Team building activities and residentials are one way to get your staff working together and to their potential. Lots of businesses overlook team bonding exercises either because of the expense or the time cost that it involves but the most successful companies take full advantage of it and reap the rewards long-term.

Key Benefits of Team Building

ActivitiesBetter Communication

Communication between staff and departments is the key to success. Team building exercises encourage staff to communicate with each other to complete tasks and solve problems. By putting people in a fun and relaxing environment outside the workplace, you will encourage everyone to relax, be themselves and open up to others.

Increased Productivity
Better communication and collaboration will have a positive knock-on effect on productivity levels. By working together on a common goal, duplication of work is decreased, there is less friction and resistance, and therefore better output from each staff member.

This is one of the most sought-after goals that employers look to achieve when taking part in team-building activities.

Improved Morale
One of the top benefits of team-building activities is improved morale in the office. An enthusiastic and positive workforce that feels they are cared for will radiate that feeling throughout the office, creating an environment that is nice and fun to work in.

Team exercises and games that improve morale can help break down barriers between employees and give ideas to bosses as to how to create and keep a good atmosphere in the office.

Increase in Motivation
Taking part in something new and exciting such as a team bonding exercise increases staffs motivation as they know that they are being cared for and will be rewarded for their good work.

This increase in motivation should help improve productivity levels, morale, and confidence in each other’s abilities.

Leadership Qualities Identified

Employers and managers can identify leaders within the workforce while taking part in team-building activities as they take control of problem-solving tasks and positively work with and encourage other members of the team.

While taking part in a team game such as ‘Blindfold Shape Game’, leaders will communicate effectively with everyone and find solutions to get the correct answers.

Creativity is Encouraged
Activities such as raft-building encourage staff to think and get creative while designing their raft that must float on the water. Encouraging the workforce to be creative and use their initiative can have amazing effects on an organization as staff will feel trusted to think outside the box and find solutions to potential problems.

Fresh ideas can keep a company ahead of the pack and opens a wide range of possibilities.

• Increase in Confidence Levels
  Team building days can increase employees’ personal confidence and also confidence in their colleague’s abilities. An increase in confidence will give your workforce the inner courage to express new ideas and depend on others within the group to be able to complete tasks that are necessary to make a company successful.
• Improved Mental Health
  Problem-solving challenges and physical activities are good for people’s mental health. By proving that you are capable of completing challenges you will gain a huge boost in confidence and self-esteem.

Getting out and taking part in physical activities is also a great way to clear the head and feel healthier which will have a great impact on a person’s mental health.

Outdoor activities benefit health in many ways including reducing stress and anxiety, and this will help make staff much more productive in the workplace.

Improved Physical Health
Giving your staff a day out of the office where they aren’t sitting at a desk all day is a great way to promote improving physical health. Team building activities are much more active than typing emails and making phone calls all day!

Businesses cannot function if their staff are missing days because they are physically unwell and that is why promoting good physical health through team building is important.

Responsibility
In a team-building game, every member of staff has to contribute otherwise, they are letting the team down. Team games reinforce the responsibilities that everyone has and this will hopefully manifest in the workplace.

Trust
Getting to know your work colleagues better personally helps to develop trust. This is a major benefit of team-building activities as people in the workplace will know each other capabilities and interests, leading to better collaboration with tasks and improved morale.

Respect
While working together on problem-solving tasks and team games, a level of respect is gained between employees because they can see that their colleagues are there to help them and they can also identify skills and qualities that each other have.

Lots of fun!
Creating a fun environment between colleagues and teammates can help in so many ways from staff turnover and sick days to productivity and in turn, profits. Team building is a whole lot of fun and it is a great way for staff to see another side of their colleagues that they may not normally see at work.

As you can see, team-building activities are not just for a jolly day out of the office – they are in fact an essential part of the business and a brilliant way to get your staff motivated.

Here are specific L&D challenges you may encounter that working with a training company can help you overcome:

• Limited budget: To work well with a limited budget, prioritize employee goals and where they fit into long-term organizational strategies to prevent wasted effort and cost overruns.
• Alignment with a corporate vision: Get clarity from corporate leadership, and maintain consistent and quality communication throughout the planning process to ensure all parties are on the same page.
• Insufficient metrics: Key performance indicators (or KPIs) are essential to assessing the effectiveness of your L&D program. Use the information you gather to communicate a positive impact to leadership with data to back you up.
• Outdated content: Industry trends and standards are changing all the time. So, too, should your content. Regular updates to content should be a common-sense part of your L&D program.
• Decentralized L&D: L&D can often feel like an organization in and of itself within the broader environment of a company. While many different stakeholders may be involved in the process, L&D teams are often isolated from the settings that would help them perform their jobs better.

How can a training company help you address these challenges? With a focus on people and process.

People

Each employee is an individual with specific preferences and goals. They may be unwilling to take time away from urgent tasks to make time for training unless they see the benefit of training. Working with a dedicated outside training team will show your organization that you take employee development seriously. A planned, structured program tailored to your organization’s needs will make it easier for employees to work training into their schedules and promote a culture where career development is a priority. Here are some tips to accomplish this goal.

• Begin at the top. Managers should look at each employee in terms of his or her long-term potential. Keeping good people and helping them climb the career ladder internally is a smart business decision. Unfortunately, many businesses don’t have the bandwidth or expertise to successfully develop high-potential employees. That’s when a training company can make all the difference.
• Build consensus. It’s tough to achieve employee buy-in if the executive team is not on board. Gain stakeholder buy-in by communicating value. Focus on the importance of choosing an L&D partner that will deliver a strong return on investment and be well worth the time and effort.

Process

Once employees have an understanding that professional development is part of their job, make it easy for them to get the training that they need to be successful on the job and move forward by selecting an L&D firm with a track record of success and a program that can be customized to your company’s goals. Here are some tips.

• Seek engagement. Engagement is a cornerstone of the L&D process. Learners should be engaged before, during, and after a training program. Engaging learners can include generating awareness and excitement, communicating value before an event, providing engaging experiences during the training, and following through after the program is completed. Outsourcing training ensures that your team will work with individuals who have devoted their careers to training people and will approach the task with energy and enthusiasm.
• Manage expectations. What results do managers expect, and by when? Communicate with key stakeholders early and often throughout the process to set expectations. Looping in stakeholders will help you achieve your goals and keep your project on time and on budget.
• Communicate value. The most important task is to communicate value and engage your stakeholders, from your trainees to your L&D team to management. Training benefits companies in measurable and important ways. Make sure you’re tracking and communicating that value.

Partnering With a Training Company

Training companies have one focus: learning and development. They have the expertise and the bandwidth to help you develop and retain your best people while you remain focused on reaching your organization’s goals.

Nationally, less than 10% of eligible employees access tuition reimbursement programs. This is often because traditional educational models like college degrees don’t meet their needs or fit within their lifestyle. Plus, many organizations’ training programs are not well-aligned with the company’s and employees’ objectives.

Despite these challenges, the benefits of training employees far outweigh the challenge of designing an effective training program. From increasing employee morale to growing the company’s output, organizations that invest in their workforce are likely to reap significant rewards. 

The Benefits of Employee Training

Below are 10 benefits of training employees in today’s workplace, whether you’re working remotely, in-person, or a mix of both.

Reduce Employee Turnover

Employee turnover can be highly disruptive–and costly. The average cost of replacing an employee ranges from about one-third to twice their annual salary, depending on the level and complexity of their position. Doing so can also take months or more.

Offering employee training is a straightforward and effective way to reduce turnover. According to LinkedIn Learning, 94% of employees say they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their development.

Reduce Layoffs

Business priorities can change fast in today’s world. And unfortunately, that can lead to layoffs when employees’ skills no longer align with their employer’s needs. Layoffs can significantly impact morale among the employees left behind and come with the costs of severance payments and rehiring. 

Oftentimes, there are ways to avoid layoffs. Upskilling and reskilling employees for new or expanded roles that meet business priorities allow companies to shift existing talent rather than start from scratch. According to recent research from the New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, companies that invested in employee training prior to COVID-19 were significantly less likely to lay off employees during the pandemic. 

Improve Employee Engagement

Employee engagement remains a moving target for most organizations, but it’s critical for company outcomes. The research found that the companies with the highest engagement are 23% more profitable than those with the lowest engagement. And since only 35% of employees say they are engaged with their jobs, there’s plenty of room for improvement. 

Since LinkedIn Learning reports that employees who feel they have room to learn and grow at their companies are 3.5 times more likely to be engaged, employee training opportunities present an ideal tool for increasing both engagement and profit. 

Increase Productivity

Productivity is essential for profitability. And offering employee training is one of the most straightforward ways organizations can increase their outputs. Learning how to use new technologies or tools, ranging from scheduling apps to artificial intelligence, can significantly cut the time it takes to perform everyday tasks. The benefits of training employees on soft skills such as time management and delegation also include streamlined processes and reduced time wastage. 

Improve Team Functionality

Most employees work in teams, yet those teams are rarely optimized for success. To succeed, teams need complementary skill sets that help them work in a cohesive, efficient way. Identifying skill gaps in teams (for instance, a lack of writing or technical skills) can impact the productivity of every member. Team training on communications skills, conflict management, and diversity and equity can also help build trust among employees and reduce time lost to misunderstandings and conflict. 

Build a Competitive Advantage

When employees are up to date on the latest business knowledge and technology and teams possess the skills, they need to succeed, they are prepared to pivot. In today’s rapidly changing environment, companies need to adapt to new challenges and customer demands. And organizations that haven’t invested in developing their employees are likely to fall behind competitors that have. Companies with the ability to quickly switch gears to provide new products or services when the market demands have a major competitive advantage.

Prevent and Address Skill Gaps

Skills gaps are a persistent problem for organizations, and even more so in the wake of COVID-19. In fact, McKinsey & Company found that 87% of companies either have identified skills gaps or expect to experience them within the next few years. Being able to proactively address those gaps is one of the benefits of employee training and doing so reduces the risk that the company will either need to sink money into hiring or fall behind. That’s why over half of executives report that they prefer upskilling and reskilling as their approach to addressing skills gaps. 

Enhance Management

Poor management is one of the biggest drags on a company’s bottom line—according to Gallup, ineffective leaders cost the global economy over $7 billion each year. Given their impact on the company, the importance of employee training is only increased for managers. Training managers to communicate effectively, develop their employees, think strategically, and react to challenges with flexibility can drastically increase both team performance and employee satisfaction. 

Build a Talent Pipeline

Employee turnover is a fact of life. But when employees with essential skills depart, that can leave unprepared organizations in the lurch. Organizations can prevent disruptions by using targeted training to create career paths for their employees. Ideally, employers and managers partner to develop these paths, which include clear milestones and objectives for skills acquisition and promotion. In addition to its role in succession planning, the career pathing process also increases employee engagement with the company and its roles.