“When the programme manager started fighting the Christmas tree and the director of operations tried to defend that tree with a passion he had never shown for his work, we knew it was time to go home.”
As this quote from a traumatised HR director in the media world demonstrates, Christmas can be a difficult time for HR. The annual Yuletide party can be a mix of too much booze and brazen behaviour if you’re not careful. Yet try and cancel the December festivities and you hit trouble.
“One year we told people we’re going to do a summer party only and we got so many complaints,” reports a HR manager at a drinks manufacturing company in the South West. “In the end we had to relent and paid for each team to do whatever they fancied. One group decided to go to a wind tunnel…”
The trick to getting a Christmas party right is variety. Not variety shows, necessarily – though one should never rule them out – rather a commitment to trying something a little bit different. So here’s what you could try and what you should avoid.
A little bit different…
If your brand is about being different then your Christmas parties better reflect that. It should be no surprise that notonthehighstreet.com is a master of finding new ways of celebrating.
“‘The less ordinary’ is integral to our brand and who we are; this seeps through in the events that we hold,” explains Sarah Strain, experience and events executive at the company. “We create an experience that builds momentum and drive for our employees that is reflected in the positive buzz that takes over the whole office. These events help us recognise everyone involved with the company, ultimately celebrating our achievements and bringing us closer to our partners.”
So what has the company tried? There’s been a mulled wine and mince pie cart trundling through the office, team decoration boxes so each team could decorate their desks, and it always aims for more offbeat party venues such as art galleries.
One year it decided to adopt the Christmas spirit of giving by setting up a staff-manned wrapping station in the office for a charity providing toys for children at Christmas.
For other companies, meanwhile, the ‘in’ thing appears to be themed events. LinkedIn recently opted for a Cluedo theme, while Google went for an Indiana Jones themed bash at a local theatre.
A little bit more different…
Mashed potatoes may not scream ‘Christmas’, but to offer a unique twist to its festive celebrations one year Facebook reportedly installed a mashed potato bar. It apparently left the staff feeling decidedly chipper.
Virgin, meanwhile, is famous for its raucous parties. These generally include the families of employees and, one year, involved owner Richard Branson reflecting his company’s risk-taking philosophy by walking on a tightrope 70 feet in the air. That’s branding, folks. (A less high-risk version could also work.)
When it comes to presents, forget the Christmas hamper, chocolates, alcohol or similar. SPP Extrusions in Stratford-upon-Avon rewarded its staff with some cutting-edge branded portable charger powerbanks. “The feedback was that the staff loved the gifts,” says Kevin Ross, managing director at gifts company Solo, which sourced and supplied the powerbanks to SPP.
A London record company, meanwhile, apparently took staff scuba diving one Christmas at the local pool, and the next year they did a guided walk around the capital’s historic sights. Educational and fun. Perfect.
But what about booze? You might well ask… “Instead of our usual vouchers or gifts we let the staff raid the company shop one year,” says the drinks company HR manager. “They all had a very merry Christmas on us!”
What you should avoid
“There was an erotic hypnotist,” recounts an ex-employee of a trendy media company. “And it was as bad as it sounds. He failed to hypnotise anyone and was just crude. I think they thought it would be a ‘cool’ thing to do to make the party different. It was not cool.”
A tinsel-time trip to a comedy show for a book publisher, meanwhile, ended in disaster when the comedy was awful and the staff in the front row had a set-to with a comedian.
“Comedy is risky,” says the drinks company HR manager. “Everyone has a different sense of humour, so unless you enjoy dealing with multiple complaints I would steer clear.”
As for presents, there are some horror stories here too. One MD collected all his freebies from across the year and then raffled them out to staff; less a gift, more a tat disposal process. Another MD handed out his hotel freebies, apparently forgetting the workforce can read and that each little bottle of shampoo had the hotel’s name on it… You have been warned.
