What we do for fun at GOSS

The culture we instil here at GOSS is something we are massively proud of and is often mentioned by the team here as something that makes working at GOSS so enjoyable. Like most companies during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, we've had to bring new ideas into our workplace culture as we (like most organisations) have moved to a hybrid work model.

Across the board, post-COVID, those going into offices to work has dropped from 3.8 days to 1.5 days, as recently reported by the BBC. Here at GOSS we've also experienced a similar change as we've given the GOSS team the flexibility to choose where they prefer to work. A core value GOSS is built upon - enabling the team to have autonomy over what they do here. However, we have managed to maintain and evolve the culture here during these times, so that both those working from home and from the office (or both) all feel like part of the GOSS family. Here are some of the things we've been up to in recent years to bring the GOSS team together...

How we maintained culture during COVID

The COVID-19 pandemic was unprecedented and certainly provided us with challenges to overcome, specifically in keeping workplace culture alive when none of us were able to see one another. The GREAT Team, our team responsible for organising workplace events and activities, faced these challenges head-on and kept the team engaged by arranging various online-based activities during 2020 and 2021. This included...

• Online quizzes
• Online Easter at home scavenger hunt
• Charity fundraising

Since large in-person gatherings were prohibited during Christmas 2020, we had to get a little creative about how we were going to get together as a whole company for our annual Christmas party. It could have been very easy to not organise anything, but here at GOSS we've always seen Christmas as a time to reward and recognise the efforts of the whole team for the previous 12 months. Plus, with 2020 having been the year it was, it felt even more important to do so. Therefore, we organised an online murder mystery evening, hosted by an external company with members of the GOSS team taking part in acting out some of the key roles. The team was also able to choose either an M&S Simply Food dine-in experience or have takeout delivered to ensure the night still felt as special as it could be.

Obeying COVID rules at the time, certain teams also met up during lunch breaks to catch up in person. This included going on socially distanced walks and during the spring/summer period meeting up for outdoor picnics.

What we do to create a workplace culture

Away from COVID, throughout the years we have organised several notable events and activities both in and out of the office, which help ensure GOSS is a place people enjoy working at.

During Easter, the Easter Bunny drops in for a visit for our annual Easter egg hunt. Hidden around the office are small chocolate eggs with a raffle ticket attached which corresponds to a bigger Easter prize. The team is then given 30 minutes to find these eggs, an event that always brings out the competitive side of every employee here.

Food is also a great way to bring the GOSS team together and there will often be an array of cake and other goodies available in the kitchen. Similarly at the end of all team briefings pizzas are bought for the whole company to enjoy during their lunch break. And during the summer, The GREAT Team organise the well-attended GOSS Summer BBQ each July as a way to catch-up and enjoy the summer sunshine.

We also like to celebrate birthdays here at GOSS. Some teams will organise a gift for the birthday boy or girl, with members of that team chipping in some money for the gift that is either funny or personable to the person celebrating their birthday. In return, the birthday boy/girl will need to provide cake and snacks for the team (seems fair) ;).

Halloween is also a favourite amongst the GOSS team. We encourage the team to come to the office in fancy dress for the day, where we run a best-dressed competition. Furthermore, the competition doesn't end there, as every departmental team is given a pumpkin as part of the pumpkin carving competition, which again, gets very competitive.

Outside of office time, the GOSS team often gets together for various activities and events. This includes nights out for bowling, cinema, bingo, and bar crawls. The team at GOSS are also big on getting involved in local and national fundraising causes and there is often somebody taking part in sponsored walks charity.

And finally, Christmas is also a very popular period for GOSS employees. The festive period usually starts with an interdepartmental 'dec-off', where departments compete to decorate their area of the office. Later in December, the team will come to the office wearing Christmas jumpers for the annual Christmas quiz and buffet, a great opportunity to have some fun before the end of the year. And as mentioned earlier, Christmas at GOSS is not complete without the infamous GOSS Christmas Party - usually a very civilised event for all attending ;).