You found our list of fun social committee ideas for work.
Work social committees are employees responsible for organizing social or extracurricular events for the workplace. Work social committee ideas may include hosting networking events or scheduling outings such as happy hours or baseball games. In other cases, these groups even plan volunteer events so that employees may give back together. These activities can help increase employee engagement in the workplace and boost the firm’s profitability.
These groups are similar to company culture committees and employee resource groups.
This article contains:
- work social event ideas
- fun work social committee ideas
- social committee event ideas
- team building committee activities
- ideas for social committee events at work
Let’s get started!
The importance of a work social committee
Your firm might have an excellent culture, but you may still want to find new methods to have fun. Social outings and team-building exercises are crucial to organizational health. Therefore, creating a social committee might be a good idea to make work fun.
You can boost employee productivity and engagement by encouraging your employees to take a break from work and allow them to socialize with each other in a calm and entertaining setting. Since a company’s profitability rises by 21% when its employees are actively engaged, according to a Gallup report, developing an effective employee engagement plan is critical for business success.
Read more about the importance of employee engagement.
List of work social committee ideas
Coming up with work social ideas is challenging, whether you are looking for social work team building activities or preparing your annual Christmas party. Below is a list of the top work social committee ideas to help relieve the burden of organizing a business or work event.
1. Boardgame tournament
A competitive board game competition can be fun, challenging, and imaginative. Every employee in the workplace likely has a favorite board game, whether a classic like Monopoly or a new twist like Cluedo. The social committee can invite employees to bring in their favorite games and create board game spots. If you want to make it a competition, you may form a team for every department and have them compete against each other.
This social event idea stimulates employees’ minds, sparks a bit of competition, and unifies the entire team. You may hold the event at your place of business and have a buffet lunch delivered, or you can rent a function space at a nearby location and have a complete package that includes lunch, coffee, and light snacks.
Check out these lists of the best team board games and office game room ideas.
2. Social Scavenger hunt
This activity is a classic that never goes out of style. Scavenger hunts are amazing and can bring some excitement to the team. This social committee idea may need some planning, but the results will be well worth the effort. This event can take different forms, and you could add various activities like trivia challenges and local treasure hunts to the scavenger hunt to boost interest.
Some great ideas for a scavengers hunt include:
- Letter Hunt
- Gift Wrap
- Name Hunt
- Dance Challenge
- Paper Airplane Contest
- Obscure Checklist
The scavenger hunt is one of the best work social event ideas, especially for a daytime business outing. The event is ideal for summer office social gatherings since it often takes place in the open air. It would help if you considered working with team-building to get fun team-building exercises and creative suggestions for office social events.
Here is a list of fun scavenger hunt ideas for adults.
3. Work field day
A field day is a simple work social event that promotes collaboration and physical activity. The event can also be a low-cost solution for small firms and encourages healthy competition and communication. In firms where workers spend most of their time at their desks in front of a computer screen, employees will welcome the idea of stepping outdoors for the day even if they do not enjoy sports.
You could set up an area in your neighborhood park where you may play different fast-paced activities. Activity ideas include football, wheelbarrow races, and the traditional egg and spoon race. The great idea is to divide employees into two groups and print some t-shirts for each half of the squad. You can reward the winning team with a half-day vacation or a free meal at a fancy restaurant.
Here is a guide to company field days.
4. Escape rooms
In the last few years, escape rooms have risen to prominence in the team-building arena due to their creative and mind-bending puzzles. With so many options, escape rooms are one of the most popular office social committee activities. Many escape options are available for corporate organizations. Participants will have to escape the chamber or finish the adventure by solving puzzles and completing tasks within a certain time. This concept for a social work event fosters teamwork, collaboration, and effective time management. The social committee can have a DIY escape room at work or schedule a trip to the nearest escape room within the area.
Here are guides to doing DIY escape rooms and escape room tips.
5. Go-karting
With a dash of competitiveness and a dash of pleasure, this exercise is a favorite with team members. The ultimate go-kart race is the perfect way to rev up the engine and get the excitement burning.
Go-karting is a fun workplace outing for team-building, and the work social committee should not find it difficult to organize. There are go-kart tracks for every team member to enjoy. You only need to ensure your staff pays attention to the safety talk before the event begins. It is also a great idea to have a few drinks at your neighborhood bar afterward.
6. Social Committee Spirit Week
School spirit weeks have their roots in the annual high school event. Teams, departments, and corporations may participate in different fun events, themed days, competitive games, and friendly contests for one week to foster camaraderie and team building.
Some ideas for your theme days include:
- Alien Day
- Beach Party Day
- Camo Day
- Crazy Hat Day
- College T-Shirt Day
- Dress-up Day
- Decade Day
- Favorite Movie Day
Virtual spirit weeks is one of the most effective social committee ideas for remote workers. The online version of the spirit week is usually not as competitive as the traditional spirit week. Still, the activity can be more entertaining to engage remote employees and enable them to connect virtually.
Check out these guides to office spirit weeks and virtual work spirit weeks.
7. Cook-off at work
Another excellent work social committee idea draws inspiration from the TV classic, the Great British Bake-off. Each team member will bring a tasty dish to the workplace for the cook-off activity. This event is essentially a competition where employees may compete to see who can develop the best recipe. Each employee will put their dish on the reserved food table and have others vote on which edible entry wins.
The social work committee should prepare to ensure a variety of sweet and savory treats for the event. After getting a winner, there will yet be a ton of food for the team to consume. Going to a park or open public field is usually a good option for an out-of-office gathering, and you can transform the occasion into a picnic with games and drinks.
Here is a guide to doing cook-offs at the office.
8. Gala ball
An annual Christmas or summer party would be a good fit for this social work activity. Gala ball requires a more substantial budget. Hosting a gala ball at an event venue is an excellent way to reward your staff. You may even make this a themed event, such as a black dress or suit and white bow tie.
You will get tablecloths, centerpieces, and drapes at an event center to provide an elegant dining experience. You could make room for a dance floor and DJ. With a three-course dinner and beverages, your staff can relax and socialize outside of the workplace. Alternatively, you may convert this into an awards night where you honor the workplace prankster, the greatest revenue taker, and the chattiest worker.
9. Film-a-thon
Film-a-thon is an excellent idea for a winter social event at work. You can rent a projector screen for this activity, rearrange the office desks, get snacks, and all your employees’ favorite movies. You can also make it more exciting by bringing takeout pizzas. This activity allows your employees to take a break from work for a full day. Organizing team-building outings or relaxing movie nights is a great way to build team morale and boost employee satisfaction.
10. Charitable fundraising activities
Giving to charity is always a great initiative. Charitable fundraising events are a great way to have fun while making a positive impact. You may arrange various philanthropic activities, from walks and charity balls to more organized competitions like Tough Mudder. All you need to do is decide on a cause and raise money.
Here are lists of charitable team building ideas and virtual fundraising ideas.
11. Thrill-seeking
Thrill-seeking activities include exciting events and carry some physical risks but are not life-threatening. This activity is a terrific concept for a work social event. The gathering can revolve around one intensive activity or can consist of a series of adventures. Thrill-seekers will be in for a treat for the big finale. Theme parks are always an excellent option, and since your employees probably enjoy a good rollercoaster ride, you can get their adrenaline pumping.
If you want to go above and beyond, offering your staff the chance to skydive or bungee leap will go well with the daring crew. This activity is also a great way to raise money for a good cause while having fun and adventure. Employees can go out for drinks or dinner once the challenge is complete to celebrate their courage. You may talk about the event all night long.
How to organize a social committee event at work
To run a work social committee, you should find out what your team members find interesting or have on their bucket list. Even if the social committee organizes some fantastic events, they will be pointless if no one shows up.
1. Inform employees about your intentions
If you want to form a social committee, you will need to get some aid from team members. Your manager and maybe HR need to be aware that you adhere to all business policies. Executive buy-in is essential to get events running. Your manager may also organize committee meetings over lunch or beyond regular work hours to discuss the events.
2. Find out what team members find interesting outside work
Every team member has unique preferences, so do not assume that they all enjoy the same activities. You could conduct a poll and find out what ideas most interest employees. You can request their opinion on networking, happy hours, coffees, sporting events, volunteer work, and even a book club. Attendees’ interests should guide the work and social activities you organize.
3. Establish a schedule for work social events
An excellent place to start might be quarterly or monthly events, depending on your group’s size and the activities you are considering. Organizing a monthly happy hour or ice cream outing should be simple if you have a small workforce. The more people on your team, the more time you will need to start preparing ahead of time.
4. Decide the funding sources
One of the aspects to cover is deciding whether the company or employees will fund the activity. Department funding or policy may have an impact on this factor. Certain firms do not cover the cost of alcohol at off-site functions for their workers. It would be helpful to familiarize yourself with the company’s policies and speak openly. It would also help if you prevented workers from thinking that the firm is paying for the social events by properly clarifying the funding source.
5. Have a safety strategy in place for off-site trips
Even though a social committee is supposed to be enjoyable, being responsible is also important. You should make adequate arrangements to ensure every employee’s safety. You need to ensure no team member gets too intoxicated or injured during a hike or a sports event. Also, make arrangements to prevent employees from drinking and driving home after happy hour.
A well-thought-out safety plan can help you stay ahead of the curve, even in the event of an accident. When making arrangements, do not forget to account for factors like dietary allergies. For example, if a team member is highly allergic to peanuts, then it is preferable to avoid venues that use nuts or nut oil. You should also label allergies clearly if you are offering food or drinks at your events.
6. Measure and review the event’s success
The work social committee is not necessarily successful if it just organizes social gatherings. Attendance at your events is vital, as is ensuring that every participant has a good time and feels like a part of the community. You should check to see whether you are excluding folks who do not drink or who do not enjoy sports from your event. Also, it would be best to inquire why a specific subset of your coworkers tends to avoid going to social gatherings.
There are numerous more reasons why an employee may not be able or willing to engage in social activities, such as not drinking or being a sports fan. In addition, employees who are also caring for children or other relatives or doing part-time education may not be able to participate in after-hours events. You could consider introducing activities during lunch breaks or in the afternoon when every employee can participate to ensure maximum participation.
Benefits of work social committees
A work social committee has the following advantages:
1. Increased employee engagement
Employees who can build personal ties with their coworkers tend to have a higher engagement rate at work. Establishing an office social committee may allow you to begin collecting information on employee engagement. You should check your company’s employee engagement survey results before you begin organizing social events and then check occasionally to see how if the engagement levels have improved.
Here are examples of employee engagement survey questions.
2. Career advancement and networking opportunities.
Employees may benefit from work social events as they get to know more about the company’s top executives. In addition, employees may feel more confident in applying for a new advanced position if they have had the opportunity to get to know their prospective manager in a more informal situation.
For more on the benefits of this element, check out professional development ideas.
3. Reduced employee turnover
The cohesiveness of a team is crucial. There is a correlation between lower turnover and better employee engagement. Creating chances for employees to socialize and have fun with their coworkers may deter them from looking for a new position elsewhere.
Check out this guide to employee turnover.
4. Reduced workplace conflict
It is simpler to lash out at coworkers you do not know well at work. You can reduce conflict, especially in stressful situations by establishing chances for your team members to learn about one other. Relationships may help you communicate better and in a healthier manner.
Here is a list of conflict resolution activities.
5. Possibilities for inclusion and diversity
Work social activities may promote a sense of belonging in heterogeneous teams. Employees may discover commonalities they did not realize when meeting with coworkers from varied backgrounds in a more informal setting. Outwardly dissimilar employees may discover that they have more in common than they think. For example, the similarities might be a mutual interest in cuisine, holiday destinations, or even a hobby that employees may not talk about during meetings.
Check out this list of diversity and inclusion activities for the office.
Conclusion
Work social committee ideas may be a lot of fun for every team member involved, and there are genuine professional reasons to engage with coworkers outside of work. These work social activities are great for improving employee satisfaction, which is beneficial for the firm’s bottom line.
Your employees deserve rewards for the hard work for your company. If employees do not feel valued, they may find jobs elsewhere or may feel less engaged at work. Work social committees take steps to make employees feel connected, appreciated, and fulfilled.
For more resources, check out these guides to making work fun and creating positive work environments, and this list of National Fun at Work Day ideas.
We also have a list of the best raffle ideas for work and a list of fun ideas for company culture committees.
Grace He