People are the spark and lifeblood of your business, and your company culture is an important part of your overall employee value proposition. A great option to further improve your company culture and give your people a sense of belonging, boost employee engagement and improve productivity, is to introduce a social club.
Workplace social clubs not only promote team building but are a fantastic way to break the ice for new employees, strengthen employee engagement, and create a fun environment for your team to connect and build stronger relationships.
As humans we crave interaction and connection with other people and it’s vital for employers to understand just how important social relationships and employee engagement in the workplace really is.
Psychologists have been studying the human need of belonging for years and it’s been found that feeling a sense of belonging is an inherent motivator. The motto that “a happy worker is a productive one” is a business philosophy that rings very true today, perhaps now more than ever. And disengagement is costly for any business. In studies by the Queens School of Business and by the Gallup Organisation, disengaged workers have 37% absenteeism and 60% more errors and defects. More importantly businesses with highly engaged employees enjoyed 100% more job applications.
Employers that promote and foster social connectivity, allow personnel to build stronger relationships with each other and encourage positive work outcomes to build a happier and more productive workforce. Examples include, increased engagement and employee loyalty, happier and less stressed employees, improved performance, and productivity at work, and increased teamwork, specifically between different departments which can lead to collaborative projects.
At this point you may be asking yourself “how do I start a social club?”.
If you’re unsure on where to begin, here are a few pointers on how to implement a cracking good social club in your workplace.
Social Club Committee
Whether your business is small or large, you have the ability to start your own workplace social club.
For smaller companies extend ideas out to your workforce for upcoming events and allow them to vote for the next planned activity. For larger organisations assign a staff committee to coordinate events for the calendar year. Aim to have a good mix of personnel in your committee and appoint staff from different teams or departments to ensure your social club events suit everyone.
Fund the Social Club
There are a couple of options to fund your social club; you can either arrange for a small fee to be deducted from your employee’s pay each pay cycle to contribute to your social club events or if you’re planning an event that breaks the social club ‘kete’ opt to have your people pay the difference, think of it as a subsidised activity. Should employees wish to extend the invite to their partners they can contribute a little extra.
Plan a Social Club Event
The idea behind a social club and building an exceptional workplace culture is to be inclusive. In the planning phase on any successful social club event, it’s important to consider each individual in your team and coordinate activities that everyone can be involved in.
As a social club committee member for Strategy Collective, we aim to hold an event every quarter. We run ideas past our team in the first instance and on the odd occasion we have kept it a surprise until the day before. We also mix it up with a combination of team only activities and allowing our people to bring their partners along. Either option gives you an opportunity to feel more connected and engaged with your colleagues.
Whilst it’s great to have delicious eats and alcoholic beverages at your social club event, it’s also important to be mindful of those that do not drink and to not centre your events around alcohol.
If you’re stuck for ideas, here’s a list of successful social events we’ve held at Strategy Collective below:
Arts or Culture night – Attend a concert, go to the theatre, or stand-up comedy to share a few laughs with your colleagues.
Mid-Xmas Dinner – Plan a mid-winter night out with your team for delicious eats and drinks.
Sports Activities – For the competitive type an indoor or outdoor sports activity is always a winner! e.g. Go Karting, Ten Pin Bowling, Laser Force, Mini-golf, Frisby Golf or Barefoot Bowls.
Games Night – Get your thinking caps on and plan a fun fuelled Family Feud or Quiz night for your team.
Escape Room – A great team building exercise! Ensure you mix the teams to have personnel from different departments working together.
Amazing Race – Have your team perform a combination of physical and mental challenges. To make it more interesting, dress-up for the occasion, invite partners and have a little fun with the invitations!
The Races – Get dressed to impress and attend the Races.
The above activities were based in New Plymouth, but similar events can be organised in any town or city.
Now that you have the know-how, the next step is to kick start your social club!
If you need assistance with your People and Culture needs, our team of specialists are here to help.
Get in touch with our People and Culture team on 06 759 7044 or email hr@strategycollective.co.nz
References
Kohll A., (2018) 5 Reasons Social Connections Can Enhance Your Employee Wellness Program, Forbes, January 31, 2018. Available: www.forbes.com (August 25th, 2021).
Seppalla E., and Cameron K., (2015) Proof That Positive Work Cultures Are More Productive, Harvard Business Review, December 01, 2015. Available: www.hbr.org (August 25th, 2021).
Markos S., and Sridevi M., (2010) Employee Engagement: The Key to Improving Performance, International Journal of Business and Management, vol 5, No. 12, 2010. [Online] Available: www.ccsenet.org.ibjm (August 18, 2021).