“We’re like family here,” say many companies, but creating that genuine, healthy company culture takes more than just words. It requires intentional effort, creative thinking, and yes—a healthy dose of fun. 

With hybrid work arrangements, growing teams, and busy schedules, fostering genuine relationships at work can be hard. However, the fact remains that workplace culture affects everything from employee retention to your bottom line. When culture falls flat, you’ll see it in missed deadlines, lacklustre collaboration, low employee engagement, and a stack of resignation letters.

We’re left with one massive question: how to build culture in the workplace effectively. As certified fun connoisseurs from Toronto’s favourite hotspot for team events, we’ve got some tried and true strategies to share. Let us show you how to create the kind of company culture that keeps your team engaged, connected, and excited to work.

Celebrate Wins (Big and Small)

Learning how to build culture in the workplace starts with celebrating your team members. A healthy company values  and rewards achievements at every level. More than boosting morale, this helps you retain top talent and motivates teams to keep pushing forward.

Create an employee recognition program that celebrates both big victories and small wins. Think:

• Annual or quarterly award ceremonies
• Work anniversaries and promotion lunches
• Team dinner events for special milestones

Pro tip: Team announcements are fun and all, but we bet your team would appreciate an actual celebration more than an email blast. Skip the generic greeting and head straight to a social house where people can celebrate together. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Petty Cash (@pettycashto)

Hangout Outside of Work

We know it’s a little controversial, but socializing outside work can be great for employee culture and engagement. A winning company culture starts with a team that genuinely enjoys spending time together. When employees feel comfortable with each other, collaboration improves, communication flows more easily, and work becomes more enjoyable for everyone.

Now you can’t force relationships, but you can create opportunities for friendships to develop naturally. You just need to strike the right balance—organize optional events that people want to attend, at times that respect work-life balance. Here’s how to improve workplace culture outside of work: 

• After-work happy hours 
• Casual Friday gatherings 
• Seasonal and holiday parties 
• Sports events viewing parties

Pro tip: Location matters more than you think. Choose venues with the right mix of energy and comfort, like Petty Cash. Think great atmosphere, quality food and drinks, and space to both mingle and chat—all of which our social house has. 

Learn more: How to Host an Event at a Bar

Host Game Sessions

Nothing brings people together better than games. Friendly competition is one of the most fun ways to boost morale at work while building a positive workplace culture. Plus, with today’s tech, it’s easy to include remote workers. Here’s how to build culture in the workplace through games:

• Start a weekly trivia league with department teams
• Host virtual game shows (to connect office and remote staff)
• Set up board game stations for lunch break battles
• Create monthly tournament brackets for favourite games
• Organize scavenger hunts that work both in-office and virtually
• Launch challenges with prizes

Pro tip: Turn the heat up a notch by hosting game sessions somewhere with proper space and gear. Look for venues with built-in games and great food and drinks to avoid any hassle.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Petty Cash (@pettycashto)

Make Meetings and Conferences Engaging

Boring and tense meetings are a sure sign of a toxic workplace culture. That’s why team-building activities shouldn’t be your only focus when learning how to improve workplace culture. Instead, invest in the “everyday employee experience” by making your regular meetings and conferences more fun and engaging. Here are some fun ways to boost employee morale and improve company culture:

• Move team meetings to more energizing venues
• Add interactive elements to presentations
• Gamify to encourage participation (e.g. points, badges, leaderboards)
• Make space for fun networking activities
• Add themes and surprise elements

Learn and Grow As a Team

Corporate culture is often focused on climbing the career ladder solo. But let’s be real—success tastes sweeter when achieved with a team. Make it your company’s mission to offer opportunities to learn and advance together. It builds a positive work environment better than competition against each other. 

Career development goes hand-in-hand with employee engagement and retention. When you create a positive company culture that supports growth, you get a more solid and more loyal team. Mix up your development approach with:

• Team workshops and group courses
• Skill-sharing sessions led by your senior or leadership team
• Cross-department learning programs
• Regular lunch-and-learns

Pro tip: If professional development is part of your company’s core values (as it should be), make sure you’re learning too! Track participation, gather feedback, and adjust your approach based on what your team finds valuable. And when you find something that works, celebrate those wins somewhere fun!

Your Culture Change Starts Here (and the Bar)

Strong teams are built after 5 pm. Mastering how to build culture in the workplace starts with the right mix of fun and engaging events. Bring fun to work by taking your team to Petty Cash. 

We aim to help teams foster a strong company culture with the perfect party mix—amazing food and drinks, private spaces for proper conversations, and an atmosphere worth sticking around for. Whether you’re planning team celebrations, development sessions, or just a really good happy hour, we have space for you. 

Ready to make work a little more fun? Book your next team event at Petty Cash.