Despite the groan that might accompany the announcement of a team building trip, studies show that getting the introverts together with the extroverts, the rebels with the yes people, the Type As with Bs, just makes sense for business.
Benefits galore
It's widely recognized that the goal of team building events is to improve employee engagement, and it's no wonder when looking at the numbers.
Organizations with higher than average levels of employee engagement realized
1:
- 27% higher profits
- 50% higher sales
- 50% higher customer loyalty levels
- 38% above-average productivity
Furthermore, a couple of days away as a group provides many benefits including:
- better communication between departments
- improved morale and motivation
- connecting remote teams
- higher retention rates
- increased energy
While team building events such as paintball, adrenaline parks, were popular for awhile, they're just like any business investment. Thus, it's essential that team building events have clearly defined purposes as well as a return on investment model. The classical model of a group outing "just to do something" is history.
Upping the employee experience ante
It's widely acknowledged that employee health contributes to business performance.2 As such, team building can significantly contribute to and should be a part of wellbeing strategy. When corporate culture is centered upon health and wellness, day to day routines flow better and people flourish.
Team building activities can incorporate a company's specific top priority topics, such as nutrition, movement or the importance of sleep. It could be that work-life balance is proving to be a challenge for people. What would make them feel well? Any issue that's high on their list and comes out of their feedback is sure to be a hit.
If there isn't a wellbeing strategy in place, team building can help kick-start it. Even a half-day group workshop that provides tips and tidbits to making healthy lifestyle changes with a nutritious lunch thrown in can get the ball rolling. Something else to consider is that research has showed that participants like having individual and personalized features with team building aspects.3
A break away does wonders
Simply by getting employees away from their day-to-day environment there's a break in their comfort zone and they're going to absorb new ideas easier. So no matter where a team building event is held, it's going to be beneficial and location need not be a major issue.
Don't forget, that regardless of what's organized, pre- and post-event questionnaires or another form of tracking will ensure that the effects of any wellbeing team building event is properly analyzed.
Here's to creating a corporate culture of wellbeing - one team building event at a time!
- 1. https://3rj4m23cnayp2k7tz23pabh2-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com//wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Incentive_Infographic_Dec.2016.pdf
- 2. van Scheppingen AR1, de Vroome EM, ten Have KC, Zwetsloot GI, Bos EH, van Mechelen W. Motivations for health and their associations with lifestyle, work style, health, vitality, and employee productivity. J Occup Environ Med. 2014 May;56(5):540-6. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000000143.
- 3. Incentive Travel Industry Survey, Oxford Economics, August 2019.
