Organisations neglecting team building could be missing out on wide-ranging and long-lasting benefits, new research from Team Tactics suggests.
61% of South East office workers say team building improves communication. 30% cite a long-term positive impact, while 60% link improved trust between colleagues, with 24% noticing the change long-term.
This comes as differences in communication continue to cause workplace friction and employee engagement is at a low, with Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workforce report revealing that 62% of employees are not engaged and 15% are actively disengaged.
While communication and greater trust are the two most widely recognised long-term improvements, the research revealed other benefits from team building activities. Positive changes were also noted among South East office workers on mood in the office (63%), team morale (63%), collaboration (60%) and teamwork (60%).
The survey of over 1,000 UK office workers commissioned by corporate events company Team Tactics revealed widely positive attitudes towards team building, despite the ‘forced fun’ and ‘cringe’ narratives sometimes associated with the topic.
62% of South East employees say they find team building activities enjoyable, while 60% agree they help them to perform better as a team, and 60% say they help them feel closer to their colleagues.
Respondents also feel that team building gives them a better understanding of their colleagues, with 61% saying it helps them learn about their teammates’ interests outside of work and 60% in agreement that it improves knowledge of individual strengths.
The research also explored how recently South East office workers had attended events where they could bond with colleagues. More than two thirds (68%) said they had taken part in team building activities in the last two years, while for work social events, this rose to almost three quarters (74%) of employees.
The findings also suggest a clear appetite for colleagues to spend with one another even when it’s not being instigated by employers, with 73% saying they’d attended a social event with colleagues organised independently of work in the last two years.
Meanwhile, a fifth (20%) of South East employees surveyed said they have never attended a team building event, while a further 4% claim to have done so, but over three years ago.
Tina Benson, founder and managing director at Team Tactics, said: “It’s positive to see that South East businesses are, on the whole, recognising the wide-ranging benefits team building can bring.
“Organisations that aren’t investing in team building, or haven’t done for some time, are missing out on vital opportunities to improve team dynamics, skills and relationships.
“With research showing employee engagement and relationships are suffering, business leaders can’t afford to turn their backs on these important issues.
“It’s interesting to learn that, while attitudes towards team building are positive on the whole. As the scope of team building activities on offer constantly diversifies, there are more fun, engaging and meaningful ways to bring teams together than ever before.
“Charity and purpose-led team building activities are becoming especially sought after, helping businesses to progress towards their team and CSR goals while creating positive change for deserving causes and communities.”
