As the momentum for return-to-office (RTO) strategies accelerates across UK plc, employers need to think beyond a free breakfast when it comes to in-person incentives.
With the working-from-home productivity conversations still strong, and flexibility a non-negotiable for many employees, how can HR and employee experience leaders design effective and meaningful activations, supporting employee engagement strategies and driving connection, performance and belonging?
Design events around purpose over policy
We’re seeing leading employers anchor their events in purpose rather than policy. Tying activations into company purpose, vision or impact -instead of compliance – incentivises a greater level of engagement and connects team members back to the why of their work.
Gathering colleagues to celebrate key milestones, product launches and employee achievements is far more effective than mandating core hours. By centring on community-led opportunities that connect your team in this way, you strengthen the organisation’s broader mission and impact. For example, we once designed an entire Floor for a large creative agency where all their employees that worked on one client account were based. This meant that they could dial up the connection to the clients mission, and live and breathe that ecosystem while building out new creative campaigns.
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Attaching meaning to all-in days is also key, for example learning days which can include an external speaker as well as development opportunities incentivises an event into something more meaningful and inspiring as well as creating connection points beyond the event itself as employees share on social media and forge wider conversations.
Rebuild human connection and belonging
After years of hybrid and/or remote work, employees are craving social connection – particularly among younger cohorts. Gartner’s Future of Work report identified loneliness as a business risk, not just a wellbeing challenge, impacting belonging, engagement and performance. The report cites the need for organisations to reinforce “more human-centric collaboration norms” to mitigate this.
This means designing more opportunities for belonging from cross-service mixers through to more traditional team-building workshops. As we rebuild connection in the workplace, we’re seeing clients driving activity to strengthen “weak ties” achieve real wins in terms of becoming productive and innovative, as they seek to build communities across different team/ department/ group lines. This can be done through fun incentives such as coffee bingo, speed networking as well as inter-team sports initiatives.
Encouraging informal interactions – be this in the canteen or in break-out spaces – can make this feel more authentic and supportive.
Think holistically and whole person
While organisations evolve return-to-work policies, work and home integration remains a lasting post-pandemic outcome. Now more than ever, people need to be seen on a whole and human level, and event activations should reflect this, as you place colleague values front and centre – design your events with the whole person in mind.
Purpose-led activations supporting both culture and belonging continue to be hugely popular among our clients – from awareness days through to charity focused initiatives that connect with employees on a personal level. Ensuring inclusion is key when working with these concepts – something as simple as “bring your dog to work day” can also make sure even more colleagues can participate, connect and benefit from the value of the event.
Bringing wellbeing into the mix
With mental health now the top cause of long-term workplace absence in the UK, there’s an increasing need for employers to prioritise wellbeing in their event strategies. As with work and home integrations, meaningful events both acknowledge and accommodate the human side of work. From green wellbeing initiatives through to wellness workshops, there’s so much employers can do to go beyond gym memberships to create a wellbeing environment where their people thrive at work.
Psychological safety can not be overlooked either. For many of our clients, specific colleague networks are huge drivers of workplace activations and can again range from a bespoke conference, a panel or speaker event through to a lunch and learn or café session.
These colleague groups – again ranging from gender, race, disability, social mobility and LGBTQA+ groups through to community groups to support colleagues with issues like pregnancy loss and fertitlity, menopause or men’s allyship – can come together in a safe space, to share personal experiences, fully be themselves and create more of a belonging.
What’s clear is that as the world of work continues to evolve, in-person events will be an integral part of RTO strategies, as meaningful, well-planned employee activations are no longer optional but essential.
With a background spanning brand activations, conferences, and cultural events, Mark’s work emphasises the intersection of innovation and human connection. He is particularly focused on integrating sustainability and technology into modern event design to ensure every experience leaves a lasting impression beyond the moment.
A passionate advocate for the evolving role of events in shaping workplace culture and engagement, Mark continues to explore forward-thinking approaches to collaboration, inclusion, and audience immersion across industries.
