Learn about some of the most important benefits of off-site events.
Trying to plan a team building event and wondering…
Whether you should have your next team building activity off-site (away from the workplace) or on-site (in the workplace itself)?
What are the benefits of off-site company events?
Then this is the blog post you’re looking for!
The most important benefits of off-site team building activities
You know those events where you're stuck in a room with your colleagues and have to do awkward icebreakers?
Yeah…we don’t feel so fired up about those, either.
And as a top team building event planner in Chicago, we’ve hosted activities for multiple companies (including some of our city’s biggest brands like United Airlines and Deloitte).
Our experience tells us that you can expect major advantages from venturing outside the workplace for team building, ranging from better-motivated employees to better-informed bosses.
Read on to learn more!
It makes employees feel valued
Off-site team building activities are generally known as being more costly and difficult than on-site ones.
However, you should see this as an investment rather than a burden.
Your going to the trouble of organizing an off-site event shows that you place importance in your employees' growth and well-being.
Employees will feel valued, which translates into an increased focus on work and higher loyalty.
Boosts employee retention
This is especially important given today's tight labor market.
Showing employees that their contribution to the company is valued is a powerful incentive for them to stay on.
An off-site event also helps build bonds and relationships with employees, which can act as a buffer against urges to leave.
Heading off-site boosts engagement
More than a day of meetings, an offsite event is a perfect way to tap into your team members' intrinsic motivations and encourage their greatest strengths.
Try to sync the activities with the team members' interests.
That will help you leverage those skills more effectively while also helping individuals grow in meaningful ways - all of which are critical for engagement!
It can improve communication throughout the office
When you want to encourage healthy workplace relationships among your employees, it's not enough just to have meetings in person.
You need activities that will allow them time away from their desk and give everyone on the team an opportunity for interactions outside of work too!
Off-site team activities create positive experiences across departments while also helping employees see their higher-ups as allies rather than bosses.
This encourages communication, especially from team members who may feel otherwise uncomfortable talking directly to someone higher up.
Going off-site gives employees a chance to relax
Merely being inside the office - even if it is for a fun team activity - will bring up workplace sentiments.
From everyone being on their toes constantly to constantly checking the inbox and dealing with last-minute requests from clients - that's the sort of tense situation being in the office can evoke.
On the other hand, think about what you're trying to achieve through the group activity.
A mental break from the constant alerts, deadlines, and feedback.
Getting away from the workplace simply makes all those memories vanish like a bad dream, allowing the team members to relax, unwind, and build rapport with one another.
It builds mutual trust
As we just saw, off-site team building helps employees build rapport with one another.
Building rapport, in turn, is a great way to improve trust.
Employees would feel they're in a comfortable environment where they can trust their peers and expect the same from them.
This makes team members more receptive to one another's ideas and opinions.
Open debate is encouraged, which is crucial to improving overall team performance.
Off-site events stimulate creativity
As we just discussed, off-site group activities build mutual trust and encourage open debate.
Remember that, as we're going to double back to it in a bit.
Being stuck in a routine and surrounded by folks just as uninspired can lead to burnout.
Motivation plummets.
On the other hand, getting the heck out of the office for an entirely fresh experience can push employees to think out of the box.
Further, as we just saw, off-site team building makes employees more accepting of others' ideas and alternative viewpoints.
All of which stimulate and boost creativity.
It's an opportunity for management to plan for the future
Thus far, we've focused on how heading off-site for a company retreat can help employees and team members.
However, it has a major benefit for the higher-ups and management too, which we will see now.
While they may like to think otherwise, most of the time team leaders and bosses find themselves busy handling day-to-day issues and firefighting.
The constant demands on their time and attention can make it very difficult for them to step back and think about how to grow the business and improve offerings.
An off-site event can be just the spark that's needed for leaders to separate themselves from the day-to-day running of the company, gain a birds-eye view of the state of the business, and start planning new products and avenues of growth.
It can make employees more productive
How can an off-site team event make employees more productive?
This is where all the benefits we've talked about till now sort of tie in together.
One, distractions can be minimized during the event, leading to a more effective session.
Two, everyone can cut loose and have fun together, building an eagerness to work together.
Three, employees feel more valued by the company leading to higher loyalty.
Four, it increases communication, trust, and creativity.
All of these come together to result in a team that's considerably more productive.
Book your next corporate team building event with Fox in a Box Escape Room
We’ve worked with some of the largest businesses and brands in Chicago - ranging from the Chicago Park District to the University of Chicago and Deloitte - to host team building events.
Our unique and time-tested escape rooms have hosted groups of 35, 70, and even 100 people.
Choose what kind of off-site team building event you want to have
You can have a basic event in which we’ll host you and your group at our escape rooms.
If you want to make it a more wholesome experience, check out food and beverage add-ons with appetizers and an open bar ranging from soft drinks to premium beer, wine & spirits with simple and inclusive pricing.
Finally, if you’re looking for more insight into your team’s dynamics and scope for improvement, we work with an organizational psychologist to provide a more in-depth and partial day retreat or conference for your team.
Head to our team building in Chicago page for more information!
Featured image by Gabin Vallet on Unsplash.
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