It’s well known that employees do their best work when they’re happy and engaged. As an HR professional, it’s your job to keep them engaged, but this can be a real challenge.

Low morale can quickly lead to higher turnover rates and a disengaged workforce, impacting productivity and overall company culture. The solution is finding creative ways to connect with your team and keep them motivated.

By using employee engagement software, you can easily plan activities, gather valuable feedback, and recognize achievements, all while streamlining the entire process. This strengthens team morale and fosters a positive, more connected work environment.

Why is employee engagement important?

In my previous workplace, I experienced firsthand what it’s like to work in a disengaged environment. Morale was low, affecting everything from productivity to creativity. No one was motivated to innovate or suggest new ideas, and over time, I felt drained and disconnected from my work. Watching the company struggle to meet its goals was frustrating, and the constant turnover only added to our challenges.

In contrast, my current workplace offers a completely different experience. The atmosphere is positive and filled with a sense of collaboration and purpose. Everyone is proactive, contributing ideas, taking ownership of their work, and supporting one another. We consistently meet our targets, and there’s a genuine feeling of accomplishment after completing projects.

What made the difference between these two companies? Employee engagement! It’s essential for maintaining a healthy workplace, ensuring employee retention, and achieving company goals.

Whose job is employee engagement?

HR leads the way in employee engagement by designing initiatives like recognition programs, wellness activities, and development opportunities. They regularly gather feedback through surveys to understand employee needs, assess engagement levels, and implement policies that foster a supportive work environment.

Managers bring these engagement strategies to life through daily interactions with their teams. Providing feedback, setting clear expectations, and recognizing achievements create a positive environment that builds trust and motivation.

While HR and managers lay the groundwork, employees contribute by actively participating, offering feedback, and collaborating with colleagues. Engagement becomes a shared responsibility that strengthens workplace culture.

How to boost employee engagement?

Boosting employee engagement requires a multifaceted approach that combines recognition, communication, growth opportunities, and a supportive work culture. Here are some effective strategies:

• Foster open communication and encourage regular feedback. Create channels where employees feel comfortable sharing ideas and concerns.
• Recognize and reward achievements to show appreciation and motivate continued performance.
• Provide growth opportunities like professional development programs, training, and clear paths for career advancement.
• Encourage work-life balance. Support flexible work options and promote wellness initiatives to reduce burnout and boost satisfaction.
• Build a positive work culture. Cultivate a supportive and inclusive environment where employees feel valued and connected to the company’s mission.
• Train managers to be effective leaders who build trust, provide guidance, and inspire their teams.
• Promote team collaboration and create opportunities for employees to work together across departments, fostering teamwork and camaraderie.

Unique employee engagement ideas

Creating an employee engagement program from scratch can seem daunting at first. Luckily, you don’t have to tackle this alone. We asked industry professionals to tell us their craziest employee engagement ideas that worked. Check them out!

1. Connect with nature

Organizing nature walks, hikes or visits to local parks allows team members to connect with each other outside of the traditional office environment. This break from routine promotes physical health and boosts mental clarity and creativity. 

“We climb trees. Old-growth redwoods are used as a team-building exercise every year. We climb them at the only place it’s legal to do so in the world. It’s really a pretty interesting story, not only about how the exercise and exercises like it feed into the culture and builds on the culture of our team, but how the entire experience becomes a bit of a once-in-a-lifetime event. While this activity can’t be specifically replicated, activities like it absolutely can be – activities that couple an experience with a challenge like ours does.”

– James Parks, Acton Construction

2. Designing a company mascot

Creating a company mascot can be a great way to foster a sense of identity within the organization. A well-designed mascot embodies the company’s values, mission, and culture, serving as a symbol that employees can rally around. Involving employees in the design process can also encourage creativity and collaboration, making them feel more connected to the mascot and, by extension, the company itself.

“I gave my staff 30 days to develop an office mascot like a sports team. After we selected the mascot, I took it to a logo designer, and we would all vote on which one we liked. I bought T-shirts and apparel for the staff with the logos. It was a great activity that really helped bring everyone together. I think office culture is so important, and energy is vital to productivity.”

– Dr. Josh Adams, D.C, Arizona Medical and Sports Rehab

3. Team building games

Incorporating team-building games into the workplace is a fantastic way to boost employee engagement. You can organize game days where teams compete in activities such as trivia, board games, or sports. This promotes teamwork and encourages friendly competition, which can enhance camaraderie among colleagues.

“I work in the financial services industry, which is typically known to be a dry environment: always working and having no fun. The industry is very competitive, so it can sometimes be stressful for the culture. A hula-hoop challenge was one of my favorite things we did to lighten the mood. We split into two teams, and the mission was to move the hula-hoop down the line as fast as possible without breaking the chain. You must hold hands with the person next to you and step through the hula-hoop to pass it to the next person without breaking your chain.

On the same day, we had the hula-hoop challenge, and we treated the team to a luau luncheon where everyone dressed up. The entire time, everyone was laughing, and these grown adults reverted back to being in elementary school and trying to win the relay race. It really changed the spirit of that day and has continued to be talked about since then. It is a good #TBT memory.”

– Kelly Anderson, Wealth Continuum Group

4. Hire a Director of Happiness

A Director of Happiness can implement various initiatives, such as wellness programs, team-building activities, and recognition schemes. They serve as liaisons between employees and management addressing concerns and gathering feedback to continually improve the workplace experience. Investing in a Director of Happiness demonstrates a company’s commitment to its people, ultimately leading to a thriving organizational culture.

“We try to improve employee engagement and overall experience in several ways. One of the best things we’ve done is to create a new position called the Director of Happiness. The main goal of this position is to increase employee engagement and enhance our company’s culture. I believe it’s important to focus on the core values you want your company to align with. Since hiring this person, we’ve done many things to boost company morale. We celebrate birthdays with catered lunches and hand out team member of the month awards with a value of $500. We’ve also set up a monthly meeting where we recognize the success of each section of the company, which is followed by free lunch and games. I’m positive these changes have helped lead to happy employees and better company culture.”

– Christoph Seitz, CFR Rinkens

5. Participate in a cooking class

Participating in a cooking class can be a delightful way to enhance team bonding and employee engagement.  Cooking classes can break down barriers and foster communication, allowing employees to connect personally while learning new skills.

Whether it’s a local chef guiding the group through a culinary adventure or a virtual class led by a professional, employees can share laughs, experiment with flavors, and enjoy the fruits of their labor at the end of the session.

“If you’ve ever watched Hell’s Kitchen and thought it seemed fun, there’s a way to recreate the experience. Our team decided to take a cooking class together at a culinary school. Most events begin with schmoozing over hors d’oeuvres. Then, your group prepares your own meal. Cooking classes are as short as an hour and a half or as long as three hours. This outing presents a great twist on the traditional team dinner, with the added bonus that your employees will work together to put great food on the table.”

– Jordan Wan, CloserIQ

6. Establishing a carpool system

By encouraging employees to share rides, companies foster a sense of community and collaboration even before reaching the office. A carpool system can help employees connect with colleagues they may not interact with daily, providing opportunities for networking and relationship-building. 

“Our office is located in a business park that is poorly served by public transit. People dreaded their daily commute (it was bad for some of them!). Many of them would show up to work in a miserable mood that lasted well into the workday.

Even worse, around 3 PM, the daily grumbling about how bad the drive home would start. It really dampers the employee culture. Everyone said we could do nothing besides move our office, but we had other plans. To fix this, we built our employee carpool system. Every month, each employee enters their transportation needs into our employee portal.

Specifically, they let us know if they have a car and can give people lifts or if they need a lift. We also ask them to include their estimated time of departure. We then used an algorithm we wrote to match people who needed a lift with people who were driving, setting up a carpool system that worked to get people into the office on time. In addition, we incentivize the people with cars to pick up their coworkers with a small cash bonus. We also have our work-from-home days.

Our office is closed every Friday, and each employee can work from home. This gives people a break from their commute. Combined, these two changes have radically improved our employee culture. Everyone is so much happier around the office, which also shows in our productivity numbers!”

– Rich Franklin, KBC Staffing

7. Take a team improv class

Improv encourages participants to think independently, embrace spontaneity, and collaborate closely with their teammates. In a supportive and fun environment, employees learn to communicate more effectively, listen actively, and build trust with one another. 

“As a mid-sized full-service agency, a lot is happening daily throughout our agency in support of our clients. At times, communication can become siloed, reducing cross-departmental collaboration and limiting employee engagement across the agency. One day, our President, Dennis Hardy, announced a 5-week Improv session to improve communication and break down walls.

What was first seen as a terrifying opportunity by many soon became a manageable (albeit still terrifying for some) and fun way to improve our professional and personal skill set. While all employees learned to be better listeners, manage difficult conversations, and build relationships with other departments, our public-facing employees learned to think under pressure and how to read an audience.

It was definitely a totally unique, make-you-cry-from-laughing-so-hard team-building experience that brought everyone together on an equal playing field. At the end, I know we’re a stronger, more unified team.”

– Jaime Eschette, EvansHardy+Young

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box

The most effective ideas often challenge individuals to step outside their comfort zones. Engaging in new experiences together not only strengthens relationships but also encourages collaboration and innovation. Dedicating an afternoon to break away from the office and foster social connections among your team can lead to lasting benefits. 

Learn about the different types of employee benefits and discover how they can boost engagement and retention.

This article was originally published in 2019. It has been updated with new information