Need Better Employee Engagement During the Pandemic? Consider An Online Party

Throwing a fun little party online may just be the solution to low employee engagement especially now that a portion of the Philippine labor force of 45 million are working from home. While a good 70% of them are highly engaged in their work based on a survey done in 2018, times have changed and the lockdowns have zapped much of the usual Filipino cheerfulness. The concept of the online party is new but it has slowly made its presence known during the lockdown in March through the term e-numan or online drinking session. With online parties relatively known in the country, it will not hurt if this is applied in its online workplaces. For the non-tech savvy, however, one question remains: how do you throw a party among colleagues virtually?

The Anatomy of An Online Party

All party attendees will need to be online at the same time and on the same platform. Using your usual video and messaging apps for this particular party is highly recommended as you wouldn’t want to have everyone download yet another app just for this event. After all, you will be busy arranging the food, the drinks, and the swag. You will also need to prepare fun and engaging games that employees can participate in.

Food For Your Online Party

Arrange this a week before the date or even earlier. You will need to choose which restaurant you’d like to order from and finalise the menu. This will take some planning as the food and drinks will have to be delivered to each party attendee on the day of the party, preferably an hour before the party starts. Doing this is fairly easy in Metro Manila since most restaurants have delivery services. Third party delivery services can assist you with this task as well. It will be another story altogether in the provinces though. If you have staffers currently in the countryside, you will need to make separate arrangements for their food and drinks. These arrangements differ per province so it is best to do your research ahead of time.

Hand Out Swag

The best loot bags contain items that are not only useful to those who will receive them but goodies that do not trample on your employees’ stance on certain matters. This is supported by experts Baumruk, Richman, and Shaw, who define employee engagement as an intellectual and emotional commitment to a company or organisation. You would need to reach out to them on those levels and you can convey your appreciation through your online party’s loot bags. If your employees love the environment, for example, it is a good idea to include useful eco-friendly goodies. This can include bamboo wipes, reusable wipes, cloth bags, block soap, hoodies, and the like.

A personalised loot bag would be ideal too as this would make it known to the employee how much you value him or her. For employees with young children, it will be a thoughtful gesture if you include diaper bags or baby bottles made out of glass. While those who already have an empty nest can get new plants, a bottle of wine, or even vitamins.

Fun Games at the Party

A thrilling murder mystery game or a good old fashioned drinking game would be ideal in an online party. The trick is to ensure that everyone participates in these games. You can also do online trivia games to hone your employees’ pub-quiz skills.

Increase employee engagement and focus by giving them the chance to re-establish rapport with the company through an online party. Plan one for your staff today and you’ll soon feel strengthened as a community of colleagues, even from afar.