Human Resources Blog - Spark Hire

Easy Office Holiday Party Ideas

Besides meeting quarterly and annual deadlines before your workplace practically shuts down for the holidays, you have one other item to check off your to-do list: throw the office holiday party. Whether you’ve put it off until the last-minute or you’ve had zero time to plan, these easy holiday party ideas will be a great way to thank your employees for all of their hard work this year.

In-house party. You can easily throw a party together in your company’s common space or conference room. Simply spend a lunch break grabbing sweet treats and sparkling champagne, compose a holiday playlist and decorate with old-school paper cut-out snowflakes.

If you’d like to spice things up a bit, ask your co-workers to wear an ugly sweater and hold a competition. You can also make the party BYOB, asking employees to bring in a bottle or pack of their favorite spirited beverage. This office holiday party idea can be thrown together in a day’s time, making it the perfect option for companies with little to no time to plan and a small budget.

Happy hour work holiday party. Put a twist on an old staple. Invite your co-workers to your favorite watering hole for a night of appetizers and drinks. You can set it apart from other happy hours by encouraging employees to dress in festive wear, whether that’s tacky Christmas costumes or cocktail attire.

This option is for a variety of budgets given the range of bars and pubs in your city. It can be as low-key or as high-class as you wish. Just make sure that everyone arrives home safely by paying for cab fare.

Bowling, wine to canvas or sporting event. Many companies opt for an event over office parties. Unlike an in-house party or happy hour, this really takes your co-workers out of their element, allowing them to relax and spend the time talking about themselves rather than work. Oftentimes, event venues will provide a discount for large parties or companies, allowing you all to experience fun without blowing your budget.

Whether you’re throwing an office holiday party or splurging on one, make sure it gets checked off on your end-of-the-year to-do list. Saying thanks to your employees in a fun way can have a significant impact on your employees and company culture. Not only will they feel valued, but they will better be able to establish relationships with the people they work with.

What are some other easy office holiday party ideas? Share now in our comments!

Kathryn Randolph

Kathryn is a freelance writer currently living in Chicago, Illinois. She holds a B.A. in English Writing from DePauw University and has five years experience writing for major job search and higher education websites. When she's not writing for the web, Kathryn is hanging out with her new baby girl, traveling, cooking, reading and running. She believes that the perfect job is out there for everyone and hopes to help Spark Hire job seekers discover their career passion and pursue it.

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