A staff appreciation party is a great way to tell your employees thanks for everything they’ve done. While you still perform the usual appreciation techniques, such as announcing an employee of the month or sending out personalized emails, throwing a staff appreciation party is a memorable event that will leave a lasting impression on workers.

#1) Throw It During Off Hours

Ideally, staff appreciation parties should be held during the company’s off hours, as this provides all employees with the opportunity to attend. Throwing the party during normal business hours is almost certain to reduce productivity, not to mention the fact that some workers will feel left out since they are forced to work while everyone else enjoys the party.

#2) What About Awards?

If you plan on handing out awards during the party, you should check to make sure they are ready ahead of time. Have you ordered an award for each and every worker whom you wish to acknowledge during the party? Are the awards personalized with the recipients’ names? These are just a few critical steps in preparing a staff appreciation party.

#3) Food & Beverages

It’s not a party unless there’s food and beverages for employees to enjoy. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on expensive fine-dining-quality catering, as some basic finger foods and 2-liter sodas will suffice. Another idea is to request that each employee bring a dish and/or beverage to the party. Assuming there’s a minimum of a dozen workers, you’ll have plenty of food to go around.

#4) Make a Speech

One of the most important parts of a staff appreciation party is the speech. This involves standing in front of the workforce and expressing gratitude for everything they’ve done. It’s important to focus on the positive traits of the workforce and not the negative. Every company has employees that prefer to drag their feet, but a staff appreciation party isn’t the time or place to address them.

#5) Keep It Short

Don’t drag your staff appreciation party out into the long hours of the night. Even if business is closed for the day, employees must still get home and prepare for next day’s operations. A standard 1-2 hour party is typically the perfect length. This is more than enough time to make speech, hand out trophies, plaques and other awards, and enjoy the food and beverages being offered.