funday Archives

7 Tips for an Awesome Office Holiday Scavenger Hunt

in Workforce Management/by Randi Renee Doerr, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

The ExactHire team continues its pursuit of the ultimate interoffice competition ideas, and is pleased to bring you the latest installment of the “Monday Funday” recap! Rather than simply provide a rehash of recent events, let’s break it down so you can recreate the fun in your workplace this holiday season! Here’s everything you need to know to plan a simple, yet fun-filled office scavenger hunt.

1 – Look into logistics

Before you get too far down the planning path, scope out the resources around your office and/or office building to get an idea of how far you might like your co-workers to travel in order to complete items on your scavenger hunt list.

Posing by the road sign required the teams to go away from the office building to earn more points…but not too far!

While you want to add some items that have a greater degree of complexity, you don’t want them so far away that it becomes impossible for a team to complete many of the items in the time period allotted. Also, make sure you don’t plan holiday-oriented tasks that may not be inclusive of all religious preferences within your particular team.

Additionally, consider whether you want to run a digital scavenger hunt or a traditional one. With a digital scavenger hunt, you might require teams to provide photographic evidence of all the items they complete and text or email it back to the Gamekeeper. With a traditional hunt, remember to provide each team with a container/bag for collecting items they come across at each challenge. Then, they will have to present the items at the finish line for credit.

Lastly, as you think about how many employees will choose to participate (and it should be optional), decide how many players will be on each team and plan the teams in advance so that individuals have the opportunity to interact with people outside of their normal department or work area.

2 – Be timely

For many offices, productivity is one of the first things to suffer during the holiday season. Employees are thinking more about the next best place to hide their family elf or how many cookies they still have to bake than what is on their work agenda.

Give them a special occasion to embrace the holiday spirit, but be respectful of work schedules and keep it to no more than 15-20 minutes. That’s plenty of time to burn off some energy and bring people together for a quick culture-building activity.

In our experience, these types of competitions are best attended when they immediately follow some kind of department or all-hands company meeting. Everyone is already in one spot and therefore more likely to stay an extra fifteen minutes to join the fun. We do our Monday Funday events after our company meeting on the third Monday of each month.

It can be tempting for employees to rush back to work after a company meeting, but by keeping it within its planned time frame you respect their time. Bribery with an exciting grand prize or bragging rights doesn’t hurt attendance either (wink, wink).

3 – Allow people to prepare

When scheduling an office scavenger hunt, give your employees plenty of advance notice and ask them to RSVP to the event. From participants’ point of view, this allows them to budget time to take part in the event, and it allows the organizer (aka “Gamekeeper) to plan teams and the appropriate number of scavenger hunt tasks.

If you do endeavor a virtual hunt, make sure participants know that they will be asked to take pictures and/or video in advance. That way, they can temporarily make space available on their mobile devices for that purpose, if necessary.

4 – Be clear about rules

Some of your employees…you know the ones…will be more competitive than others. So make sure you have rules or an instructions sheet that clearly outlines what teams must do to successfully complete scavenger hunt tasks and win the contest.

In order not to give anyone an early advantage, hand out the rules and task sheet to all teams just prior to the start of the scavenger hunt, but provide a verbal overview of the rules at that time and take time to answer questions.

This is also an ideal time to make sure all teams are paying attention to the rules instead of reading the tasks and planning their first move. All but two of the teams fell victim to this temptation during our recent ExactHire holiday scavenger hunt and so the Gamekeeper awarded a bonus point to the only team that was able to successfully repeat one of the key rules of the game. And wouldn’t you know it? That was the winning team in the end–their single bonus point put them ahead when all the teams successfully completed all the tasks within fifteen minutes.

Here’s an example of the rules and task sheet we used for our holiday hunt.

5 – Have a back-up plan

As I mentioned above, during our scavenger hunt all three teams completed all scavenger hunt tasks within the time allotted. The Gamekeeper wasn’t expecting this to happen, and so be sure that you have contingency plans for awarding bonus points or presenting a tie-breaker task at the end in the event of a tie.

Better yet, have more tasks than you’d ever imagine any one team being able to complete. At ExactHire, we awarded different amounts of points based on the difficulty of the task in order to allow teams more flexibility to plan their strategy, if desired.

Mailing a letter to the big guy in the red suit!

6 – Celebrate with refreshments

At the conclusion of your scavenger hunt, if teammates gave it their all, they may be a bit winded. Have refreshments available afterwards to bring people together to recount the humorous events of the hunt, celebrate the winner with a special certificate (and perhaps traveling trophy) and give people a breather.

During the fall and winter holidays, warm spiced apple cider or a hot chocolate bar are often well received beverages. Additionally, a plate of cookies, holiday trail mix or some caramel popcorn are great accompaniments to give everyone a little reward for their efforts. As you plan your mini-menu, be mindful of any dietary restrictions present with your staff members and try to choose options that will appeal to everyone involved.

Consider coupling the post-event festivities with another “feel good” activity, if time permits. For example, during our recent hunt at ExactHire we took time to write down what we are each thankful for professionally and personally and then we displayed the notes on a prominent wall in our office. You can keep it pretty basic (as we obviously did in the photo below); or, purchase a stack of pre-cut turkeys or snowflakes and use them as the message notes.

7 – Spread the joy

While it really doesn’t take a huge amount of effort to put together a seasonal scavenger hunt for your organization, it is worth celebrating and sharing with others. Document the fun (and maybe the unexpected bloopers) of the event on social media or in a corporate blog (oh wait–I just did that!) as a shining example of your positive employment culture and brand. Just make sure you get permission to use the photos and videos you post before publishing. And yes, I did check to make sure I could share some of our holiday antics below…

Your holiday office scavenger hunt is a great resource for showing future employees the fun side of working for your company. Go plan your next “funday” scavenger hunt today!

MondayFunday: Races and Bases

in Workforce Management/by Christian Willey

Unless you’re Patrick Star and living under a rock this summer, you’ve noticed that the weather has been beautiful…and hot. That hasn’t stopped us at ExactHire from going out and having some fun in the sun though! May and June have both proved to be quite competitive here in the office for our monthly MondayFunday as we raced remote control cars in May and tried to throw wiffle balls into a bucket with gusting winds in June.

Out of the Gates

Since May is for racing, the fun committee decided that it was time for the first official racing of the remote control cars. Even before the races started, there was some trouble as Christa discovered that one remote was controlling both cars so it was decided that each person would go solo. As the newest member of the team, I was forced to play the guinea pig in the first running of the ExactHire races. Unfortunately for the rest of the team, I had a few tricks up my sleeve – tricks being ten year-old sisters that keep me up to date on kids’ toys (such as race cars), allowing me to clock in a lap time of approximately 12 seconds…cue victory dance. There were many other admirable attempts to beat my time, but karma was racing the others as there were many bumps and run-ins with patio furniture along the way.

Tom’s son proved to be the best of the best when it came to stepping in as the flag man and providing enthusiasm throughout the harrowing lap – even going as far as to follow the car to the finish line (such fearlessness). Overall, race day proved to be a great way to relieve some stress and have a few laughs together as it was pretty much impossible to navigate that pesky patio furniture, but either way – we all had a good time (especially anyone who got to help Tom’s son have a blast!)

Throwing Caution to the Wind

June’s Monday Funday proved to be insanely difficult as winds were gusting at approximately 110 mph (I’m not a weatherman, but I’m pretty sure it was that windy). The fun committee, not foreseeing such inclement weather decided to have us all participate in a pseudo-game of baseball/catch; we all had to run base to base and throw two wiffle balls, trying to toss as many as possible into a bucket place on the pitcher’s “mound.” This may seem simple enough, but rest assured, it was not.

Harlan Schafir managed to beat us all with a whopping three balls in the bucket. Tom came close to trumping him, with four balls in the bucket, though unfortunately for him, three bounced out – rendering them unscorable.

Despite our winner having a success rate of only 37.5%, we were 100% successful with our goal of having fun! We celebrated our success with a baseball-themed cookie cake which only added to our excitement.

Monday Funday is one way in which ExactHire seeks to build and grow a fun work culture. Each month–on a Monday of course–we recognize the workiversaries and birthdays of our team. We also participate in creative competitions that sometimes turn fierce.

We will share recaps of these events via our blog in an effort to spread the word that Monday can be a fun day. But we also want to know how you have FUN at your workplace too. So add that in the comment section below. Our Fun Committee is always looking for ideas!
Image credit: Spongebob Patrick Star Anime by Koorication (contact)

MondayFunday: Leprechauns and Moms

in Workforce Management/by Tom Branson

It’s been a busy spring for the ExactHire team, but we managed to fit in 2 MondayFunday events. March featured a cut-throat Nerf shootout (sounds violent, but I can assure you it was not), and April saw us channel our calm, creative, contemplative sides as we painted and decoupaged (?) picture frames for the mothers in our lives. Two extremes, I know, but both activities helped us accomplish our planned objectives: We had fun!

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb

The Nerf shootout in March saw the arrival of tiny leprechauns and pots of gold. The “range” was improved by moving it to the larger conference room–prompted by anonymous complaints regarding the “too tight confines” of November’s Turkey Shoot. It seems the anonymous complainers believed that a larger space would give them a better chance of defeating the “Turkey Shoot Champ”, Allen.

But that was not to be. The larger range certainly made for more variety in target positioning, but this hardly helped anyone gain an advantage over “Deadeye Al”–as he’s since been named by at least one anonymous team member, allegedly. Anonymous allegations aside, Allen certainly was impressive at the range. He hit 5 out of 6 targets for a winning score of 55. When it comes to a nerf battle, “Deadeye Al” is someone you definitely want on your side.

Though spirits may have been low after yet ANOTHER win by Allen, we ended on happy note by wishing happy birthday to Susan and Nancy. While I cannot release actual birthdates or ages, I estimate that the two were celebrating birthdays of somewhere in the range of 20-100 years.

Susan takes careful aim, but no one could match “Deadeye Al.”

April Is for Mothers Because May Is For Racing

The fun committee labored long in brainstorming a MondayFunday activity for April. The meeting became so tense that at one point a committee member punched a hole through the dry erase board, then through the wall, and finally into the office of Jeff, who is still suffering from light facial abrasions, allegedly. Assault allegations aside, the committee finally decided that with the centennial running of the Indianapolis 500 in May, there was no other choice but to move up a Mother’s Day tribute to April.

Plans were made to decorate picture frames for the leading ladies in our lives. Darythe provided a number of glues, glitters, paint, and stickers from her vast, private collection of arts and craft supplies. A hot glue gun was even available, though Jeff hoarded it for much of the time. But despite the scarcity of hot glue, several team members succeeded in creating some very beautiful frames that will no doubt be displayed with great pride on the mantles of the recipients or in their most prized storage tubs.

At this point, you may be exclaiming inquisitively, “But what about the MondayFunday competition for April, Tom!?” Well, an anonymous member of the Fun Committee came up with the idea of a hula hoop competition for the Golden Vase. This idea passed narrowly through the committee by a vote of 1-1, with one member abstaining, and the tie-breaking vote going in favor of the hula hoop idea because the dissenting member punched a hole through the whiteboard/wall.

The hula hoop competition was awkward. Maybe it was the office setting. Maybe it was grown adults doing something they hadn’t done since the age of 8. Maybe it was just me. But rather than describe that awkwardness, and thus re-live it myself, I’ll just leave it at that. It was awkward. And the anonymous Fun Committee member who conceived the idea won the competition by a substantial margin.

So the past two MondayFundays have been a little competitive, a little sentimental, and a bit awkward. Mixed results for sure, but ultimately they were FUN! Hopefully you can add some of these ideas (not the hula hoop) to your list of employee engagement activities to support a fun, vibrant work culture that wards off the ever-threatening “case of the Mondays.” We hope you check back in next month to see what we have planned to celebrate the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500!

Monday Funday is one way in which ExactHire seeks to build and grow a fun work culture. Each month–on a Monday of course–we recognize the workiversaries and birthdays of our team. We also participate in creative competitions that sometimes turn fierce.

We will share recaps of these events via our blog in an effort to spread the word that Monday can be a fun day. But we also want to know how you have FUN at your workplace too. So add that in the comment section below. Our Fun Committee is always looking for ideas!

Monday FunDay: Love Is Spelled…B-I-N-G-O

in Workforce Management/by Tom Branson

While the ExactHire team has enjoyed a somewhat mild winter this year, February in Indianapolis is still a time to hunker down and indulge in some tried and true indoor activities. February’s Monday FunDay was no exception.

ExactHire’s Fun Committee (Yes, that is the official name; and, yes, I am a member of it.) channelled childhood memories of Valentine’s Day parties for this month’s event. What ideas came to mind?

Cupid…a Nerf bow and arrow contest perhaps?
Greeting Cards…ExactHire craft time, anyone?
Candy…why not another sugary treat exchange?
BINGO…saaaaay whaaat?

One childhood memory our committee had was of classroom bingo set to a Valentine’s theme. This means that the board contains words of love, affection, and secret admiration. And the markers are pieces of cheap, questionable candy. A fine memory indeed. But what could we add to this event to take it over the top?

Winner takes The Golden Vase, of course. Bingo! We had our Monday Funday competition.

The following story is based on real events and names. The emotions, actions, sounds, and details in general have been changed to dramatize an otherwise pleasant game of bingo. Reader discretion is advised.

Dawn

The morning leading up to February’s FunDay showdown was tense. The previous month’s event saw Jess triumphantly reclaim the Golden Vase back from Jeff, who had been parading the trophy around since the New Year began. But Jess’s return to glory was not universally acclaimed.

You see, some members of the team took issue with Jess’s victory in the January competition, which was billed as a snowball toss, but in actuality resembled a game of beer pong (minus the beer). “Weeks of preparation wasted!” The disgruntled losers had cried.

And so chit-chat was minimal while we worked through the morning’s company-wide meeting. Game faces were firmly fixed as we ate our lunches in silence. The ExactHire team had a game, and bingo was it’s name-oh.

B…I…N…G…O.

The game got off to a rocky start when it was quickly realized that very few of the words being drawn matched any of the words on our boards. Boos and hisses snuck out the corners of anonymous mouths. An uneasiness settled over the conference table.

Sensing the unrest and impending fisticuffs, Darythe (Fun Committee Chair and Bingo M.C.) promptly tossed her “random word” list and grabbed the “winning words” list. A fateful decision!

For as she uttered the words, Jeff–the promenading pariah from January–smiled with glee, marking box after box, and coming oh so close to completing his B-I-N-G-O.

But Jess and Randi were also quickly putting together winning lines of their own. Two-time champ, Allen, was in the mix too. Meanwhile, I was questioning the legitimacy of my board.

It seemed to be neck and neck–as far as bingo goes. Giddy giggles and nervous flailing of hands began to accompany each call. The winner would soon be named. And then, it happened.

“BINGO!”

The Aftermath

Jeff stood, hands outstretched above his head, a beaming, triumphant smile. Following his “YES! Whoo-hoo,” the room went silent. Jeff’s eyes glazed over with visions of the Golden Vase.

One-by-one, the ExactHire team members filed out the door, heads lowered, sour tastes in their mouths–likely due to the questionable candy. Only Jeff remained. A man alone with his vase.

“Sweet,” he softly remarked.

Yes, Jeff, if only for the bitterness of defeat.

Monday Funday is one way in which ExactHire seeks to build and grow a fun work culture. Each month–on a Monday of course–we recognize the workiversaries and birthdays of our team. We also participate in creative competitions that sometimes turn fierce.

We will share recaps of these events via our blog in an effort to spread the word that Monday can be a fun day. But we also want to know how you have FUN at your workplace too. So add that in the comment section below. Our Fun Committee is always looking for ideas!

Recent Golden Vase Winners

Work Culture–Monday FunDay

in Workforce Management/by Tom Branson

ExactHire wrapped up a successful 2015 with the final Monday FunDay of the year on December 21. In addition to the monthly competition and employee workiversary/birthday celebrations, we added a Sweet Treat Exchange for everyone to enjoy. Combining these activities made for an exciting, sugar-charged day that once again brought our company together to enjoy and relish in our unique work culture.

Sweet Treat Exchange

Sharing office space with another company can sometimes present challenges. Organizing office supplies, reserving conference rooms, adjusting to different noise levels, and sometimes just navigating your way through a crowded break space can be frustrating. However, when the Sweet Treat Exchange comes around, suddenly the rewards are realized.

Our officemates at Human Capital Resources joined us in an annual tradition of baking, or otherwise making, our favorite sweets to share with one another. This year, each participant walked away with several dozen bags of home baked goods (or in my case, thoughtfully selected commercially produced sweets). The exchange is just one way our two companies provide opportunities for developing a shared culture that does much to overcome the challenges of a shared office space.

Monday FunDay – December

After taking down about 200 grams of sugar, the remaining ExactHire team that wasn’t in a sugar coma went to the conference room for a holiday-appropriate contest. The contestants were in luck, as two-time defending champion, Allen, was under the weather and unable to compete. There would be a new winner this month.

The competition melded shuffleboard, present wrapping, and trash talking. Here’s what that looks like:

Jess Sliding present for ExactHire Monday Funday

One of the most skilled contestants was forced to go first and, thus, showed everyone who followed how not to do it. The main beneficiary of this scheme? Our Co-owner, Jeff, who with expert skill and dexterity wrapped his gift and slid it to victory on his first attempt. The winning time: 36 seconds.

Jeff Slides Into First

Requisite Victory Taunt

Final Results

Jeff
Christa
Jess
Harlan
Tom

The December Monday FunDay was a fitting end to a fun 2015. And after 4 months of testing this new team-building event, I think it’s safe to say that 2016 will continue the tradition and usher in more fun as a defense against the Monday Blues.

Recent Golden Vase Winners

Jeff Reigns Supreme In December

Jeff notches his first victory with elf-like wrapping skills and a shooter's touch.

Jess Wins October

Jess wins the Golden Vase with a first place finish in pumpkin decorating.

Allen Winning In September

Allen wins the traveling gold flower vase in September after a fierce office chair race.

Allen Takes November

Allen proudly reclaims the golden vase for the second time!

Monday Funday – October 2015

in Workforce Management/by Tom Branson

Monday Funday is one way in which ExactHire seeks to build and grow a fun work culture. Each month–on a Monday of course–we recognize the workiversaries and birthdays of our team. We also participate in creative competitions that sometimes turn fierce.

We will share recaps of these events via our blog in an effort to spread the word that Monday can be a fun day. But we also want to know how you have FUN at your workplace too. So add that in the comment section below. Our Fun Committee is always looking for ideas!

Gettin’ All (Witch) Crafty In The Office

The holiday season seems to grow longer each year. The end of the season is known–January 1st ends all the fun pretty swiftly. However, the beginning of the season seems to keep creeping up earlier. I mean, really, I saw a local mall display rocking the triumvirate of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas on October 1st!

Of course, we can’t just blame the retailers for the holiday jumpstart. At some level, the majority of us must want the holidays to start earlier. The retailers are likely just responding to that need…right?

In any case, this October, the ExactHire team joined in the premature celebration of holidays by hosting a halloween themed Monday Funday…on October 12th.

Ok, so it wasn’t THAT early, but celebrating Halloween 19 days in advance felt a little forced–and the bats and cobwebs, troubling to unaware visitors. Regardless, the coveted Golden Vase (our traveling Monday Funday trophy) was up for grabs again. And any resistance to an early celebration was quickly overcome when the contest was announced: Pumpkin Decorating.

I immediately knew this would not be my month to shine. While I fancy myself creative in some ways; glitter glue, sequins, and craft pens are not my tools of choice. But notwithstanding my lackluster effort, our team produced some pretty impressive pumpkins. And their addition to our office has provided a festive environment for visitors this October.

ExactHire Company Halloween Party-Monday Funday

Tasty Office Treats

Jessica won the competition decisively–the Golden Vase was hers–but everyone enjoyed a special treat for their efforts in the form of candied apple nachos. What are candied apple nachos you ask? Well, it’s a health snack of sorts. Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients:

(4) green granny smith apples, cored and sliced

10 oz. of caramel squares OR by a tub of it (depending on your health goals).

2 teaspoon water

1/2 cup chopped peanuts

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup crushed oreos

1/2 cup reese’s pieces

1/2 cup of…well basically anything sweet or salty that makes you smile.

Directions

Unwrap caramels. Place in a saucepan with one teaspoon of water over medium low heat. Stir constantly until caramels are melted. Or heat the tub o’ caramel.
Drizzle melted caramel over sliced apples. Or pour it on generously.
Sprinkle with desired toppings. Or let it rain down with toppings.
Serve with glee.

Another Monday Funday is in the books. We enjoyed the company of one another, flexed creative muscles, supplemented our nutritional needs, and jazzed up the office for Round 1 of the holiday season.

Next up: A Thanksgiving feast…and another chance to claim the Golden Vase.