Firms turn to workplace fun to keep staff connected, motivated

India Inc is focusing on in-person engagement activities to drive employee connect and camaraderie as offices across the country welcome back employees in a hybrid work model after more than two years of largely working from home.

Companies such as Boston Consulting Group (BCG), PepsiCo India, MG Motor, Panasonic, Tech Mahindra, Titan Company, Pepperfry, Zepto and Cashfree Payments have rolled out initiatives including stand-up comedy, chair-yoga, quizzes, musical performances, leisure travel for employees, and treasure hunts and sports activities at the workplace, which were not possible in a virtual set-up.

Consulting firm BCG is seeking to bring employees together physically more frequently than before the Covid-19 pandemic. The company now has two cricket teams, in Delhi and Mumbai, and three football special interest groups, in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, said Kaustubh Verma, managing director, BCG India.

Panasonic India has organised sessions on book club readings, chair-yoga and thinking-on-your-feet quizzes, said chief human resources officer (CHRO) Adarsh Mishra.



Tech Mahindra recently invited Viswanathan Anand to its office and the employees got the chance to play chess with the champion. “We have also introduced programmes like the TechMighTea which virtually connects random associates and invites them to share a cup of tea while interacting with each other,” said Harshvendra Soin, global chief people officer.

Employee Engagement More Crucial Now
In the past two years, employee engagement has been even more crucial than ever to assist employees in adapting to the new normal and maintaining strong morale, said Pavitra Singh, CHRO, PepsiCo India.

Companies such as MG Motor and Zepto have started Fun Fridays at the workplace. These consist of team-building games and physical activities such as planks, stand-up comedy and music performances.

At Pepperfry, co-founder Ambareesh Murthy plays bass in the company’s band, Contraband. Similarly, CK Venkataraman, managing director at Titan Company, sings in the firm’s band. Both companies have fairly regular music performances.

Others like Cashfree Payments are encouraging employees to holiday together in groups. The fintech company has earmarked budgets for employees across teams to travel together. Almost 90% of the 500-strong workforce has gone off for leisure travel to destinations such as Coorg, Goa and Sakleshwar, said Sapna Sukumar, head of HR.

Titan Company has organised offsites for employees across destinations such as Sikkim, Andaman & Nicobar, Gangtok and Leh.

Workspace Doubling Up As Fun Space

The office space, now seeing more footfall as employees trickle back to the workplace, is being used extensively for programmes aimed at in-person engagement.

MG Motor has set up a sports corner in its Vadodara plant, which employees can use for recreational activities including football, table tennis, chess and carrom.

Pepperfry has set up breakout corners in its Mumbai office where employees can take some time to go on the treadmill or cycling machine. There are also other nooks and corners where they can go to de-stress, hold meetings or even work on their own.

PepsiCo India, which opened a new office space in Gurgaon, invited employees to discover the workspace with a treasure hunt.