Tricks to Treating Your Employees Well This Halloween

If you’re pondering whether to encourage your employees to dress up and celebrate in the office this Halloween, I can tell you the answer right here and now. Yes! Do it and do it big.

At first glance this advice may seem trivial -- it's just Halloween, after all! But this small gesture of good faith can actually make a big impact on your people and their perception of your brand. Your company culture is what keeps you going -- it's the core of who you are as a company and it's the reason employees come to work every day.

Still unconvinced? Here are three reasons we at Glassdoor take Halloween in the office so seriously (and why you should, too):

1. It’s vital to your culture. I’m new to Glassdoor; for weeks I’ve been hearing about our company’s Halloween celebration. Rumor has it that everyone dresses up. And I mean everyone.

It’s clear from passing conversations and lunchroom chats that employees here love the tradition, and their enthusiasm is contagious. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve been planning my costume for a couple of weeks. Hey, I’m in good company.

What does this mean in the grand scheme of things? For me, it speaks volumes about our company culture. I’ve never had the opportunity to come to work in costume, let alone have company leaders encourage me to stop working early to eat and drink in a funny costume. Apparently, work and fun don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Talk about refreshing!

2. It motivates people.

Again, at Glassdoor we take Halloween extremely seriously. Teams dress up in themes and the party starts at three o'clock on the dot. Families are invited, food is catered and drinks flow. Encourage your employees to dress up, participate and get involved with their team. Host activities, a BBQ or games, and spread the word throughout your organization that you want everyone to participate. Just like everything else in business, teams motivate each other -- and this environment built on motivating each other will continue on well after the party is over.

Conversely, my friends who aren't encouraged to don festive garb at the office on Halloween are noticeably disenfranchised. “Don’t our employers trust us to have a little good, clean fun?” they ask. It may seem like peanuts, but dis-encouraging Halloween (or any holiday) festivities has an impact on the way my friends perceive their jobs’ cultural atmosphere.

Moral of the story: show your people that yours is a culture with a playful, informal side and a sense of humor. Trust me, your employees will love it and share that with everyone they know. Who knows? Halloween anecdotes could be what tips the scale for a future hire.

3. Celebrating success is necessary.

Halloween falls at the very end of the month. To build a praiseworthy company culture, encourage your employees to celebrate their successes this month! Throwing a bash or encouraging employees to dress up on the 31st is not only fun, but it allows them the opportunity to chill after a month of hard work for your company. As monthly goals come to a close on Friday afternoon, your employees deserve some down time.

Finally, don't let your company Halloween plans spook you. Plan some fun activities or encourage your employees to dress up on the fly! Your employees -- and your company culture -- will thank you.

Find out what Glassdoor data reveals about employee expectations around Halloween in the office!