Two months before Christmas, the companies’ human resources departments are struggling to identify and plan incentive actions and activities for employees on winter holidays’ occasion. Starting from organizing themed parties for employees – much awaited action resumed after two years of pandemic – up to offering small giveaways or unique experiences at the organization’s headquarters, companies seek to reinvent themselves every time and turn each end of the year into an opportunity to motivate employees and generate retention.
In this context, well-being specialists propose a new approach to organizations regarding preparations for Christmas activities. In addition to year-end parties – which have become a tradition over time – companies can opt for thematic workshops that take place at their headquarters or online, depending on the needs, passions, and preferences of employees for certain topics.
According to Alecsandra Ioniță, well-being program specialist and founder of Wellbeing.ro by SmartExperience, there is a wide range of workshops that can be organized during the winter holidays, for a creative, team-friendly Christmas. Examples include coffee & latte art workshops, the secrets of artisanal chocolate, cooking sessions with Christmas recipes, practical workshops for creating the most fashionable decorations or for building a thematic kaleidoscope, handmade soap workshops, with holiday-specific aromas, or natural cosmetics workshops.
“Such activities contribute not only to strengthening team spirit in a warm and harmonious environment, but also to the personal development of employees, by stimulating their creativity and addressing all their senses. At the same time, they have a practical purpose: for example, participants can make their own unique gifts to offer to their loved ones on the holidays’ occasion, or they can pamper themselves by manufacturing their own cosmetic products for the cold season”, explains Alecsandra Ioniță.
Special Christmas activities within companies can also include Family Days – themed days when employees can bring their little ones to the office, for which dedicated workshops are organized. Such happenings can also take place online, and throughout the day, parents and children take part in various sessions, coordinated by trainers, that combine teamwork with fun and arts and crafts skills: painting on ceramics or wood, toymaking and decorations workshops, facepainting, etc.
In terms of giveaways for employees, the 2022 trend revolves around experiences replacing objects. “Recently, this type of benefit has been increasingly accessed by companies, as it is a unique way to reward employees for their results throughout the year. It can be offered to employees as a value voucher that can be used during an extended period, for instance over the entire year”, says Alecsandra Ioniță.