How to Build Unshakable Corporate Culture with Company Events
What is workplace culture?
“The Leader’s Guide to Corporate Culture,” a publication of The Harvard Business Review, describes workplace culture this way.
If you want a simpler definition, you can think of culture as the personality of your organization.
Every organization has a culture. Just consider how these everyday events reflect the personality of your workplace:
Do employees turn their cameras on during video calls?
How common are social events, like group lunches or happy hours?
Can you drop into your boss’s office, or is it better to schedule a meeting?
What would the response be if you wore a suit to work?
What are the benefits of having a strong corporate culture?
Building–and maintaining–a healthy corporate culture requires intention and investment, but the payoff can be a huge competitive advantage.
Circling back to the Harvard Business Review publication:
Here are just a few of the ways culture building can give your organization a competitive advantage.
Increased employee engagement and satisfaction.
Quiet quitting. The Great Resignation. Organizations across the country are struggling to combat worker disengagement. According to Gallup, only 32% of U.S. employees are engaged
A strong corporate culture is an antidote for disengagement. Employees that feel connected to their company’s culture have a greater sense of belonging and purpose, which contributes to higher levels of engagement and overall job satisfaction.
Strengthened team unity for remote or hybrid teams.
There are benefits to a distributed workforce. Employers have access to a larger talent pool, and employees have access to opportunities and flexibility, but there are also challenges. For example, how to build team culture with employees stretched from Miami to Boise.
A strong corporate culture gives a distributed team common ground to align around. Remote teams may find it challenging to connect to an organization without the benefit of the social and visual cues present in an office setting. A strong culture helps define your company’s way of being and acting even in the absence of those in-person cues.
“Companies that cultivate cultures reflecting what is most important to employees will win the upcoming talent war.”
Increased company loyalty.
Every company says they care about their employees, but do they demonstrate it? When the value you place on your employees is knit into the fabric of your culture, you create a relationship that builds trust and loyalty.
Improved collaboration, teamwork, and team communication.
The term “silo” seems so pervasive. It’s a reflection of a common organizational problem that leads to frustration and inefficiency.
A strong culture can be a silo buster. If you are intentional about making collaboration part of your company culture, teamwork and communication can be the norm.
Increased morale, improved productivity, and enhanced job satisfaction.
When employees feel a part of your workplace culture, it gives them a sense of community, belonging, and purpose. Those qualities are precursors to improved morale, productivity, and job satisfaction.
Decreased employee attrition and turnover.
The estimated cost of employee turnover ranges depending on the source of the data, but one thing is indisputable: it is costly in terms of both finances and productivity.
Employees who are connected to a strong company culture have greater longevity. It is more cost-effective to retain employees, but the benefits go way beyond that. Tenured employees evangelize the corporate culture, helping to keep it strong as the company grows and evolves.
Increased customer satisfaction.
Take a moment to think of a few companies that have a strong culture. Now, consider your impression of their brand. Positive, right?
Here’s the point: a strong culture extends beyond the four walls of your organization and results in a better experience for your customers.
Enhanced creativity and innovation.
Stress is a well-known creativity killer. It’s no surprise that unhealthy company culture is a contributor to a stressful workplace.
When you invest in culture building, you are also making an investment in creating an environment where creativity and innovation can thrive.
Increased profitability.
Profitability is dependent on multiple factors, including the health of the internal organization. A strong culture that upholds teamwork, commitment, and productivity contributes to the organization’s profitability.
How to build workplace culture with events
Do you want to create a culture that is strong and unbreakable? Culture-building events can help you achieve just that. Culture-building activities can give teams an immersive experience that reenergizes them around the culture o. Or, events can be a catalyst to engage employees in initiatives that will take your culture to the next level.
Take Adobe, for example. On a recent podcast, Adobe explained how they use company events to define their culture and create positive feelings that help them attract and retain employees.
Planning a culture-building corporate event is a little different from planning other events, like conferences. There is more of an emphasis on facilitating connections and interactions essential to a healthy team culture.
“There’s no denying the power of face-to-face. Marketers said in-person events produced the best results for their content marketing in the last 12 months (48%).”
Use these tips to inspire your planning so you can create an event that has an impact.
1. Incorporate team culture building activities
Reverse engineer team culture-building activities to reflect the qualities you want to see permeate your culture. Here’s an example.
An education nonprofit had their employees work in teams to see who could assemble a children’s bike the fastest. Once the activity was over, the executive director instructed the teams to take the bikes outside, where the employees were surprised by a group of children from a local boys and girls club. Each team got to present the bike they assembled to one of the kids.
2. Celebrate achievements
Reward the behavior you want to see. Celebrating achievements is an employee morale booster. It is also an opportunity to build energy around the things that are most important to your culture.
Consider what you should celebrate at the individual, team, and company levels. How can you help your team make the connection between the achievement being celebrated and your culture? How can the way you celebrate reflect your culture?
3. Play games
Playing games introduces fun to an event, but there is a more practical reason for games. Playing engages the brain and opens up creativity. Games can also facilitate interaction and relationship building.
Keep a few tips in mind when planning to incorporate play into your event schedule:
Remember your audience. It’s okay to nudge your team out of their comfort zone, but don’t push them so far that you sacrifice engagement.
Reflect your team culture. Is your team playful? Cerebral? Innovative?
Think about inclusion. For example, if you plan a physical game, consider how you will include employees with limited mobility.
4. Plan workshops
Breaking into smaller groups can be an opportunity to zero in on topics and nurture connections that are more difficult to make in a large group setting.
Think about the essential elements of your ideal team culture. Can you plan workshops that will nurture the development of those cultural values?
5. Introduce new employees
Workers are more engaged in their first six months on a job than they are at any other stage of their employment. Ride that momentum by making new employees feel welcomed, included, and part of the company culture.
Introductions can be simple, or you can get creative.
Give the new employees creative ways to introduce themselves.
Ask a team member to introduce the new employee and share why they are excited about having him/her on the team.
Have the CEO introduce new employees to the rest of the company and share why they are a valuable addition to the team.
6. Don't over structure the agenda
The human brain has a capacity for focus. Allow for breaks, processing time, and interaction that can help break up the day and improve overall engagement, especially for introverts who benefit from some downtime.
7. Incorporate social events
You can plan as much as you want, but you can’t structure the alchemy that comes from honest-to-goodness social interaction.
Consider a happy hour, a sporting event, or mini golf. Any activity that excites your team will help you build team culture.
8. Host training sessions
Get the pulse of your team and identify areas where they want to improve. Then, build your training to help them level up their skills. It serves a functional purpose, but showing responsiveness to your team’s needs is a way to build culture.
9. Invite guest speakers
Sometimes you need to shift a paradigm, reignite some passion, or inspire your audience. Guest speakers can offer a new voice that can speak to your organization and offer a fresh perspective.
There are endless options available from speaker agencies, and it can be easy to look for the most star power, but take a moment to consider the cultural ideas you want to foster. Connect those ideas with the right speaker to carry that message forward and inspire your team.
10. Align with company goals
Even with an unshakeable corporate culture, you can’t get anywhere if you don’t give your team direction.
Use your company event as an opportunity to reinforce your culture and share your company’s goals. Help your team understand how your culture and goals work together to give your company a competitive advantage.
Tips on how to plan engaging company events
Consider the purpose of the event
Getting clear on your event goals will help you in every other aspect of your planning. Write down the goals and keep them visible. You may even want to write an event mission statement to keep you focused during the planning process.
Develop a theme
Referring to your event goals, what is the common thread? An event theme prepares your audience for what to expect and helps you build a cohesive event.
Involve the team
Event planning is a lot of work and a lot of fun. Get together a company event planning team to help carry the load.
Make it fun
Company events give you the opportunity to be playful. You can poke a little fun at your organization, use insider language, and have a more relaxed approach than other corporate events.
Be informative
Consider what attendees should take away from the event and make sure that message comes through loud and clear.
Create a connection
These are your people. Think about how to personalize the experience and connect with your attendees.
Include outside elements
It’s an internal event, but are there outside elements that could strengthen the experience?
Create a lasting impact
How do you know if you’re making an impact? Measure your event’s ROI.
Make it memorable
Reinforce your company event experience to make it memorable. Post a recap on your intranet, share photos, or hand out swag to help extend your event’s impact.
Make it relevant
What is the north star for your event? Make sure all of your planning aligns with that north star, so your event is relevant from start to finish.
FAQ
What is the best way to build unshakable corporate culture?
Building an unshakeable corporate culture takes effort and commitment from everyone in the organization.
Establish clear and consistent values for the company. These values should be communicated to all employees and should guide the behavior of everyone in the organization.
Foster community and belonging. Encouraging collaboration and teamwork. Regular team-building activities and events can help build a sense of camaraderie among employees.
Create a culture of open communication and transparency. Employees should feel comfortable sharing their thoughts with management, and management should be transparent in decision-making and communication with employees.
Provide opportunities for growth. Training, mentoring, and other resources help employees to develop new skills and advance in their careers.
Create an inclusive and diverse workplace. This means creating a welcoming environment for all employees, regardless of their backgrounds.
What activities and events can be used to foster workplace unity?
The activity or event that will work best to promote unity in your workplace depends on your team. Consider your audience when you plan your event.
Activities to consider include:
Team-building exercises and retreats
Volunteer opportunities
Social events
Professional development
Celebrations
Cross-functional team projects or job shadowing
Recognitions and rewards
How can companies use team-building activities to engage employees?
There are many ways that team-building activities improve employee engagement.
Team-building activities encourage employees to work together, communicate effectively, and share ideas.
Engaging in activities can create a positive work environment, which can help employees feel more connected while fostering a strong culture.
Challenging activities increase employee motivation and engagement.
Team-building activities require employees to work together, which improves problem-solving and helps teams develop skills that can be applied in the workplace.
Engaging in activities as a team creates a sense of unity.
What are some popular company culture activities that build team culture?
Consider the qualities in your workplace culture that you want to promote, and then think of activities that build those values in your team.
Common culture-building activities include:
Company retreats
Conferences
All hands meetings
Wellness challenges
Volunteer work
Social events
How can companies create an atmosphere of collaboration?
An intentional strategy can make collaboration a characteristic of your organization.
Encourage communication: Create an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions. Hold team meetings and one-on-ones, and encourage the use of communication channels such as instant messaging or email.
Create cross-functional teams: Promote collaboration and facilitate relationships between departments.
Provide resources: Host workshops on collaboration. Equip employees with resources to facilitate collaboration, like apps.
Reward collaboration: Consider bonuses, promotions, or recognition.
Promote a culture of trust and respect: Foster a culture where employees trust each other, respect each other's opinions, and feel comfortable sharing ideas.
How can team retreats help to boost morale?
Team retreats provide focused time to engage employees and boost morale by:
Improving team cohesion
Improving communication within the team
Aligning goals
Defining team strategies
Solving lingering problems
What are some creative ways to increase employee engagement?
There are endless ways to engage your employees. It is important to be consistent and to clearly communicate opportunities. Some creative ideas include:
Encourage employees to share their ideas. Consider “shark tank” events or pitch challenges.
Organize team-building activities that allow employees to bond, collaborate, and have fun together. Go to the ice rink for a curling lesson, or go on a behind-the-scenes zoo tour.
Celebrate achievements and contributions in unique ways, like a rewards point system.
Encourage learning and development—–even if it’s not work-related—–like baking or language classes.
Create an open-door policy and make it a fun and welcoming environment.
Incorporate fun in the workplace by making company events and celebrations a part of your culture.
What strategies can be used to increase retention?
Retention strategies would be multifaceted, considering the entire employee experience.
Provide competitive compensation and benefits: Offering competitive compensation and benefits can help attract and retain top talent.
Foster a positive work culture: Creating a positive work environment where employees feel valued, respected, and supported can help increase employee retention.
Invest in employee development: Providing opportunities for employees to learn and grow can help them feel invested in the company and more motivated to stay.
Encourage open communication: Encourage open communication between employees and management to ensure that issues are addressed and that employees feel heard.
Recognize and reward employees: Recognizing and rewarding employees for their hard work and contributions can help them feel valued and appreciated.
Offer flexible work arrangements: Offering flexible work arrangements such as telecommuting or flexible hours can help employees balance their work and personal lives.
Promote a healthy work-life balance: Encourage employees to take time off when they need it and provide resources and support to help them maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Provide opportunities for professional growth: Offering opportunities for professional growth, such as mentoring and leadership development programs, can help employees feel invested in the company and more motivated to stay.
What are some strategies for reducing workplace stress?
Workplace stress is a common challenge, but implementing some strategies can help your team manage the challenges.
Prioritize: Reduce overwhelm by letting your team know what is a top priority and what can be deferred
Take breaks: Recommend that employees schedule breaks throughout the day to give their minds a rest.
Practice mindfulness: Arrange classes on techniques such as deep breathing or meditation to equip employees with strategies to reduce stress.
Communicate: Open up communication with your employees on causes in the workplace so you can help them solve problems and balance their workload.
Exercise: Encourage regular movement, which releases endorphins and reduces stress.
Organize: Equip employees with organizational strategies that help them keep a clean workspace.
Seek support: Offer benefits that cover mental health providers
Prioritize self-care: Offer wellness benefits that help support health and wellness.
Prioritize work-life balance: Encourage employees to take breaks, use vacation time, and have flexible schedules when possible to reduce burnout.
Encourage team building: Plan team-building activities to help employees bond and develop a sense of camaraderie, which can reduce stress caused by isolation or lack of support.
Ready to Learn More About What the Kennedy Events Team Can Bring to Your Event?
The KE team excels at incorporating opportunities to delight at every stage of the event planning process. With a clear roadmap to event success, we champion our knowledge, resources, and connections to ensure your event goes off without a hitch. Whether you’re planning a live, in-person event, something in the virtual realm, or a hybrid with virtual components, our event experts are here to guide you. Schedule a 30-minute consultation with us today.
PAIGE BUCK
Paige Buck is the co-owner of Kennedy Events, a large-scale event management company based in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City. Our team creates stress-free conferences and events with a positive impact, which allows our clients to resonate with their audience. Kennedy Events specializes in producing flawless product launches, award ceremonies, fundraisers, and multi-day conferences while keeping our eye on retention and engagement goals.
About Kennedy Events
Kennedy Events began with one goal in mind—to produce high-level corporate events with just as much strategy as style. Maggie founded the company in 2000, found her match in Paige, and in 2011 the two became official partners. Since then, these two resourceful and brilliant creatives have pooled their strengths to build one one of the most the most sought after corporate event companies in San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles.
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