Every year, your employees work to make sure that that the company you run puts out a good quality product or service. A lot of times, they put in extra hours taking them away from much needed time with their children and spouses. They meet deadlines, put up with injuries, and 52 Mondays a year just to make sure they are an asset to your company.
In return, many companies throw an annual picnic or barbeque. There are several different ways you could choose to go about this. Below are just a few tips for creating a company get together that will make sure your employees and their families know how much you appreciate them.
Plan The Menu
It’s just not a picnic or barbeque without food. Go all out! A good suggestion is to order several racks of ribs. The majority of people will simply chow down on ribs. Ribs are the epitome of the backyard barbeque. You will more than likely have a few vegetarians in the crowd, as well. Having vegetarian dishes available will help them to know how valued their individuality is.
A good idea would be some grilled black bean burgers and grilled seasoned veggies. Make sure that you have enough grills and food to go around twice. Don’t worry about having left overs. Your employees will want to take home extras. Then, there’s dessert. Keep in mind that you may have diabetes and people who are trying to eat a little healthier. Offer fresh fruits with the option of the decadent cheesecake and maybe some popsicles for the kids.
Games
Games are where the memories are made. There’s nothing like seeing your boss compete with Ted, from accounting, at a watermelon eating contest, which will be interesting anyway since they probably just got done eating lunch. Another great idea would be to paint a twister board on the grass or play a giant game of checkers.
There are always good ideas for relay runs and if you wanted to be all corporate, you could even throw in a trivia game where all the questions are about the company’s practices and policies. Offer a cash prize for winning this game. Along with the fun of competition, your workers will learn more about who they work for and the purpose of the business.
Cater The Kiddos
The one unpredictable factor at any company picnic are the kids. Your employees have a life outside of work and for many of them, that involves children. There is no better way to show your employees how much you appreciate all that they do than by recognizing their children. One way you might do this is to have several blow up attractions. Maybe one they can jump in and another they can slide down time and time again.
Have some of the game tailored to them, like a three-legged race or a sumo wrestling match complete with the costumes. A water balloon or water gun fight is a great way for the kids to have fun and cool of in the summer and water is just wet. It will dry. Parents will appreciate that you went out of the way to make sure their kids had fun that didn’t send them home covered in mud.
All in all, the annual company picnic is something most employees look forward to. Make this one the best ever and do it from a heart of appreciation. You might be surprised at the dedication from your workers you get in return.
