With the holiday season approaching, many companies and managers are trying to decide if throwing holiday parties is a smart move. Often, these events require at least some level of financial investment, leaving some businesses hesitant to sponsor a seasonal celebration. But, by doing so, you can actually experience benefits beyond simply having a good time. Here’s what you need to know about holiday parties.

Happy workers are typically more productive than their unhappy brethren, and knowing a party is around the corner can effectively boost morale. Any upcoming celebration gives employees something to look forward to, especially if it doesn’t cost them anything to participate. Plus, it gives them a chance to relax and bond with their coworkers on a social level, which isn’t always easy to do during normal work hours.

Publicly acknowledging the accomplishments of your workers and team is another way to boost morale and improve overall job satisfaction, and a holiday party is a perfect occasion for doing just that. It gives you a forum where everyone is already focused on having a good time, making the celebrating of others efforts a natural extension of the revelry.

You can also take it a step further and thank all of your employees for their contributions during the previous year, creating a strong closing impression that can carry them forward into the new year.

Regretfully, some teams at almost every organization become somewhat siloed from the rest of the business, and hosting a company-wide event is a great way to bring everyone together for some food and fun. This can help reinforce the connections between departments that may only interact digitally and is equally effective for helping remote workers feel like part of the team.

Throwing a party can actually be a strong PR move as employees who are enjoying the event may share images of the festivities on social media. This can create a public demonstration regarding how your company treats its employees which can leave a positive impression with their friends and family members, job seekers, and even your customers.

To get the most value, consider creating a hashtag for everyone to use and ask workers if the images can be reposted to the company’s account. You can also create “photo booths” and provide festive props to increase the sense of fun. Pictures of smiling, happy employees will often boost your reputation as an employer and a business, which can help attract customers and even bolster recruitment efforts.

Providing entertainment and meals for your employees at holiday parties can typically be written off as a business expense, allowing you to use the cost as a tax deduction. While this shouldn’t be the primary reason for throwing holiday parties, it’s certainly a nice benefit for companies that choose to foot the bill fully.

If you are interested in bringing on new team members this holiday season, the professionals at TempStaff can help. Contact us today.