Company Retreats & How they improve the overall Employee Experience
Employees often hear the words ‘company retreat’ and shudder at the thought. People assume it will be a weekend of discussing work-related topics and participating in boring team-building activities; but if they’re done right, company retreats can have an incredibly positive impact on employees and their attitudes towards work.
Here are some of the top reasons you should pencil a retreat into your company’s schedule:
They give people a break from the usual office environment: It can be stressful and overwhelming to be in the office every day, working on important projects and dealing with people for hours on end. Going on a retreat gives employees an opportunity to step back from that space and focus more on the ‘big picture’ the company has, as opposed to small everyday tasks.
Employees get a chance to shine in different ways: Depending on the activities planned for the retreat, employees are able to build better relationships with each other and show off some of the skills people don’t get to see in the office environment. For example: demonstrating a passion for cooking by making the team dinner on an evening, being able to flaunt surfing skills during a beach outing or even being able to express their sense of humor over the course of the retreat.
For a company with many branches across a city or country, it gives people a chance to connect face to face. Retreats encourage in-person bonding, rather than dealing with the screens employees are used to on a daily basis. When people get to know each other, they often have more patience and understanding for the other person when they are back in the office and working with them over the phone.
They do away with company hierarchy: From those who are just starting out, to those at the top of the ladder, retreats level the playing field and allow different departments to spend time together when they usually wouldn’t.
Employees can be rewarded for their hard work: Those in senior leadership can use this opportunity to express their gratitude to the staff for projects that excelled, new clients coming on board or everyday hard work. This in turn boosts staff morale and gets people excited to head back to the office with renewed energy and productivity.
Getting a business to succeed is a team effort, so spending time and effort on your team through things like team building and company retreats goes a long way.
