With Christmas just around the corner, your staff are probably starting to wind down for the festive season.

So what can you do to keep your employees engaged? There are loads of resources out there telling you to set challenging goals, create a festive atmosphere and promote communication – but what about your Christmas party?

Over a quarter of employees say that their favourite festive get-together is their annual work party – so you need to maximise this event to motivate your team. It’s a huge opportunity to reward your staff, celebrate your successes and spread some festive cheer.

Go hard or go home

Start the festivities early with a Christmas jumper competition and encourage people to wear them all day long. Get a Christmas playlist with all the classic carols and share it with your staff to play if working from home. You can even send your staff Christmas treats in the post, organise a virtual games hour or host a Christmas quiz – there are loads of online activities you can do to boost engagement across your organisation.

Secret Santa

We all know there's work to be done in the run up to Christmas, but keep your expectations realistic. Forget about the big deadlines and just set small attainable targets – including a secret Santa!

Deck the halls

Now some of us are back to the office, why not decorate? For those still working from home, encouraging your staff to decorate their office by hosting a 'best desk decorations' competition? Staff can take pics of their efforts and the rest of the team can vote for their favourite. This will bring teams together as they appreciate each other's hard work and crown one employee 'Desk Decorations Designer of the Year 2022'.

Food, glorious food

When it comes to Christmas parties, food takes centre stage – so don’t skimp on the refreshments!

Remember, you don’t have to break the bank to throw a great Christmas party. Just show your staff you care and have gone the extra mile to make Christmas feel special this year, and you're sure to see a boost in employee engagement in the new year.

Don’t just take our word for it – download our free employee engagement survey to monitor how your staff are feeling throughout the year.