9 Fun Ways to Boost Morale at Work

Where would you rather work: An organization where you’re stuck in your cubicle meeting crazy deadlines with little support or one where there’s an invigorating team spirit that helps the company fulfill its mission and purpose? If it’s the latter, you’re not alone.

Culture, not surprisingly, plays a big role in recruiting and retaining employees. Glassdoor called culture and community two of the top job and hiring trends in 2022. When companies have a clear and pervasive culture, employees are more likely to have a high morale. Here are a few fun ways to build culture and boost morale.

The ingredients for a good company culture

Employees should be at the forefront of your company culture—they are your main business asset. Even the most lighthearted and fun office culture ideas should inspire and engage your employees. When that happens, it will drive collaborative problem solving, high team morale, attributes of a successful operation.

It’s to remember that a company’s culture comes from the top. Management should lead in a way that fosters a culture that aligns with the business’s mission and beliefs. Underlying it all is open communication and transparency. Clearly defining your company’s culture ensures everyone is on the same page and allows you to tackle any issues as they come up, instead of letting them fester and hurt your business.

Values also play a key role in culture and morale. Build a strong value system for your company that serves as the framework for how you do business, and then ensure every employee has a role that fulfills those values.

Finally, savvy leaders know that a strong company culture is good for morale, but it can also be useful when hiring new employees. A prospective job candidate who doesn’t mesh with the culture may not be the best fit to fill that open position. Hiring without culture fit in mind may lead to issues down the road. At the same time, you don’t want to sacrifice diversity for the sake of culture fit. To strike a balance, use a standard scorecard to rate all candidates against employee values, so everyone is ranked on the same system.

Fun ways to boost morale and culture at work

1. Show your appreciation with thoughtful gestures

Recognize your employees when they accomplish goals, land new clients, reach life milestones, or celebrate a work anniversary. One way to do that is by giving employees gift cards. DoorDash for Business' Employee Gift Cards for food can be set to any denomination and personalized with a message honoring employees for their particular achievement.

2. Create an inviting environment

Natural light, artwork, plants, and an inviting outdoor space can create a workplace people actually want to come to every day. When your employees are working from home, offer them custom Zoom backgrounds they can use during calls with clients, interview candidates, or team members.

3. Give back to the community

Find company-wide volunteer efforts, such as hosting a holiday toy drive, cleaning a local park or beach, or collecting blankets for homeless shelters. It helps build camaraderie outside of work hours and reinforces the importance of teamwork to meet a goal. If you can’t get together as a group, hold online fundraisers or donation drives for your company’s favorite causes.

4. Enjoy a team lunch together

Host a team lunch where management and employees can come together. DoorDash for Business makes it easy for your distributed workforce to eat whatever they enjoy most. . If your company is staging virtual events for employees, consider work from home meal solutions such as Expensed Meals or DashPass for Employees, allowing your team members to order food on their own and enjoy it during the event.

5. Give employees the tools they need for success

Providing a company car, phone, or laptop for use on- or off-site can help your team members get their jobs done more efficiently. You may also find it useful to offer employee benefits that promote a healthy work/life balance, such as flex time and unlimited PTO.

6. Introduce fun morale building activities

These can include take-your-pet-to-work days, after-work socials, lunchtime walks, yoga or meditation, etc. While you’re all working from home, host a “happy hour” on your favorite video conferencing platform at the end of the workday so that everyone can chill out together virtually with their favorite beverage.

7. Make corporate catering personal

DoorDash Expensed Meals lets employees order individual meals on the company’s account, instead of the standard spread of catered bagels or sandwiches. . It’s a flexible solution that accommodates group orders for small teams working together, as well as employees who are on their own at their virtual office. Plus, employees can schedule orders, so they can order food for delivery at whatever time works during their busy day. You get the added benefit of a product that makes it easy for you to manage employee business expenses for meals.

8. Provide your employees with unique benefits

Expand the traditional boundaries of health insurance or a 401k with specialized offerings. For instance, give a DashPass for Employees annual subscription to every employee, and they get $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on their orders. Your team will appreciate perks that make their lives easier.

9. Survey your employees

As you examine your company’s culture, don’t forget to get input from your stakeholders—your employees. They'll have useful insights that will help shape your vision as you move forward with ways to improve the office culture.

When you take the time to invest in your culture, you are investing in the morale and well being of your employees.