Member Article

Businesses SHOULD Embrace a Summer of Sport

Summer 2016 is just around the corner and with it comes an array of sporting events. From the Rio Olympics and Euro 2016, to Wimbledon and the Rugby Union, there’s plenty to entice workers away from their desks. However, CV-Library, the UK’s leading job site, is encouraging businesses to embrace these events and use them as an opportunity to bond with staff.

The advice comes following research conducted by the site, revealing how 81.9% of employees believe that sporting events, such as the Rio Olympics, are good opportunities to bond with staff, regardless of whether they enjoy sports or not. Of the 2,000+ employees that completed the survey:

• 61.1% plan to watch the Olympic games this year
• 62.3% of staff believe businesses SHOULD show support for international sporting events
• Yet only 1 in 11 worked for companies that embraced events, such as the Olympics

Lee Biggins, CV-Library’s founder and managing director, comments: “Instead of a chance to increase staff morale, major sporting events can often be considered as a potential disruption by employers. Planning ahead and considering ways to embrace international events in the workplace, can actually reduce disturbance and encourage team building amongst employees.”

Top ideas for engagement that were found to be most popular amongst staff included:

• Showing the games in the office: screening key games at certain times
• Flexible Lunches: allowing staff to take lunch at times that allow them to watch their chosen game
• Workplace Teams: set up your own teams internally to represent each country, providing perks each time a country wins a medal
• Sweepstake: a company sweepstake, offering perks such as an extra day’s holiday to winners
• Charity Mufti Day: on game days, letting staff wear their own sports jersey or chosen team colour, maybe for a charity donation

Biggins concludes: “Events such as Euro 2016 and the Rio Olympics shouldn’t be viewed as a negative – they are actually a great opportunity for businesses to engage with their staff and improve productivity. Particularly during the summer months when employees can feel distracted. Implementing internal sweepstakes and other incentives associated with sporting events make staff feel valued, whilst also helping employers to manage expectations. Ultimately, happy staff are productive staff, so it’s a win-win situation.”

Learn more about CV-Library at www.cv-library.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Michelle Smithson .