a united remote workforce.

Measure success

Track participation rates and observe changes in team dynamics or productivity to gauge the effectiveness of each activity. Analyzing these insights can refine your strategy, ensuring your efforts remain meaningful and aligned with your team’s needs.

Building a Thriving Workplace Through Engagement

Employee engagement is about more than just activities—building a workplace where people feel connected, appreciated, and excited to contribute. Whether it’s a fun team event or a long-term program, these efforts show your team that their happiness and growth matter.

Start small with these 30 ideas, and don’t be afraid to adapt them to fit your team’s unique personality. Listen to feedback, keep things flexible, and make engagement a regular part of your workplace culture. With a little effort, you’ll create an environment where people feel valued and love coming to work every day.

Listen to Your Employees and Drive Engagement with Explorance Blue