8 Team Building Activities to Help Retain Staff
Over the last few years, staff has been particularly difficult to find and retain. Businesses must therefore invest a lot of time and effort to stand out as an employer. Beyond pay grade, people want to feel good at work.
What if team building could help? Discover some easy-to-plan activities that will improve employee well-being whether they work at the office or from home.
What Is Team Building?
Team building is a collective term for the activities organized within a business to help strengthen employee cohesion. These activities are also an excellent way of developing a business’s corporate culture.
The goal is to strengthen bonds between employees as well as to give them the opportunity to learn collaboration skills. According to Cersa, this contributes to creating a sense of solidarity between employees. They get to know each other and recognize shared interests, strengths, and weaknesses.
4 Simple, In-Person Team Building Activities
While you may recognize that team-building activities are important to company culture, planning big events on the regular might not be feasible. Don’t sweat it! Here are 4 activities that can be organized right at the office. Make them part of your routine!
1. A Team Race
The best part of this activity is that it can be done anywhere. You can plan a relay race right at the office or make a day out of it and head out for a canoe, kayaking or dragon-boat race.
This is an excellent way of getting everyone out of the office for some fresh air and bonding time.
2. Building a Spaghetti Tower
This is a simple, quick and fun activity that can take place directly at work. Divide your team into smaller groups—2 to 8 people. Each team gets a package of marshmallows and a package of spaghetti.
The goal? Building the highest tower in under 15 minutes.
In addition to lightening the mood, this activity requires employees to work together effectively to be both meticulous and quick.
3. Human Knot
This activity is perfect for larger teams. Split yourselves up into two groups and stand side-to-side so that you make two circles. Everyone reaches out with their left hand and grabs onto the hand of someone at the other end of the circle. Repeat this process with your right hands.
Then, both groups must try to untangle themselves without letting go. The first team to be standing in a complete circle with everyone facing forward wins.
4. The Blindfolded Retriever
This activity requires at least two teams of two to five people. One person is blindfolded. The rest of their team members must guide them toward previously hidden objects. The team to have gathered the most objects in the allotted time wins.
The goal of this activity is to improve communication between team members.
4 Online Team Building Activities
Employees frequently working from home doesn’t mean having to rule out team building! Here are four activities that promote team bonding and that can easily be done remotely.
1. Escape Games
Escape games are a group activity during which enigmas must be solved to discover the clues that will help you escape a virtual room or situation. You’ve probably heard of them; they’ve gained a lot of popularity over the last few years. They’re a great way of building team spirit.
The great news is that an increasing number of businesses now provide online options!
2. Two Truths, One Lie
This activity usually lasts between 10 and 20 minutes and requires no preparation. It is best suited for teams composed of fewer than 10 members. Each member of the team must say two truths and one lie. The rest of the team must discuss amongst themselves to try and discover which fact is made up.
3. Remote Work Bingo
Even though bonding with your co-workers is a challenge when you work remotely, things can still get silly once in a while. For example, when a co-worker forgets they’re wearing pyjama pants during a conference call, or when one of their pets decides to join in, etc.
During this remote bingo, the more of those quirky moments you witness, the better your chances of winning.
4. Mario Kart Tour
Your team needs a mental break? Challenge your colleagues to a Mario Kart Tour race. This app can be downloaded from your mobile’s Appstore.
What are the Benefits of Team Building?
According to Gallup,—and many others—there’s a direct link between an employee’s sense of belonging and the effort they will put in. It would seem, therefore, that having happy employees contributes directly to the success of your business.
There are many benefits to team building. In the short term, you’ll improve the workplace atmosphere. In the long run, team building will contribute to your business’s success.
Improved Communication and Cooperation
Partaking in activities in a fun setting gives us the chance to get to know our colleagues when they’re more available and relaxed. We get to find out more about their personality as well as their way of communicating. The better we know one another, the better we collaborate, the fewer conflicts we have … and the more productive we become!
The numbers say it all: according to ExpertMarket, a close-knit team is 20 to 25% more effective. Meanwhile, Gallup’s studies have shown that women with a best friend at work are 63% more involved in their job.
Retaining Employees
Did you know that 79% of people who quit their jobs do so because they feel underappreciated?
Over the past few years, it has become essential for employers to demonstrate staff appreciation in order to be successful. Organizing activities for your team not only says that you care about their well-being, but it also contributes to creating a feeling of belonging.
Investing in team building is in everyone’s interest!