Putting the Joy Back into the Job

“On your mark, get set, GO… and be sure to beat Teradata!” These were the words that kicked off SQream Technologies’ sixth company fun day last Monday, an entire work day dedicated to pure fun. Our day was filled with go-kart racing (yes, one go kart was labeled “Teradata”) and cooking classes, two activities which boosted company spirit, morale and enthusiasm. And while go karting has never been a passion of mine, I gave it a try and ended up having a good time. Sure, I was the slowest kart on the track, but that didn’t matter because I was having fun. And that’s what a company fun day is all about – getting out of your comfort zone, trying new things and enjoying the moment.

More Than Meets the Eye

SQream Technologies’ company fun day was a memorable event which illustrated how essential an out-of-the office get together can be for an employees’ well-being. And while “fun” was the main theme, this outing also boosted what I consider to be three essential traits for employee happiness: engagement, support and recognition.

How and Why We Did It

1)      Engagement: How employees engage with one another and how much effort they put into their tasks leadS to a better understanding of how certain individuals perform. For example, go karting displayed the competitive nature of those employees who strived to win and cooking showed which employees put the most effort into making the best dish. The engagement between the individuals demonstrated who was motivated and who was determined, both important traits to recognize within the workplace.
2)      Support: Promoting a supportive environment allows employees to cope better with certain tasks, express their feelings and tackle difficult situations. Go karting and cooking both demonstrated support amongst the SQream team, giving individuals the chance to help their peers and answer questions.
3)      Recognition: Company recognition is one of the most important contributors for employee happiness. Individuals enjoy being recognized, especially for their hard work. The activities which we engaged in during our fun day allowed everyone to work their hardest while having a good time. Each team that performed the best were recognized at the end of the activity for their efforts.

Smiley Happy People

I came to work the next day with a smile on my face and noticed that my co-workers seemed to be more comfortable with one another. The company fun day allowed us to engage with each other in a supportive, fun environment and was a great way to thank everyone for their hard work during the last year.

Taking the Next Step

SQreams’ Fun Day is just an example of what our startup is doing to ensure employee happiness. Many other tactics can be used as well for boosting employee satisfaction, like monthly morale events and recognition awards. All of these perks and more are guaranteed to lead to happier employees and a high company success rate, the next step is getting started and planning your own fun event… Enjoy!

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