Team building doesn’t have to be the cliched “away days”, but spending more time together as a team brings a ream of benefits.

During office hours, it can be quite a stressful environment running from meeting to meeting, keeping on top of deadlines and ploughing through your workload. It can be hard to find the time to get to know each other better, and on a deeper level – this can be especially challenging for large teams!

Spending time with colleagues when they’re relaxed and outside of the office, whether during office hours or not, can have a positive impact on your work – it’s a chance to get to know each other better, build personal relationships and become more than just ‘work’ mates. We have found first-hand that it boosts  workplace morale, making your office a happier place to work.

Once you’ve made the effort to dedicate time for team building, you can soon reap the benefits it brings;  for example, teams being able to solve problems much quicker as they feel more comfortable tackling the issue directly, before the situation escalates.

A huge benefit for companies is a higher employee retention rate. Whilst you need to ensure that employees are being productive and efficient, research shows that a team that feels happy is more beneficial for the company. Employees are more likely to stay in their roles if they work alongside people they enjoy being with and who they see as friends.

What we’ve been doing

At Faith PR, we have bi-monthly staff socials to give us the chance to spend time together – chatting, drinking, eating and having fun! As we’re only a small team, it’s beneficial for everyone to get along, make friends and improve our relationships to keep the office running smoothly.

The thought of it being a team building activity quickly fades into the background, and it soon feels like you’re just out having fun with friends.

Our recent staff socials have included crazy golf, bowling and an ‘escape room’ experience. We recommend keeping it varied, keeping it fun, but keep it optional – people can’t be expected to be able to make every single event, don’t add pressure where it’s not needed!

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Nicole Jowett