You found our list of the best corporate office workshop ideas for the workplace.
Corporate workshops are instructor-led activities aimed at educating workers. Although these workshops benefit the business, they also help employees acquire and develop the information and skills to advance professionally and personally. You can offer a productive yet entertaining business event with corporate workshop ideas that encourage learning, networking, and team bonding. These events are also known as “office workshops”, “company workshops” and “business workshops.”
These seminars are a type of professional development activity and share similarities with virtual lunch and learns. These concepts often appear in books on employee training and development.
This article contains:
- team building workshops for employees
- mindfulness workshops for employees
- training workshops for employees
- fun workshop ideas for employees
- HR workshops for employees
Let’s get right into it!
The importance of corporate office workshops
Corporate office workshops reinforce the notion that each employee is essential to the business and thus increase employee loyalty and lower employee turnover. One crucial factor for workshop effectiveness is whether or not participants see the event as appealing or a burden. Ineffective workshops may cause more issues than they solve and may waste time and money.
Nevertheless, training workshops for employees can be highly beneficial for brainstorming, participatory learning, creating connections, and problem-solving. In addition, good workshops develop a closer relationship between colleagues and urge them to work even more cohesively. Corporate workshops are particularly popular thanks to their impact on efficiently conveying concepts and points of learning across the board.
Organizing a great corporate office workshop comes with a few rewards, like:
- Boosted ability to come up with new ideas
- Enhanced interactive learning
- Better relationship building at work
- Improved ability to solve problems
Employers may achieve the perfect mix between providing operational goals and establishing a team-building atmosphere by organizing engaging and fun workshop ideas for employees annually, quarterly or monthly. Group activities like workshops foster interpersonal empathy and communication skills in all participants. In time and interaction, employees and employers develop a mutual understanding and trust.
Corporate office workshop ideas
In the section below, you will find different corporate workshop ideas that might suit your company’s values. You could pick a few to include in your company calendar to spice up your company’s regular brainstorming sessions and project-focused meetings.
1. Teaching social workshop
A teaching social is one of the most effective team building workshops for employees. This workshop can be helpful for employees who signify interest in learning more about a particular subject. The workshop can happen during breaks and can be less formal.
This corporate workshop entails setting up an hour a month for your whole team to “network” with one another. For example, you could organize a potluck or order lunch from a nearby restaurant to create a more memorable occasion. During the workshop, employees can share an important project they are working on as a team or individually. The rest of the team can then provide helpful criticism and new suggestions.
This open discussion can promote the spirit of camaraderie and a degree of cooperation among teams in the firm. Working in a segregated company may be convenient, but it is detrimental to your business and staff. Your monthly teaching social should be an avenue to remind your employees that their coworkers are vital resources.
2. Self-defense workshop
It is advisable to have some seminars that are not work-related to ensure employees’ interests. HR workshops for employees like self-defense seminars can help show workers that you care about their well-being both in and out of the workplace. For firms that care about their employees, particularly those whose employees often travel to their vehicles at night or alone, self-defense training classes for workers can be highly beneficial. It is advisable to choose an experienced trainer with a proven track record for this seminar.
3. Vision board workshop
Employees may create their vision boards in a conference room that doubles as a creative environment. Vision boards provide a visual depiction of your dreams and aspirations or how you want to feel. The goal is to visualize those goals and create action plans for execution. The vision board workshop is an exercise in abstract thinking. This session is a great approach to help your employees discover new ideas and inspiration for personal development, both inside the company and in their personal lives.
You will need markers, whiteboards, pen or pencil, magazines, sticky notes, and scissors for this workshop. You could have a maximum of five employees for each month’s class. Participants can share their favorite portion of the finished vision board with their coworkers after the program. Every participant, including those who did not participate, could find this inspiring and enlightening.
Another idea for the vision board workshop is to invite a life coach to the workplace. A life coach will meet with the group of five participants for 30 minutes to help them think creatively about their professional and personal development. Employees can get some inspiration from this discussion.
For similar exercises, check out office bulletin board ideas.
4. Mindfulness workshop
A study at the University of California Berkeley showed that focusing on the here and now may help boost an employee’s confidence, contentment, attention, and productivity. Mindfulness workshops for employees provide the necessary tools to harness the positive effects of mindfulness in the workplace.
Some of the options for mindfulness workshops include
- Guided meditation with a focus on efficiency
- Yoga for stress alleviation
- Awareness and relaxation lessons
- Work-life balance tips
- Training in work-life harmony
If employees found the workshop interesting, you could make practicing meditation and mindfulness a daily routine. For example, you could set up a conference room for peaceful meditation from 8 to 10 a.m. daily. Then, employees may utilize the room for whatever they choose, increasing their productivity and sense of well-being.
Check out more employee wellness program ideas.
5. Financial literacy workshops
Holding a financial literacy workshop can give your staff a better understanding of investing intricacies, budgeting, diversification, and other financial terminologies and ideas. You demonstrate your leadership abilities and interest in their overall well-being by providing employees with the information and tools they need to make sensible financial decisions.
According to experts at the Jumpstart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, “Companies providing financial education show improvement in the workplace, including increased productivity, employee morale, and company loyalty and decreased healthcare costs, absenteeism, turnover, workplace distractions, and operational risk across the company.” In addition, financial education initiatives add to the company’s bottom line between $3 and $4 for every dollar spent.
Employees have unique challenges when it comes to personal finances. With fun and engaging training, you can assist your staff in better comprehending any employee pension or insurance plans. Choosing an interactive workshop may help students better absorb and retain knowledge that may be difficult to grasp.
The following are some ideas for financial workshops:
- Financial monitoring: Budgeting and goal-setting
- Smart investing: Knowing when and where to invest and optimize returns
- Credit cards: Smart credit card usage, the best strategies to keep good credit, and details about credit card rewards
- Retirement plans: Preparation tips, the company’s contribution, different account options, and pros and cons.
This workshop might come in handy if your employee benefits have a financial component, such as a pension plan. Providing your workers with information on the benefits package your firm offers and other suggestions and resources may go a long way toward helping them appreciate this perk.
6. New employee onboarding workshop
Helping new workers find their footing in their new roles is essential for a successful HR strategy. In this workshop, employees can learn important details about the company’s working methods, its ideals, organizational structure, and staff bios. The workshop will also include a Q&A session to ensure no worker lags behind and that no one leaves the meeting with unanswered questions.
An interactive and engaging presentation can help workers feel at ease and home in the firm right away. You may also include some fun quiz components to help participants remember what they have learned and have fun learning about their position and place in the company.
Check out this list of employee onboarding books.
7. Company culture workshop
Many developing companies throughout the globe are putting a lot of effort into refining and improving their company’s culture and values. HR professionals and executives may help build a healthy business culture by organizing frequent seminars and reflections.
During a discussion about the company’s values, workers can provide feedback and express their thoughts about embodying those principles daily. It is much simpler to generate conversation topics when participants can express their thoughts and ideas in real-time.
Check out this list of books on company culture.
8. Mental health workshop
Considering the stress of deadlines, workloads, and adult obligations, a staff session on mental health would also be an excellent corporate office workshop idea. As an HR professional, you may take advantage of this chance to learn more about your workers’ feelings and how they deal with stress.
You may use insights from this workshop to help yourself and your coworkers. Participant introspection on work style and work-life balance will be a crucial aspect of the program for every employee who attends. The workshop will include topics like mental health awareness, managing mental wellbeing, and skills to manage mental health illness at work.
For more inspiration, check out this list of Mental Health Awareness Month ideas.
9. Equality and diversity workshop
It is impossible to overstate the importance of equality and diversity in the workplace. A diverse, equal, and inclusive workplace records more productivity, less employee turnover, and attracts talent. An interactive course on workplace equality and diversity is necessary for every HR worker. During the workshop, you can try to get every participant on the same page by asking them questions or letting them share their personal experiences with the group. It is also advisable to bring in an expert to educate employees on best practices for creating an inclusive and unbiased workplace. The training helps employees better understand their role in supporting workplace equality and diversity, avoiding discrimination, and promoting a fairer and diverse workplace.
Check out this list of diversity and inclusion activities for work.
10. Career development workshop
With this workshop, you can learn more about how your workers desire to grow and how your company can help them achieve their goals. Growth is perhaps the most crucial aspect of a job for many employees. Career development programs are also vital for employee retention and engagement, according to HR Morning.
The first step in resolving problems and making policy improvements is to survey workers about their views on professional development and growth prospects. This survey might reveal whether or not your career advancement and development strategy is as solid and thorough as it should be.
Check out this list of career books.
11. Storytelling Workshops
This workshop is an interactive communication workshop in which employees take lessons on storytelling concepts and collaborate as a team to create captivating stories. teambuilding.com’s storytelling workshop is highly participatory and available online and in-person training. The workshop is performance-enhancing for different employees, regardless of their role in the company, from HR, marketing, and sales to management. Telling a good story is one of the best ways to get people to take action, whether in the workplace or in a sales pitch. Team members will benefit from the training in their professional and personal lives.
Teambuilding has developed a unique framework for swiftly creating compelling and engaging stories to make this endeavor manageable. Your teammates will learn this framework and other storytelling approaches in your workshop. Beginner and experienced storytellers will both benefit from this course. Your team will have plenty of opportunities to use their newly-acquired storytelling talents in these highly engaging seminars. Story masters will provide each member with specific comments on how to improve. Each workshop lasts two hours.
Learn more about Storytelling Workshops.
12. Comedy Workshops
teambuilding.com’s Comedy Workshop is a fun, skill-building workshop where participants learn the basics of comedy and collaborate to create hilarious jokes. Stand-up comedians who have performed in front of a large audience are the instructors of this 90-minute comedy workshop. This innovative workshop incorporates virtual team building and skill development to get your team interested, smiling, and thinking creatively.
The host will highlight some of the best jokes from some of the world’s best comedians. Then, you and your coworkers will have a great time debating why such jokes work. Your team will work together to create a late-night comedy joke using the joke-writing methods they learn. This corporate workshop is a great way to bring everyone together and have fun.
Tips for creating an impactful corporate workshop
Regardless of the size or focus of your organization, enthusiastic and motivated staff is essential to its success. A company’s ability to recruit and retain top-tier talent depends on providing workshops that professionally and emotionally benefit workers. You can boost your team’s productivity by appreciating and recognizing them.
1. Facilitate networking opportunities
Giving workshop attendees a chance to network can make the workshop more memorable. Humans like socializing and engaging in a group. To get the most from a workshop, participants should have the opportunity to interact with one another and acquire new skills and meet new people. Also, collaborations between firms may result from networking, which can be advantageous to both parties.
2. Teach with methodologies
As the proverb goes, “it is better to teach a man how to fish rather than giving him a boat full of fish.” Teaching the task itself is not as effective as teaching the methodology. Workshops, for example, often include demonstrations of various techniques. Facilitators should give attendees the technique or systematic examination of each phase and hands-on instruction. This method helps participants better understand the approach, which they may apply to other aspects of their work or lives.
3. Include workshops in conferences
If you plan to host a conference, consider holding a workshop during the event. Workplace workshops are an excellent way for coworkers to get to know one other while learning something new. You can have short workshop areas at the conference location for delegates to attend during their breaks.
Participants from various divisions might benefit from a conference-related workshop held at the same location rather than just attending an all-day conference. This concept is innovative and provides participants with various experiences while still giving them time to learn something new.
To learn more, check out this guide to conference breakout session ideas.
4. Include games
Workshops may get tedious at times, and participants will do their best to stay engaged. However, you should take a break and play some games before they lose focus. Participants get the opportunity to re-energize during these activities. These games can pique attendees’ competitive natures without getting physical. You can include puzzles, riddles, and memory games and enforce a time restriction to up the excitement.
The use of quick games after each session may help maintain participants’ attention and happiness throughout the corporate workshop. This tip will aid in their retention and ensure that they have a great workshop experience.
Here are lists of energizing team building games and morning meeting games.
5. Tell a story
Storytelling is one of the earliest forms of human culture and serves to teach. When we hear a story, we may learn a lot about ourselves and our world. Therefore, workshops may benefit from storytelling as it is an excellent way to connect what you are teaching to the real world. If folks can sit for hours watching a movie, they can spare a few minutes to hear your story.
Narratives fascinate humans, and we seek them out in our everyday lives. By telling a narrative with the information you will provide, you can engage your audience and retain their attention.
Conclusion
For workshops, it is vital to establish a fun topic or employ cutting-edge technology to increase participation and retention. Participants should have a positive experience at a seminar to have confidence in the usefulness of the information presented. Attendees and companies alike may benefit from creating strong bonds between them via networking events.
For more guidance, check out these guides on the best practices of professional development and employee engagement theory.
Grace He