With the CDC lifting workplace restrictions for vaccinated individuals, many companies have been working to usher employees back into their offices. This effort comes with unique challenges; however, a local Birmingham business was up for the task.
White Glove, a marketing firm for financial advisors, got creative while welcoming employees back into the office. After being completely remote since March 2020, they knew they needed something to boost company culture and promote teamwork…but how?
Well, they went for the gold! They decided to host a week and a half long office Olympics event to energize and excite returning employees.
“You can only do so much in Zoom. So as soon as we were able to zoom back in the office, we decided to throw our office Olympics.” Says White Glove’s CEO, Evan Kramer. “We were doing well working remotely, but I really wanted to get everyone back in the office. You forget about the watercooler stuff, or just the collaboration that’s ad hoc, and I feel like it’s the right direction to go,” Kramer said.
“We let the dress code go a little bit. We’re trying to get back into everything together as a team and create a fun and collaborative environment. We’re trying to make it exciting to come back into work,” Co-Founder Dean Thurman added.
The Olympic games included swivel chair and paper airplane races, flip cup tournaments, paper in a basket competitions and a golf putt off. Participants took breaks during their workdays to join their team members/co-workers in each contest. Employees competed on both an individual and team level. Spirits were high, and the competition was tough.
“Half the employees here, close to it, were hired during the pandemic, so a lot of people haven’t really even met each other yet. We wanted to make it a social event as much as a collaborative event for the company,” said Co-Founder Mike Thurman.
The opening ceremony was kicked off by their three founders and CEO carrying a lit torch down Maple Road and up into their office. Their closing ceremony included one final group relay to determine the winning team, an award ceremony to crown individual event winners, a mock election, a magician, a breakfast of champions for all employees and their monthly townhall meeting.
White Glove didn’t stop there – they knew they wanted their Olympic games to not only benefit their employees’ morale, but the community. That’s why all participants donated $10 (or more) to enter. These proceeds went directly to Detroit Dog Rescue!
While many companies have struggled to entice employees back into the office, White Glove should receive the gold medal for a creative, fun and exciting solution to this challenge.
