Employee Appreciation Day Ideas
HRinGA
412 Posts
I am in the process of planning our annual Employee Appreciation Day. We'll have t-shirts, a fish fry, desserts, karaoke, basketball and back massages from our local technical school. I'm looking for some interactive games. Except for the karaoke, most people just show up, eat and leave. There is always a faithful group of guys playing basketball all day as well. Anyone have tried and true methods or is this just wishful thinking on my part? We've had kind of a sucky year and this is a big deal around here. I'd like to plan something different that allows everyone to participate and have fun.
Comments
Sorry I'm not more help, but this is the humor section.
A few years ago, the karaoke guy was playing music before the show got started. He played the Jimmy Buffett song "Lets get drunk and screw" (can I say that on the forum?)
Anyway, I about killed myself trying to get up there and tell him to knock it off before someone got fired! ME!!
I would go with some live music and a carnival. There are companies that will bring in inflatable games, bull riding machines, inflatable sumo wrestling. You could have some carnival games and prizes for people to win.
To keep people from leaving, give away or sell raffle tickets for some nice prizes and one BIG prize. Announce you have to be present to win.
You could pick a theme like "old west" or "the Sixties" and have everyone dress appropriately.
You could have an "American Idol" style Karaoke contest with grumpy judges from the accounting department.
Putting members of management in a dunk tank is ALWAYS a big hit.
I put together a carnival last summer for 100 and had a bunch of games including a shooting gallery. It was a lot of fun.
For 600 people you need to bring in the professional companies and do things right.
But that would be fun - I'll watch the movie "Duets" a few time so I know what Kareoke should sound like.
I would start off with some ultimate fighting contests, maybe some wet T-shirt contests, and there is nothing more fun (or funny) than a farting contest. I would end with a "run-what-you-brung" drag racing event followed by a burnout contest. Since it's Georgia, you could also host a Lester Maddox, Jimmy Carter, or Ty Cobb look-alike contest.
Plus you can charge your employees to attend, because who wouldn't want to part of all that?
Another suggestion, since money is always an issue. Get one of those big plastic pretzel jugs from Sams/Wal-Mart, etc. and fill with little slips of paper with prizes....."entitled to extra 15 minutes lunch". . . "get to leave work 15 minutes/half hour early (with pay)". . ."get free parking for a day or get to park up front in one of the executive's spots for a day". . ."$5 coupon for lunch, etc. As you walk around the grounds, you just walk up to employees and ask them to draw. Have a magic marker and make a small dot on the wrist so that as time passes, employees aren't double dipping. It's such a booster.
Let us know how your event went!!!!
Give away the President's parking space for the week as one of the prizes.
Some car rental places rent out exotic cars like Ferraris and Lamborghinis. You could rent one and let people take their picture with it.
Have an office chair derby with people sitting in rolling office chairs and someone pushing them around a track or obstacle course.
Call it the "Employee Tailgate Party" and have a BBQ and lots of great music.
These events are really fun if there is something for the ACTIVE people to DO (games, contests, etc) and something for the others to WATCH.
Its also a great opportunity for management to show they have a soul. Assuming they do.
I'll take my trombone.
Also, one of my favorites was bringing in breakfast and serving to folks. (We often think of lunch but not breakfast.)
Years ago we did a "60's party" and folks dressed the part, we got a juke box which was loads of fun for music and not expensive and had a "sunday bar" to make bananna splits or ice cream sundaies. (Great to do but watch out for heat if outside.)
Do the uglest shoe contest, baby picture contest (everyone brings in picture and employees try to guess them). It didn't sound as if families were coming so I don't know if I would go with the carnaval theme. You are going to have some folks that have a great time and others who will not do a thing. (If people don't want to participate, do they get to go home. I would say if they don't want to participate, they can come back to work... force them to come.)
One of the prises could be swapping places with the President or one of the Officers for the day. However, will have to be careful witht his dending on confidentiality of stuff. But great when President has to sit at their desk and do their job.
E Wart
E Wart
And Paul, did you know you can apply for practice round tickets thru the Augusta National? Go to their website and download an application to mail in. You should hurry though, I think the deadline is fast approaching. Tix are cheap, like $25-30/day.
If you've never been to the National, it is well worth the trip. It is so beautiful out there.
That's on my "lifetime checklist" of things to do. I am a big fan of Bobby Jones.
Walking the fairways of Augusta National would be a spiritual experience for me.
Can I camp in your front yard?