The World Cup in the office, when football becomes more than just a game

On November 20 the ball will roll for the first time in the Qatar World Cup 2022, the most important soccer event globally. Watching the games at work may seem like just a matter of leisure or recreation, but according to specialists in talent management and internal communication, sports competition is a real opportunity to reinforce commitment, improve connections between employees and create experiences memorable.

In a hybrid work context, 82% of Mexicans expect to watch the games at home. But 32% of fans Most fans of soccer expect to enjoy the matches during their workday at the office, according to a study by Kantar.

“You have to do something, you can’t do nothing. It is an event that only happens four years and Mexico is going to play, even if you don’t want to. People today already have access to platforms and if you don’t organize something as a company today, you will miss out on a great opportunity for people to live together and participate in an environment where the company is generating a trust space to enjoy together an event of this magnitude”, explains Rogelio Salcedo, partner and general director of Olivia México, an organizational transformation consultancy.

The times of the matches will be at 4:00, 7:00, 10:00 and 13:00 hours in Mexico City. According to the World Cup Organizing Committee, our country is the fifth economy with the most tickets purchased for the sporting event, which reflects the impact that the event has among the Mexican population.

For Rogelio Salcedo, the impact of world at work It is something that will happen, even if there are companies or leaders who want to avoid it. “People are going to connect” and if the company does not promote coexistence around the games, people “will look for a space outside to watch it or connect to a platform.”

Just for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, an investigation by the firm BDS Asesores concluded that the sporting event would generate growth of 30% in work absenteeism globally. Along the same lines, an OCC survey identified that 60% of people stated that the restriction of watching the games at work would generate discontent and absenteeism.

“We see it as a great opportunity, because it can generate greater empathy with your workplace and sense of belonging. In soccer-loving countries like ours, when you find that your workspace aligns with that expectation, a strong bond is created. But it also eliminates barriers, especially in companies where there is not a strong connection between different departments, because at the World Cup we all unite under the same objective”, points out Emanuel Barattucci, Business Manager at BW Comunicación.

82% of leaders believe that convincing employees to return to the office is one of the main challenges for the coming year, according to the Labor Trend Index from Microsoft WorkLab. In this context, Emanuel Barattucci considers that the Qatar World Cup 2022 it can help companies give people a good reason to return to the workplace.

“In this particular edition, since it was post-pandemic, a milestone was missing that would invite people to return to the office and the World Cup is becoming that milestone, because there is a desire to share. So, it can be seen as an excuse that it’s good to come back to watch the games together,” says the specialist.

In this sense, Rogelio Salcedo stresses that companies have to take the first step and lead the connections and coexistence among workers around this sporting event. “The best thing a company can do is organize it and send a message that everyone will see each other. space to live together. The issue here is the creativity they are going to have”.

The labor flexibility achieved during the pandemic, adds the specialist, allows people to disconnect a few hours from work to watch the games and promoting this coexistence helps companies to strengthen your employer brandConnect with your collaborators. “People have already shown that if you give them space and trust, they will work. So use this opportunity to brandear the company and generate social cohesion”.

How to take advantage of the Qatar 2022 World Cup?

Specialists agree that coexistence around the Soccer World Cup It must be driven by companies and with strategy. It is useless that people are only allowed to take a few hours and that everyone is alone on a monitor watching the game, points out Rogelio Salcedo.

How to take advantage of the sporting event? Emanuel Barattucci indicates that companies can allocate a special space in the office for everyone to gather to watch the games. can be set the officesbut snackshave games or recreational activities such as a pool, among other actions.

“We know of experiences of companies that in other years have acted as a platform, inviting people to sit on the platform and feel that World Cup fever. It is not like looking at it only on your computer, but seeing it in a union space”, shares the specialist.

Rogelio Salcedo warns that the worst case scenario for companies during this global sporting event is for each employee to watch the games on their own in search of building the experience that the company is not generating. “What matters is that the company takes a position where people are involved and engaged.”

How will you make this opportunity memorable? Question the specialist as a challenge for the Human Resources areas. “The World Cup is going to happen without having invested a peso, you can use the marketing that will generate for you to generate an event that is memorable. That connection can add value and build loyalty with the organization”.