How To Make Your Workplace more Fun

Work isn’t necessarily supposed to be something that people actually enjoy (it’s called “work” for a reason, after all). That said, there’s no reason that your employees should dread going to work every day. Even if they aren’t particularly in love with their responsibilities or their everyday duties, they should still think of their workplace as an enjoyable atmosphere. Fortunately, making your office a little more fun can be as easy as making just a few changes to your office’s atmosphere. Below are some ideas for making your workplace a more enjoyable space.

Setup a Game Room

While your workplace may not have a spare office, you do likely have an underutilized nook or corner. Fill that space with a pinball machine, foosball table, or dart board, and give your employees a fun space to blow off some steam. You could even go high-tech and hang a flat screen TV on the wall and connect it to a gaming system.

Keep in mind that if you reward your employees with a game room, you need to give them the opportunity to use it. It’s understandable that your employees shouldn’t spend hours upon hours playing games when they should be engrossed in a spreadsheet, but they also shouldn’t be discouraged from having a little bit of fun throughout the day. Many individuals find that their creativity is heightened and their brain is refreshed after taking a quick break and focusing on an entirely separate task.

Mix Business with Pleasure

There are other ways to introduce a little bit of fun into your workspace beyond setting up a game room. One of the most ingenious ways to accomplish this is by setting up an incentive program, such as Friday “Bingo!”. Throughout the week, hand out “Bingo!” cards to employees who go above and beyond. It could be for something as simple as helping a coworker finish a project, tidying up the break room, or receiving a glowing review from a customer. Shortly after lunch on Friday, convene all the employees who earned “Bingo!” cards that week. Play a few rounds of the game and reward each winner with $20 bill or a gift card to a nearby restaurant. You might also want to consider giving employees the option of trading their cards in for “get out of work early” passed to be used at their whim (that always goes over well!).

Introducing incentive programs such as Friday “Bingo!” can do two things. Firstly, it can encourage employees to work extra hard. Oftentimes, workers can start to feel like there’s no good reason to do more than what’s expected of them because it goes unrecognized when they do. Secondly, it can improve morale and show your employees that you aren’t just focused on turning a profit, but you’re also interested in their overall wellbeing.

Host Events Outside of the Office

Once in a while, it’s nice to spend some time with your employees outside of the office. You could host an informal happy hour at the corner bar or, if you run a small business, you could even invite them to dinner at your house. Keep in mind that some employees may want to reserve “their” time for “them” and may not necessarily want to give up their free time for a work-related event. If you’re especially cognizant of this, you may want to surprise your employees with a “fieldtrip” during a workday. You could go to a movie, attend a ball game, or visit a nearby amusement park or zoo. No matter where you take your employees, they’re sure to appreciate that you’ve thought of them and given them the opportunity for a little bit of fun.