Halloween Office Parties – Incentives for Participation

Christmas parties at work have been the norm for decades now, but how many of you actually work somewhere that celebrates Halloween? I for one would enjoy a nice Halloween party at work, but for various reasons pulling off a good or semi-successful Halloween office party seems to be easier said than done. But why? Usually everyone is up for a good party, especially if it means getting a small break from the arduous and at times intense tasks that surround our workday. So what gives? Well it’s pretty plain and simple. The most glaring problem facing Halloween office parties is that which makes and breaks Halloween itself, the Halloween costume. It’s hard getting folks to wear Halloween costumes at work, mostly because the workforce represents such a diverse group of individuals — not many of which really feel like dressing up in a crazy costume after a certain age.  So today, I’d like to propose a few ways in which you might get some of those not-too-eager co-workers to actually dress up, partake and make your next Halloween office party one for the ages

In order to get co-workers into the Halloween spirit and even contemplate dressing up, you’ll need to give them an incentive for their efforts. This can come in many shapes and forms depending on how far your management team is willing to go. In any event, you’ll need to reward those who do attempt to dress up. This might mean knocking off work 30 minutes early for those who are partaking in festivities or ordering them lunch etc.  You may also want to give out a prize to the employee with the best costume. In this case, let everyone submit a vote, and then let democracy decide who wins. That way, you can avoid any arguments, and the employees themselves actually get to decide which of their peers gets the prize. Whatever prize you come up with, make sure it motivates the employees … if my boss is reading, I suggest letting the winner of best costume working remote for a day … but I digress. Another thing to consider when organizing is to make rules for the costumes.  That way everyone has a fair shake. Perhaps limit the time spent on designing the costumes or the amount of money co-workers may spend on their costume.  If your co-workers actually believe they have a chance at winning the prize, then they will be more willing to participate.

Lastly, Halloween costumes don’t always mix with the working environment. So encourage your co-workers not to dress too elaborately. In fact, you may want to help management out by starting the Halloween office party at the end of the workday. Let employees bring their costumes with them and get dressed at work. If management sees that the costumes don’t interfere with work production, they may be more willing to splurge on better office prizes or to give better incentives for employee participation.