Five Summertime Activities to Help Build Company Culture

By Jezabel Southard

Posted on May 14, 2014

Building a strong company culture is a year-round activity.  In summer, however, companies gain additional opportunities to build company culture by stepping out into the warm weather and seizing opportunities only summer brings.

If your organization is looking for new ways to build company culture this summer, consider these five options:

1.       Hold a family event.

Children are out of school in summer, giving your employees the chance to mingle and enjoy time together as a family.  Consider combining family events with volunteering by encouraging employees to join in a walk for a cause, a “fun run,” or a similar volunteer event out in the summer sun.  Don’t forget the sunscreen!

2.       Encourage collaboration in a more casual environment.

Encouraging collaboration and idea sharing is a great way to reinforce company culture while also spurring your employees to greater heights of creativity and innovation.  This summer, encourage employees to collaborate in a more casual, summery space, like a coffee shop, bookstore, or ice cream parlor.  The change of scenery will spur new ideas, and the relaxation will help your employees recharge and reconnect in a less formal environment.

3.        Encourage departments to “host” one another.

From a softball tournament hosted by the sales and marketing team to a chili cook-off courtesy of IT, encouraging departments to plan and “host” company-wide events is a fun way to connect employees to one another while also sharing the work.  Companies with a more competitive culture might even enjoy making their “hosting” events into their own friendly competition: which department can pull in the most attendees, or rank most highly in “fun”?

4.       Evaluate your summer interns for cultural “fit.”

Many organizations bring one or more interns on board each summer.  Internships can offer benefits both for the intern, who learns valuable job skills, and for the company, which gets the opportunity to evaluate interns for their skills, motivation, and cultural “fit” before extending a job offer.  Don’t miss the opportunity to see how well your company’s interns fit your organization’s culture this summer.

5.       Touch base with your recruiter.

Summer is a great time to touch base with your staffing partner.  Even if your organization isn’t actively hiring, your staffing partner can help you create a strategic staffing plan or generate new ideas for building company culture this summer.

At TERRA Staffing, our experienced recruiters can help you build the company culture you want while we help you find the candidates who support it.  Contact us today to learn more about our staffing services in Seattle and beyond!

Categories: Employee Development

Tags: Activies to Build a Strong Company Culture, How to Build a Stronger Company Culture, Pacific Northwest Recruiting and Staffing, Pacific Northwest Recruitment Solutions, Pacific Northwest Staffing Services, Staffing and HR Tips in the Pacific Northwest, Strategies for Building a Stronger Company Culture, Tips for Building a Strong Company Culture

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