The Best Firms to Work For devote a surprising amount of time to fun.
Whether it’s themed events or get-togethers in the office, or outings to amusement parks, sports events and the like, they take helping staff blow off steam and have fun together very seriously.
The first step is to set up a Fun Committee (or Pep Squad, or Entertainment Group) to create and coordinate ideas for fun things for the firm to do as a group. (It’s also a great way to give staff of all levels a chance to have input.)
After that, the sky (or your firm’s budget) is the limit. The more creative you and your Fun Committee are, the more likely you are to create memories that will bond staff together for years to come. With that in mind, we thought we’d share some of our favorite fun ideas from this year’s Best Firms to Work For:
- Santos, Postal & Co.: When it rains, the firm buys Chinese food for the staff.
- Gray, Gray & Gray: Besides Puppy Adoption Day (where a local animal rescue league brings in dogs), the firm celebrates “Pi Day” on March 14 with pizza and pie (as well as other, non-pie-related treats). The firm also has a Birthday Prize wheel – they gather once a month to celebrate that month’s birthdays, and celebrants get to spin the wheel for prizes.
- E. Cohen & Co.: The firm holds “Top Chef” cooking contests in-house.
- BeachFleischman: Employees celebrate Star Wars Day on May 4 (“May the Fourth be with you …”) with an appropriately themed potluck.
- Haddox Reid Eubank Betts: To raise money for charity, the firm held a “ComPIEtition," where the employees donating money and the three partners with the most money got a pie to the face during the firm’s after-tax-season party.
- Bennett Thrasher: The firm has both a ping pong table and a Wii gaming system, and holds tournaments involving both.
- Lutz: The firm has a game room known as the “Goat Barn,” with arcade games, darts, and a full-sized shuffle board.
- JW Advisors: Many staff moved to Las Vegas as adults, so the firm regularly makes outings to museums or sites associated with the history of the city to foster a greater appreciation for and identification with the Entertainment Capital of the World.
- Brown Smith Wallace: Each employee gets a Brown Smith Wallace coozie, and from Memorial Day to Labor Day they are encouraged to take pictures of their summer adventures with their coozie. Prizes are given for farthest traveled, best coozie cameo, and more.
- Frankel Zacharia: The firm gives staff $100 a year to buy firm-branded clothes from the FZ Online Apparel Webstore. (While we’re on the subject, Kutchins, Robbins & Diamond does the same, and Wall, Einhorn & Chernitzer let’s staff get free firm-logoed items from Land’s End.)
- Anders CPAs: The firm has what it suggests might be the only in-house miniature golf course at a CPA firm, on which it holds tournaments. A recent tournament involved 30 teams.
- RGL Forensics: Not to be outdone, the firm’s Denver office has a built-in golf course within the building. Yes, in the building.
- Smith Leonard: The firm holds “Minute-to-Win-it” competitions in the parking lot, with manager/partner teams against staff teams. Whoever wins gets to keep the Golden Calculator Trophy and associated bragging rights until the next competition. (Google “Minute-to-Win-It” for suggestions for short, fun games.)
- James Moore & Co.: They celebrate Festivus, complete with the airing of grievances, and feats of strength.
The rest is up to you!
