So where is work now?
We spend a good chunk of time at work. The difference these days is that ‘work’ is no longer synonymous with ‘the office’. Going to work is now the table that your laptop sits on, whether at mam’s kitchen in Howth or tucked away in a cosy cafe on Dawson Street.
Employees have the freedom to work wherever they’re most productive. And why not? We’ve all made the canny discovery that doing a grand job ain’t all about being glued to your workplace desk.
If you ask us, this hybrid work revolution isn’t about ‘the death of the office’ (yawn); it’s about workspaces becoming more exciting, a.k.a, where the craic and collaboration happens. After all, we’re still human. We need that office buzz to drive our productivity and motivation, so not every day can be a work-from-home-eating-Taytos kind.
Why does it pay to keep work-life spicy?
The last time we checked, a ‘team’ isn’t defined by a group of strangers, based at different locations, sitting at their computers on video calls. A hybrid-working team might have all the talent and motivation, but there’s a risk that fewer face-to-face interactions will erode their engagement.
A Gallup study found that nearly 85% of employees are neither engaged nor actively disengaged at work. Yet the benefits of an engaged team are clear, there’s 41% less absenteeism, and highly engaged teams achieve 21% greater profitability. In short, it pays to liven up your employees’ day.
Time for a fiesta?
We believe that face-to-face events are the secret ingredient for successful hybrid working teams. Unfortunately, while employees come into the office, they often do so on mismatched schedules. As a result, employees not directly working with each other may find themselves floating past each other, rarely sharing the moments in the office.
Whilst it might seem permissible that, let’s say, a member of the sales team and your software developer rarely touch base. Your company could be missing out on opportunities for innovation. An incidental conversation between two staff members by a coffee machine can spark new ideas.
Who knows? Your software developer might have read about a new CRM feature for sales, or a member of the sales team might have an idea for improving the app.
A sense of occasion (and a dash of FOMO) works wonders for rallying your team together. Offering an occasional special lunch, such as a food pop up, can help to create a day at the office with better attendance.
Holding an evening event, such as a cocktail and mocktail party, provides teams with a chance to create a sense of togetherness within the company.
A busy event schedule helps to keep your company culture booming whilst mitigating effects from the loss of daily face-to-face interaction. So Fiadh gets to code at her kitchen table, Fionn can still write press releases in the office breakout space, and employee engagement needn’t suffer as a result. Bravo!
Events well worth the commute
So you’re thinking of planning a team event. Quality idea! Now it’s time to create an event that’s bang on your company culture. Here are a few options:
Pop ups
Food pop ups are a cost-effective way of offering your teams delicious food and drink on-site. Not only that, but they’re super flexible in terms of set-up, scale and menu selection. We love offering our clients food pop-ups, as they’re easily adapted to suit their needs.
Whatever caterer you choose to run a food pop up event at your office, they should be able to provide you with a hassle-free experience. Not only should they be able to offer you creative solutions to your requirements, you should also expect them to set up, serve up and clean up as if they were never there.
Pop-ups jazz up your employees’ lunchtimes, providing your team with meals inspired by exciting international street food served at markets across Dublin: so think vegan burgers, dim sum, sourdough pizza or pad thai.
If you’re looking to do something different, food pop-ups can also cover breakfasts, such as serving pancake feasts or a smoothie bar. Whatever you decide, make sure to keep it unique and on-point to what your teams most enjoy.
Interactive events
Whilst sometimes workplace events where employees can kick back and enjoy good food, drink and conversation are ideal, other times you may want to go for an event with a more interactive approach. Moreover, getting a team under one roof for hands-on activities remedies the isolating effect remote working days can have on teams.
To give you a gist of what an interactive event could entail, we’d like to share some successful interactive events we’ve run with clients in the past. Cocktail classes are a crowd-pleasing event that can work wonders with your team. Sustainable cooking workshops, nutritionist visits and mini markets with local artisanal produce are also fantastic initiatives for engagement.
To give an example, one of our clients champions issues surrounding sustainability. Making a more positive impact on the environment is something that their workforce takes pride in. So to add a little magic dust to their week, we organised a farmers market themed pop up on-site. We served seasonal food cooked with ingredients from local suppliers. Needless to say, our client’s team bloomin’ loved it.
We recommend that you put a selection of interactive events into your workplace event schedule, whilst erring on the side of caution not to overdo it. When planning for future events, it’s well worth starting a conversation with your on-site caterer. A decent workplace caterer should have a good list of ideas and a strong network of professional foodies for exciting activities.
But sometimes, a full-on party is just the ticket
Get your team revved up by putting an office party in their diary. We’re not talking cheap party hats with supermarket prosecco and mini-sausage rolls here. Instead, make your party memorable with a medieval banquet, a Love Island-themed summer party or a bedazzling Oscar party (psst, we can organise all of these for you).
A full-out party is the cherry on the cake for workplace events. Not only are parties a great way to get the team talking, but they are also a big win for celebrating your company culture. When employees get to party with their whole team, it creates a poignant reminder that their work contributes to their company’s overall success.
Symbolic events (such as large company parties) are crucial in the era of hybrid working. When employees work remotely, they only have a partial view of their company’s operation. With fewer days in the office, it’s easy to get tunnel vision to the department you work in. A party is a fun and vibrant way for hybrid workers to celebrate their company culture.
It’s a wrap
Because of the global health emergency *that won’t be named in this article*, office workers in Dublin have spent a lot of time working in isolation. But with a brighter future ahead, with our freedoms restored, it’s time everyone got social again.
Sure, we’ve learnt that mixing up where we work leads to better wellness and productivity. But hybrid working shouldn’t cost organisations their company culture. We believe that employees will be better engaged, connected, and excited to work by developing an exciting workplace event strategy with a mixture of food-pop ups, interactive activities, and the occasional party.
WE CAN BRING THE FUN TO YOUR WORKPLACE
We love nothing better than bringing fresh flavours, exciting concepts and unforgettable events to Dublin offices. So if you’re looking to treat your employees to something special, make sure to check out what events we can offer you.
Fooditude Pop ups and Events >
Previous post
