If you think your company should be “all work and no play,” there’s a good chance you have a team of highly unsatisfied workers. When employees have fun at the office, they’re happier, more productive and retention rates are higher. Of course, you still have a business to run, so it’s important to find a healthy balance between fun and efficiency.

4 Tips to Make Your Workplace Fun and Productive

Ready to make your work environment a little more exciting? Give these four ideas a try:

1. Create Spaces to Recharge: Even your best employees go through lulls in the day that make it hard to be productive. Create a fun space in your office for people to step away from their desks for a few minutes and recharge their minds. Put a foosball team, a video game system or even some exercise equipment in a spare room for your team to use when they need to relax or get an energy boost. Not only is this a great employee perk, it’s also a brilliant way to foster creativity.
2. Set Team Goals: Keep your employees motivated by setting regular goals for them to achieve. Allow them a bit of flexibility with their hours, as long as they’re able to meet their objectives. You might be pleasantly surprised at how much harder people work when they’re given the freedom to do so on their own terms. People are much happier and more productive when they’re in a pleasant work environment.
3. Reward Great Work: After your team exhibits the hard work noted above, be sure to reward them for their efforts. Let them know how much they’re appreciated by surprising them with a free pizza lunch, a cash bonus or even an afternoon off. This is a great way to strike a balance between productivity and fun, as people can see that one leads to another.
4. Host Regular Social Gatherings: Plan regular times for your team to get together and have fun, so they don’t become overworked and stressed out. Team activities are also a great way to help people get to know one another better and boost morale. Make a habit of having weekly beer Fridays, getting everyone together for lunch once a week or even taking a half-day and heading to a baseball game as a group.

Want to find a candidate who’s both a great skills and cultural fit for your team? Contact Barrington Staffing. We’re one of the premiere staffing agencies in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, offering temporary, temp-to-hire and direct hire staffing services. Our job categories include administrative support, executive assistant, human resources, reception, general office/clerical, call center, customer relations, marketing support, IT support, social media, accounting, office management, database/data entry operator, purchasing, sales and technical.