As a leading Kansas City recruitment agency, Morgan Hunter knows when the pressure’s on – hot projects need to be completed and customer complaints dealt with – team building can be hard to devote much time to. However, if you want to develop a strong team, then it’s essential you invest toward achieving that goal. When you do, your employees will benefit from:
- Better communication. Team building enhances communication among employees. Skills and techniques can be taught that can improve the ways in which your team members communication. As a result, challenges can be overcome more easily, tasks become easier because everyone comes to understand they are working toward a common goal, and turf wars are less frequent.
- A stronger commitment to your company. When employees have a clear sense of corporate goals and how they fit into the bigger picture, then they will be more committed – and more loyal – to the company. In addition, increased camaraderie is often an end result of team building activities, which strengthens bonds among your employees. And finally, by participating in team building activities, your staff will experience first-hand what it’s like to come together and work toward a common goal.
- More collaboration. Team building can lead to more – and more effective – collaboration among departments and individual employees. Barriers to collaboration can be dealt with and eliminated. In addition, employees can learn about what other departments do and what they need in order to be successful.
- Better understanding of company culture. You proclaim a certain set of values on your website. But how often do you live them? Team building activities not only give you an opportunity to have your employees experience company culture, but also practice it…making it more of a reality.
So now that you know the benefits, how can you implement team building activities into your workplace? Here are 6 ideas:
- Idea #1: Host lunch sessions. Provide lunch for the entire company, one department or a work team. If it’s the whole company or an entire department, assign employees to groups of up to ten people to talk about work-related questions and issues. Another variation is to host an outside speaker that can share relevant information and experience about working together.
- Idea #2: Have employees visit a department different from their own, but one they work with regularly. As a result, they’ll learn more about what each department does and what department member needs and expectations are.
- Idea #3: Sponsor a company sports team. Whether it’s baseball or bowling, sponsoring a sports team is not only a great way to get positive exposure in the community, but it helps employees build bonds with each other.
- Idea #4: Sponsor classes or events on-site or off. Offer the opportunity for your employees to participate in a fun class or event, such as a cooking class, after work or on the weekends.
- Idea #5: Encourage volunteer opportunities. Whether racing for a cure or building homes for the homeless, volunteering is a great way to enhance the camaraderie among your team members.
- Idea #6: Organize an off-site event during work hours. Not only will employees appreciate the break, but they’ll also benefit from getting to know each other on a more personal level. You can host a lunch at a local restaurant, play golf, go bowling, or organize a picnic.
When it comes to team building, you don’t have to break your budget by scheduling an entire weekend away at a pricey resort in the woods. Instead, implement the tips and ideas above and you’ll be well on your way toward improving relationships among your employees and becoming an employer of choice in the process.
Need more help staffing your team with the strongest talent? Call Morgan Hunter. As a leading Kansas City recruitment agency, our experts can work with you to learn about your staffing needs and objectives, and then strategize the most cost-effective plan for meeting them. Contact Morgan Hunter today to learn more.