A Thanksgiving luncheon is the perfect time to show your employees that you're thankful for them. During Thanksgiving, many employees are going to be cooking and hosting their own Thanksgiving events, so when an employer shows they care by providing food, drink, and entertainment, it can be a great break for busy employees. It doesn’t have to be a complicated event. To make it easier, you can have the food delivered and buy your luncheon supplies in bulk, ensuring you’ll have all you need for this gathering and more.
The Importance of Employee Appreciation
Employees want to be appreciated and acknowledged. It's important to show employees that you care about them beyond their work performance. Celebrating holidays can be a great way to do so. Thanksgiving is all about being thankful, and a company is often most thankful for its dedicated and loyal employees.
Scheduling Your Thanksgiving Luncheon
Don't forget that many employees will be busy close to Thanksgiving thanks to events with both their friends and their family. When scheduling your Thanksgiving luncheon, make sure you give a wide berth around the actual Thanksgiving holiday. Hosting the luncheon a week or two before Thanksgiving proper allows you to thank your employees without being too disruptive.
Food: Potluck or Catered?
Potluck events tend to come off as more personal. People get excited about sharing their favorite recipes, and they get to try a lot of different things. But during Thanksgiving, a potluck might not always be the best idea, because people are already burned out on cooking. Follow the tone of the office. If people are excited about a potluck, it may be fine. But if they aren't, catering is usually better.
Catering feels like more of a treat to employees. They don't have to do anything except show up. And if you aren't providing food, then you're going to have to provide a lot more by way of entertainment. You'll also still need to have bulk supplies like plates on standby.
Guests: Employees or Family?
When a holiday event comes around, you need to consider whether it's going to be employees-only or if it's going to involve family. A luncheon is usually only for employees, but there are always exceptions.
If your business tends to be closely knit, it may be better to have a family event. People like to share things with their spouses and children, and everyone may have more fun if they're all together.
Activities for Your Thanksgiving Luncheon
Activities can make your event more fun and provide bonding opportunities for team members. You could try:
-
Board games. Board games are a great way for employees to socialize and team build. There are many simple board games that can accommodate a large number of players and get everyone into festive spirits.
-
Sports events. Small sports events, such as corn hole, can be an excellent distraction and get employees interacting with one another. In between eating, employees can take turns playing sports.
-
Awards. If you're going to show that you're thankful, why not give out some awards? Give awards to employees who have worked hard or achieved some fantastic things.
-
Contests. If you're having a potluck, why not also run a contest? Consider a contest for the best pumpkin pie or the best chili. Anything seasonal is a great choice.
-
Fundraise. If you're thankful, maybe you want to make others thankful too. Your business can fundraise for a specific charity, providing you the chance to celebrate as you meet milestones.
Apart from activities, consider having some live music or other entertainment. Employees will be able to enjoy this while they socialize and between events.
Branding Your Thanksgiving Luncheon
A corporate event is a corporate event. Don't forget that it's meant to represent your company's values and vision. Take some time during the Thanksgiving luncheon to talk about your company's story, what the company means to you, and how the employees of the company matter.
You should never pass up a chance to extend your company culture. Your company's culture helps your employees, too: it tells them what they can expect moving forward.
Make Sure You Have Your Supplies
Get your supplies early. You may need napkins, paper plates, tablecloths, and more. Running any employee-related event requires that you plan everything well in advance. If you purchase bulk supplies now, you'll be able to use them for future events, which will save you money along the way.
Thanksgiving is coming. It's time to start planning your next corporate event now. With a Thanksgiving luncheon, you can reach out to your employees, show that you care, and give them a relaxing break from their work.
