With the holidays in full swing, the question remains; to throw or not to throw an office party? Luckily, there are fun and cost effective options out there that may still help in boosting moral and building camaraderie amongst co-workers if and when an offsite party is not feasible.

In today’s job market, employee appreciation and recognition is becoming a huge part of a company’s employment strategy. The main reason being that with a shortage of qualified and available workers, companies want and need to retain employees for as long as possible. What better way to improve moral and overall company culture than including your entire office in some sort of holiday celebration. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean that you have to throw an elaborate and pricey holiday shin dig. There are small ways that can help everyone in your office enjoy this time of year and hopefully boost moral in the process.

• Bring food into the mix! Who doesn’t love food? Plan an office luncheon, potluck or even a cookie tasting. This is an inexpensive way to bring the whole office together to just eat and be merry.
• Ugly Sweater parties are fun for everyone. Whether you just open up a day to allow your staff to wear their best ugly holiday sweater or you turn it into a contest, this is a great way for co-workers to get to know each other better and have some great laughs in the meantime.
• A little friendly competition never hurt anyone. Plan an afternoon where you and your co-workers can get together and play some friendly, work appropriate games. Include some food and refreshments and you’ve got yourself a little party that everyone can enjoy. Cubicle decorating contests are also an excellent way for employees to get to know one another and keep the flame of competition alive and well.
• Charitable donations are a win-win. If your company is one that prides itself in giving back to the community, in lieu of an office party, your staff could get together and make a charitable donation to an organization of choice. This could be a monetary donation, possibly donating volunteer hours or donating food or other items.
• Secret Santa or White Elephant Gift Exchanges = FUN! The act of gift giving but with a little twist is enough to brighten anyone’s holiday. Whether your office chooses to go a more practical route or simply have some fun with random “good for a laugh” gifts, everyone goes home a winner.

Not all working environments are created equal where some of these may be appropriate, they may not make sense for all industries and settings. Keep in mind what your current company culture is like and be sure to cater to all of the varying beliefs and customs in your office/work setting. In sticking with the holiday spirit, we want to make sure everyone can and will feel included and above all else, have fun in the process!

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Marine, Trillium Technical, Trillium Environmental, Trillium Hospitality and Trillium Techs. With approximately 98 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.