There is a lot of work that goes into getting new hires up to speed in their day-to-day responsibilities. This is why it’s important to include 
too.
A virtual scavenger hunt is an easy way to encourage team bonding without having employees leave the comfort of their desks. These types of events help foster relationships that can be built upon once they return to the office.
Motivation
Team building is important for motivating employees and developing a cohesive work environment. When employees are encouraged to collaborate with their peers, it helps them feel a sense of loyalty and belonging to the company. It also allows them to develop creative ideas that can help achieve company goals and objectives. In addition, when employees feel connected to their fellow workers, it increases their overall job satisfaction, which is essential for a high performing workforce.
New hires can become easily discouraged during the onboarding process if they are not properly welcomed and guided into their roles. Implementing a team building strategy can help new hires feel engaged and comfortable in their positions, which will increase their retention rate and productivity.
During the onboarding process, consider including Team Building in Onboarding, activities that help employees learn more about their coworkers in a fun and lighthearted way. For example, have employees bring something to share with the group that is special to them. This could be a favorite pet, their kids or even a hobby they enjoy. This is a great way for new hires to get to know their coworkers in a relaxed setting and also provides an opportunity for employees to demonstrate their unique talents.
Encourage employee involvement in company wide goal setting during the onboarding process. This can be done through a company-wide meeting or during a team building activity. Getting employees involved in the company’s mission early on will help them feel a greater sense of purpose and can motivate them to work harder towards reaching their shared goals.
Give employees a chance to reward each other and show appreciation for their hard work. This can be in the form of monetary rewards or simply acknowledging their accomplishments. In addition, it is a good idea to provide opportunities for employees to further their education and career development, which will help them feel like they have a long-term future at the company. This can be in the form of additional training, setting challenging targets or spending time mentoring someone else in their department.
Team Spirit
Team spirit is a frame of mind that is essential for an organization. People that have a positive team spirit are likely to be better workers and be more committed to the goals of an organization. In addition, they may be more likely to encourage others to work well with the team.
Having a strong team spirit is beneficial for any company, no matter the size. A business that has a good team spirit is likely to have better morale, and this can lead to improved financial performance for the company. It also helps in dealing with any challenges that may arise.
To develop a strong team spirit, companies need to focus on building trust and encouraging communication. One way to build trust is by having employees communicate openly with each other, especially when the matter at hand involves sensitive information. This will help to eliminate any misconceptions or misunderstandings that can lead to conflict. It is also important to give employees the tools they need to communicate effectively, such as through emails or meetings.
A company that wants to encourage team spirit should also make sure that all employees are treated with respect. Often, when employees are treated in an unfair or discriminatory manner, they will begin to lose their commitment to the company and may not work well with their colleagues.
It is also a good idea to give team members the opportunity to bond outside of work. For example, a company can host group outings for its employees, such as a bowling night or an outdoor picnic. These events provide employees with something to look forward to each week, which can counteract the feeling that every day is filled with tasks and meetings.
In many organizations, there are individuals or teams that don't get as much recognition as others. For example, clerical staff and administrative groups perform vital functions that are necessary for the company, but they may not receive as much praise as sales teams. To promote team spirit, a company can highlight these individuals or teams on social media, sending a message that everyone is rooting for them.
Team Building Needs to Pay Special Attention to New Employees
It's important for teams to get to know each other, but this is especially true for new hires. Workplace friendships are a huge boon to employee engagement and productivity, so it's a good idea to give new employees the opportunity to develop these relationships early on with team building activities like icebreakers. The sooner that happens, the more at ease and confident they will feel in their new roles.
One of the most common reasons that team building activities fail to be effective is because they are often done and forgotten about rather than integrated into an ongoing schedule. That's why it's crucial to include team building activities as part of your onboarding process and to make sure that this information is readily available when the new hire arrives in their department.
This might mean creating a written guide that outlines the steps of your onboarding process, including the timeframe and how many team building activities you will hold. It might also include a list of key contacts that they can contact if they have any questions. This way, they can connect with people who are able to help them in their first days and weeks at work.
In addition to ensuring that all new hires have access to the resources they need, it's also a good idea to encourage them to connect with people outside of their immediate team through team lunches or outings. This will help them get to know employees from other departments and begin to see how the different teams work together as a whole to make the business run smoothly.
Collaboration is essential to getting projects done on time and correctly. In fact, one study showed that groups of three performed better than individual members in a task that required them to come up with solutions to problems. Developing these skills through team building activities can help them collaborate effectively when they're working on actual projects.
Moreover, team building helps to build trust, which is essential for any successful project. Many team building activities involve participants learning more about one another, such as when they're playing games that require cooperation, such as a scavenger hunt or an escape room. During these activities, people tend to open up and learn how to communicate with each other more effectively, which is something that will definitely come in handy when they're working on a real project.
How Often Should You Do Team Building?
While HR and recruiting professionals have a lot to do in order to recruit top talent, the job is not done once they get that new hire’s offer accepted. They must help that new hire find his or her footing in the company, learn its policies and procedures, and contribute to team efforts quickly and effectively. Team building is the key to this success, but it takes time to build. Whether it’s through a company-wide scavenger hunt that helps everyone bond or a more training-style event, such as a business simulation, the first few weeks and months are critical.
Employees frequently improve their communication abilities during team building activities that can be used at work. For instance, completing a team scavenger hunt in a short amount of time necessitates effective communication among the participants. As they work on real projects in the workplace, this helps them solve problems, share updates on their progress, and meet deadlines.
Additionally, new hires can be introduced to other organization members at team building events. This is especially helpful for workers who work from home because they may not get as many opportunities to meet their coworkers face to face. An excellent illustration of a team-building activity that fosters this kind of interaction is an onboarding buddy system. The new team member is guided by an experienced colleague who covers everything from the company's culture to day-to-day responsibilities and serves as a point of contact for any questions or concerns.
The company's culture as a whole may also benefit from this interaction with other departments. Employees who are connected across departments collaborate more effectively and assist one another in achieving company-wide objectives. It's possible that workers won't be able to see how their work affects the company as a whole if they only interact with coworkers in their own department.
Qualitative data, such as responses to interviews, employee satisfaction ratings, and engagement levels, provide some of the most effective measures of team building. Notwithstanding, there are a few quantitative markers that are an immediate consequence of these exercises too, including truant rates, enrollment volume, general efficiency, and everyday/week after week/month to month benefit.
