Your new hires are hoping to work at a company with a strong culture. While every company's culture is different, there are a few steps you can take to ensure you're creating the right environment for both your new and seasoned employees.

Summer programs are an important tool for attracting top talent and now is the time to start planning!  

ZogCulture is the summer programming partner for dozens of firms and this is how we recommend our partners begin their planning.

Returning to work feels different this year. In prior years, the holiday break was rejuvenating and refreshing, adventurous and relaxing. This year, it was filled with mask-wearing, booster-seeking, and dodging COVID-19.  

Great news! Your company has a vaccination policy in place, testing is more broadly available, COVID cases are going down, and you have senior leadership support to plan an in-person holiday party. As an event professional, it feels good to have the green light to plan in-person gathering. Am I right? But how do you make sure that your remote team members feel included?

“Hi All! I’m here, just having a video-off day!” This is how a Zoom call started with an external partner last week.  

In that moment, as I was finishing up my lunch, struggling to hide the piles of giveaway clothing behind me, and trying to not let my 11-month-old daughter crawl over my computer plug, a video-off day sounded quite nice. It got me thinking: What if we all had video-off days?  

At work, we spend most of our time creating fun events for our clients. But these events are not JUST intended for fun. They have the much bigger, broader, and more important goal of helping companies build a stronger, more positive company culture. How do we do it? 

If you can believe it, tomorrow will be full-blown October. For many employees working from home, grinding day after day without seeing their coworkers, it feels like time is simultaneously flying and standing still. 

That feeling of monotony and disconnection can really take its toll on a team. So, you've got to do something. Something fun. Something different. Something together, even while we're physically apart. But how?

It's been nine weeks since stay at home orders made their way across the country, but for many of us, it has felt much longer. Because we are working remotely, we no longer get as much social interaction from our peers and colleagues. And, at a certain point, the endless string of video meetings is more draining than energizing.

But we're here to show you that hope is not lost.

You do not have to feel isolated or alone during the COVID-19 quarantine. There are still plenty of ways to feel connected to your team, your company, and the work you're doing.

With the latest advice from the coronavirus task force to limit gathering to groups with 10 or fewer, many companies across the country have decided to implement teleworking policies to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Whether your company always works remotely or is doing so temporarily, there are very real benefits gained from offering this flexibility to employees.

But it does take some forethought to build or maintain a team when you're not physically in the same place.

Many companies have already implemented policies, communications, and contingencies for how they will operate during the current public health issue of the coronavirus (COVID-19). And while there is no way to overstate how important those preparations are, there's another hugely important thing for companies to consider:

Many of our clients are looking for more than just another repetitive happy hour. They want their company events to truly improve company culture, to drive connections, and improve working relationships in the office. 

One key area for those improvements is with regard to employee recognition. If you're looking for help infusing recognition into your company events, you'll want to start with these simple questions.

Think about a time when you really nailed it. That feeling when you reached a milestone. That moment when you hit your goal. It feels good, right? It feels even better when someone else notices. So, how do you amplify the positive feeling so your employees feel recognized?

Your company event strategy can have a huge impact on the culture of your organization. So, rather than planning events last minute, it's important to consider what you really want to gain from the events, and how you want your company to grow.

We have some key tips on how to use events to create greater recognition, connection, balance, inclusivity, and fun.  

Remember how winter felt when you were a kid? The exciting feeling of the first "snow day" of the year. The warm, sweet, creamy first sip of hot cocoa after a snowball fight. The carefree delight of ice skating with your friends. 

Those were the good old days. Why did things seem so good, so simple back then? 

Whether it be bowling, a murder mystery, or musical bingo, ZogCulture has you covered for your company's seasonal parties and in-person events!  

Okay, so it’s late October, and you’re getting down to brass tacks on your company holiday party. You want it to feel special. You want your employees to be excited about it. You want to celebrate a great year with a night that is memorable and fun to keep them feeling engaged and valued.