If you want to boost team collaboration, workplace morale, and employee engagement, you can never go wrong with hosting company retreats. Aside from the enticing benefits mentioned, company retreats also motivate every member of the team to do better by giving them an opportunity to participate in an activity that bonds them.
Organizing, planning, and hosting a great corporate retreat can be very rewarding. However, it can also be very stressful. To organize the company retreat your employees deserve (and your business needs), you need to keep a few important tips in mind. These tips can help you pull off a fun and memorable company retreat.
Consider your company goals.
Before you plan the details of your company retreat, you need to remember what your company goals are and how the company retreat can help you achieve those goals. For instance, if your goal is establishing a strong connection between all the members of the remote team, how will the company retreat help you achieve said goal?
In similar scenarios, it would be best to spend enough time for the team introductions. Bonding activities can also make a world of difference and can be a huge factor in the success of the activity. To make the most of the company retreat, it would be ideal to have ample time for all the activities (at least 2 to 3 days).
Factor in the team of the year.
The time of the year is an important consideration when planning your company retreat. You might also need to do some research if you are planning an activity that is outside your immediate area. You also need to consider if there are many members responsible for child care as they most likely would prefer not to travel far.
Give participants a heads up.
Company retreats will also require that team members plan ahead since it’s something that’s outside of their normal routine. This is especially needed if there’s unusual hours or travel involved. You also need to give members of the team ample time to hire baby and pet sitters and plan time to and from then retreat.
Understandably, planning will also require time and effort so it would make sense that they are informed in advance. Ideally, it would be best to inform them of the company retreat at least three months in advance. It would also help if you give them an agenda so they would know what to expect ahead of time.
Plan the corporate retreat activities.
Once you have taken care of the logistics, it’s time to plan the fun stuff—the retreat events and activities. Plan activities you will be doing as a team and book the venue in advance. Typical corporate retreat and other team building activities will involve exercises, games, and talks so those are some of the things you should consider.
Some of the corporate retreat activities you can look into include:
- Hiring an industry expert or motivational speaker to deliver a talk or speech.
- Hackathons, where team members from different departments are grouped together to brainstorm new products or ideas which they will present during the retreat.
- Wine tastings or cooking classes
- Kickball, dodgeball, and paintball where team members from different departments can compete against each other.
- Escape rooms, this involves breaking down members of the team into eight to twelve people.
If unsure where to start, it would help if you get professional help. Nowadays, event companies can help you plan out the events so it can help you achieve whatever objectives you have in mind. They can also work within your timeline and budget.
