Struggling to energise the troops during corporate events and team building days? Instead of opting for some of the more well-known and predictable team building activities, why not try something a little bit different to prevent a yawning audience? Regardless of whether you’re trying to motivate a team of 10 or 100 employees, there’s a wide range of team building activities that will add instant excitement to any work event.
To discover an array of captivating alternatives to your tried-and-tested corporate team building activities, simply carry on reading. Below, we also explore why hosting and taking part in these activities is an important part of any business, how effective these events really are and whether they are or should be a mandatory part of your company operations. Let’s find out!
Why use team building activities?
Team building activities can be used to achieve a wide range of both personal and business goals. Most notably, team building events are used to bring together every member of staff, aiding communication and teamwork across every area of the business. Additional transferable skills such as leadership, adaptability and problem solving are often picked up during these activities, too.
Individuals can take these skills and apply them to both their personal and professional lives. From having greater confidence navigating social events to completing every office tasks with more efficiency, team building activities can help the participants to gain all kinds of essential life skills.
Not to mention, team building events are incredibly unifying and help to break down the potentially strict and formal barriers commonly found in professional working environments. Thanks to the more relaxed nature of team building events, social bonds can be strengthened and communication can be improved, especially between employees of varying seniority.
Best of all, team building activities are suitable for small business and large companies alike. Regardless of whether you employ 10 or 100 members of staff, team building events can encourage more frequent and effective inter-departmental communication as well as strengthening connections and appreciation between even the most tight-knit teams.
Ultimately, team building activities are being adopted by more workplaces to help create a professional environment that people actually enjoy working in. The skills from these activities can also promote a more unified, cooperative and motivated workforce, allowing employers to get the most out of their staff, too.
Are team building activities mandatory?
Team building events are often voluntary, but many workplaces will heavily encourage employees to take part due to the personal and professional benefits that they stand to gain. Typically, team building activities are only valuable when they aren’t being forced on members of staff. In fact, making team building events mandatory for all employees could actually have the opposite of the intended effect.
Instead, if you want to unlock the full potential of your workforce with a team building activity, the key is making the event both optional and fun. After all, forcing employees to take part in a team building event is unlikely to sound very entertaining. According to the Lunch Break Bonding survey conducted by Just Eat for Business, 58% of employers and 40% of the employees found the level of enjoyment to be the most important factor of a team building event.
While it’s not recommended that team building activities should be mandatory, it’s a good idea to host frequent team building events. Frequent corporate team building activities can help to maintain bonds and skills developed during these events, while also allowing new members of the team to form productive relationships with their colleagues.
Do team building activities really work?
Based on additional findings from the Lunch Break Bonding survey, nine out of 10 workers would find the office more enjoyable if team building events occurred more frequently. Not only do the results of this survey support the fact the team building events have a positive impact on most employees’ perception of the office, but they also suggest that team building activities can be effective in other ways, too.
If the vast majority of the team believes team building activities have a positive impact on their workplace, then it’s likely that they’re returning to the office with greater motivation and better colleague relations. Additional benefits might also include picking up various transferable skills and returning to work feeling refreshed.
How to encourage team building
If your members of staff seem reluctant to take part in a team building activity, there are several ways that you can encourage participation without making it a mandatory event. This includes covering associated costs, choosing a considerate location for the event and opting for a mutually-agreeable team building activity. We explore each one of these components in more detail below!
Take care of the costs
One of the main factors that can deter employees from participating in a team building event is the associated costs. The survey conducted by Just Eat for Business found that more than half of the participants (51%) felt they were less likely to attend a team building activity if they were required to contribute financially.
Depending on where and when you choose to host your team building event, members of staff may be required to cover extra costs related to travel, accommodation and food. To take the stress out of this situation, employers should be willing to pay for these expenses.
To improve the overall experience of team building events, employers could go even the extra mile to book hotel rooms and make travel arrangements where necessary. This is especially relevant since the widespread adoption of remote working has encouraged businesses to employ members of staff from not only across the UK, but from across the world. Taking these practical requirements into consideration is therefore paramount for hosting an inclusive team building event.
Pick the perfect location
Picking the right location is another practical aspect of hosting a team building event that can encourage participation. Taking the time to select the perfect location can make both travelling to the team building venue and finding nearby accommodation (if required) much easier for your employees. Similarly, the venue should also be worth travelling for. Opting for a standard hotel meeting room is unlikely to inspire or motivate your staff.
Instead, why not consider bringing your team together in a new and stimulating venue? One way you can decide which venue is best for your team building activity is by considering your event requirements. You might require state-of-the-art technology, a large outdoor area or simply a refreshing change of scenery, for example. Alternatively, you can always create a poll and let your staff pick the best venue from a selection of suitable locations.
Choose a fun team building activity
One of the best ways to encourage team building is by listening to what your team wants. By allowing your employees to choose their own team building activity (either through a poll or an open discussion), they’re far more likely to be excited about and eager to participate in the event.
This is supported by the Just Eat for Business survey research that highlighted the quality of the activity as the second most important team building factor for employees. Alternatively, if you’d like to choose the activity for them, it’s well worth doing your research to highlight some of the most preferable team building activities.
According to the same survey, for example, lunches were considered the top work perk (40%), closely followed by escape rooms (31%) and team vs team competitions (31%). A considerable percentage of the survey also identified ‘lunch & learns’ (26%), mixology classes (21%) and quiz/trivia nights (20%) as the more preferable social activities.
What are some fun team building activities?
If you’ve been racking your brain for some more entertaining team building activities, then you’ve come to the right place. Informed by our independent research and inspired by the lively and stress-free atmosphere of our Bierkeller venues, we’ve provided an assortment of team building activities that won’t leave your employees watching the clock. Whichever team building event you decide to host, you can guarantee it’ll be a hit with your eager employees!
Escape rooms
Everyone knows the aim of the game when it comes to escape rooms, but why do escape rooms make such fantastic team building events? Typically most suitable for smaller offices, escape rooms encourage teams to work together (often against the clock) in an entertaining environment. Depending on the type of escape room you decide to use, players are likely to come up against riddles and clues – ideal for building problem-solving and teamwork skills.
Trivia quiz
A great choice for businesses that value brain over brawn, trivia quiz team building is not only incredibly inclusive, but it also promotes a healthy sense of competition and can be enjoyed in tandem with refreshing beverages and some tasty fare. Simply split your workforce into equal groups, pick a fun-packed venue to host and create a list of questions varying in both difficulty and topic to really encourage team communication.
Presentation event
This quirky and waggish alternative to more traditional team building events is best for more intimate teams and involves each member creating and revealing their own presentation. Often featuring plenty of humour, these presentations might highlight the boss’ most beloved (and well-used) phrases, compare the events of the company’s Christmas parties or even illustrate the employee’s favourite things about the workplace. Members of staff can then vote for the best presentation, adding an element of competition to proceedings.
Team lunches
With team lunches leading the way when it comes to the most preferable team building activities, there’s nothing wrong with embracing this option. However, if you do opt for a sociable lunch instead of a specific activity, it’s vital that you nail the venue. Choosing a lively venue with plenty of food and drink variety (alongside vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options) is sure to make every member of the team feel welcome. Add a theme and the conversation will be freely flowing in no time!
Corporate events and team building at the Bierkeller
At the bustling Bierkeller, team building activities are like no other. No matter what kind of team building events you and your employees prefer, our lively venue provides the perfect backdrop to get them excited and engaged. So, why not wave goodbye to monotonous hotel meeting rooms and choose the buoyant Bierkeller instead?
Each of our vibrant Bierkeller locations are conveniently located in the midst of central UK cities including Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Halifax to ensure effortless travel and access to nearby accommodation for every member of staff. Offering numerous amenities including restaurants, bars and hotels, the Bierkeller makes the ideal hub for any corporate event.
Regardless of which Bierkeller location lends itself to your team building event requirements the best, each one is run by a friendly and accommodating team that can cater to a wide variety of needs. Featuring top of the range facilities, open plan spaces and a huge selection of refreshing beverages on tap, our Bierkeller venues couldn’t be better-equipped to host your next team building event.
To get in touch with our team to discuss your event requirements, dates or venue availability, please don’t wait to contact us today. You can either give the Bierkeller venue of your choice a call on the relevant number or send your enquiry through to us via email. You can discover more details about each of our Bierkeller locations here.