The work calendar is full of holidays and festivals, but there's one in particular that provides people with a chance to be expressive and unabashedly silly: Halloween.
This celebration is a unique opportunity for team building with co-workers. With today's diverse and distributed workforces, it’s essential to be considerate in planning an office event that everyone can participate in and enjoy.
Why should employers plan for Halloween?
Recognizing Halloween is important because it improves business by boosting morale. According to one survey, organizations with a vibrant corporate culture enjoy employee engagement that's 72% higher than their counterparts.
Research has found a 17% increase in productivity among highly engaged teams, as well as a 59% decrease in employee turnover and a 41% reduction in rates of absenteeism. So it's no wonder that 94% of executives and 88% of employees see workplace culture as being essential for business success.
If you're looking for an event to elevate your company culture, Halloween is a perfect chance to be creative. Depending on whether your team works in-person, remotely, or a combination of both, here are different office Halloween ideas for how you and your team can celebrate this season.
Put the host in ghost with these in-person Halloween ideas
Before the activities begin, remember that lunches and dinners remain the most popular workplace events, with one survey showing that 70% of respondents prefer bonding with their colleagues over food — so you may want to bring in meals or snacks to share.
For teams that are able to gather together in-person, here are some great options to help celebrate:
Transform the office with festive decor
Invite employees to bring decorations from home, and set aside time in the day for them to collaboratively create a spooky mood for their workspaces. Spider webs, tombstones, candelabras — the eerier, the better.
Embark on a Halloween scavenger hunt
Divide your workforce into teams and send them out on a local scavenger hunt. Whether it's hunting for a candied apple, snapping a photo of a black cat, or ordering a pumpkin-spiced beverage, have them collect and record items that are on-brand for the season.
Throw a murder mystery party
If you’re thinking of an office dinner event that fits the Halloween theme, a murder mystery can be a ton of fun. Download a script and assign roles, or hire a facilitator to guide the experience. Solving the crime collaboratively is great for team building.
Screen some classic Halloween movies
Considering different sensitivity levels and preferences among teams, not everyone’s going to be as keen to watch a horror film — but iconic movies like The Birds, Alien, or Jaws, or nostalgic comedies like Beetlejuice and Ghostbusters, are great all-around choices that still fit the theme.
Bring the whole team together for Bingo
Encourage employees to socialize with a game of Bingo. You can customize the cards to have Halloween-themed prompts, like “Has seen a ghost” or “Has dressed in a group costume”.
Rent an on-theme portable photo booth
Of course, memorable costumes are a must for Halloween — more on that later. But you can also provide face paint, props, and accessories onsite and bring in a Halloween-themed photo booth for coworkers to take fun pictures.
Halloween events can still be a scream, even if they're virtual
When your team only sees each other online, Halloween presents a valuable opportunity for team building and bonding, since there are plenty of activities that can be organized virtually. And there are also ways for everyone to eat together virtually, too. While many of the office Halloween ideas already mentioned can be adapted for online teams, here are some other suggestions that work especially well in a digital format.
Create a bewitching mood for meetings
Spice up your screen with unconventional backgrounds for your video calls — think zombie graveyard or a phantom-filled forest.
Share ghost stories
Many folks have sat around a campfire telling ghost stories before — now they're just doing it from the computer. Make a game of it by setting parameters, such as a time limit or having to include certain characters, actions, or plot points. Consider playing low, spooky background music to set the tone.
Test your knowledge with themed trivia
A virtual setting is the perfect environment to put people into groups and hold a Halloween quiz. The questions can be related to the fall season, Halloween festivities, urban legends, folklore, and pop culture.
Provide ghoulishly good entertainment
A great option for virtual get-togethers is to hire a guest presenter. You can have a stage magician perform tricks, invite a psychic to read tarot cards, or have a comedian tell some Halloween-themed jokes.
Fun and spooky Halloween ideas for a hybrid workforce
If some members of your team are able to come to the office while others log on from home, you don't want your Halloween celebrations to be alienating for those watching through a screen. Here are some ideas that hybrid teams can do together.
Dress to impress
The classic costume party is a fantastic in-person event, but it’s also just as easy and fun to organize for those who aren’t in the office. Take the event to the next level by turning it into a competition with prizes for different categories.
Hold a jack-o-lantern carving competition
Pumpkin carving is perfect for hybrid workplaces. It's a social activity that requires sharing ideas, but also demands individual concentration, so it's something the whole team can do together. Once more, make it a fun contest.
Invite everyone to a potion-making class
It's time to unleash your inner Professor Snape. Order cocktail and mocktail-making kits for all your team members and lead a Halloween-themed mixology session that would make the witches from Macbeth proud. Fire burn and cauldron bubble!
It's a great time to raise your team's spirits
To build a strong company culture, there’s nothing quite like a special event that can bring colleagues together. The last days of October mark an occasion where everyone can unite, eat sweets, dress up, and remember that the workplace can be a lot of fun.
