With December just around the corner, it’s getting to that time of year when talk in the office turns to the inevitable Christmas party.
However, with many companies still focused on battling their way out of the economic downturn and the age of austerity still upon us, some business owners may find themselves asking “do we really need this?”.
The answer, in short, is yes. The fact that the traditional festive bash often dominates the topic of conversation in the workplace not only in the build up to the event but also after it highlights the important role it plays as far as employee morale is concerned. To cancel it on the basis of saving on the bottom line could end up costing you more than you think.
Writing for realbusiness.co.uk, Michael Chidzey, head of digital marketing and PR and events company Chillisauce said: “It can play a big part in shaping how your business is viewed by its employees and can affect how people feel about their overall experience of working there.”
He added that the Christmas party should be viewed as more of a “thank you” to staff for their efforts over the last year – and to take that away could effectively leave many feeling as though they are not appreciated.
In a recent survey conducted by the Institute of Leadership and Management, it was revealed that nearly two-thirds of employees cited job satisfaction as their main motivator when it came to keeping their productivity levels up. It’s therefore safe to assume that happy workers equals productive workers and unhappy ones do not.
Of course, the amount of money spent on a Christmas party can be controlled on a tighter scale if necessary – but company leaders should still be wary on how this will affect their employees’ perceptions of the business if budget cuts are viewed as going too deep.
