In addition to the huge benefits that companies can gain from engaging their employees through a Corporate TV system that shares the most relevant information about the World Cup, various other complementary initiatives can be undertaken to strengthen team spirit in companies. This can encourage employees to become brand ambassadors and increase the company's visibility in the market, for example, through social media shares. Some suggestions are:
1. Flexible working hours
This action, which could be extended later, can offer a great benefit to employees, providing them with the opportunity to balance their professional and personal lives with ease. In the context of the World Cup, this aspect could be especially important, particularly with critical company services, allowing for a balance between employees who are less enthusiastic about football and those who don't want to miss an important match, agreeing to make up the time later during lunch or after hours.
2. Watching matches at work
If possible, allow the entire team to watch some of the matches together at work. This will give everyone the opportunity to engage and share in the excitement of football with their colleagues.
3. Providing fan accessories
Distributing accessories like scarves, hats, or flags is a practice that some companies promote during World Cups, where they take the opportunity to add their logo or another key graphic element of the company. This initiative can be relevant for promoting the company's image in posts employees might make, while also creating shared apparel among the staff.
4. Relaxed dress code
Introducing a relaxed dress code can allow employees to embrace the World Cup spirit, even wearing their national team jerseys. Besides generating some laughs, this creates a very positive atmosphere in the workplace.
5. Providing snacks and drinks
For companies that allow employees to watch some matches during working hours, ensure there is a small stock of food and drinks. For the more health-conscious, a variety of fresh fruits and nuts will suffice.
6. Creating special areas
Providing a relaxed lounge area for employees to watch the matches can later be repurposed for future breaks, helping them relax and recharge. Having such an area in the workplace will also allow companies to set boundaries between work and fun, so employees understand that when they sit at their desks, they are there to focus on their work goals for the day.
7. Contests
Among the various initiatives that can be created around contests, one basic idea is to have each employee, a few days before the World Cup starts, write down on paper the three teams they think will go the farthest, with a point system for each predicted position. At the end, the winner could be awarded the team’s No. 7 jersey. In cases where companies are very large, each manager can run the contest with their own team.
8. Company’s “Golden Team”
During the World Cup, launch the “Golden Team” campaign where, at the end of the tournament, each employee can nominate a colleague (not from their direct team) who stood out in some action related to one of the company's values. After the votes are tallied, the top five people will form the company's Golden Team, which should be featured on a bulletin board or the Corporate TV channel if the company has one. The suggestion not to vote for someone from their own team will help stimulate communication and involvement among employees. As in the previous case, winners could be awarded personalized jerseys with their name and favorite number on the back.