HR Outsourcing’s Tips on Team Building

As an HR Outsourcing professional I have to deal with team building exercises almost on a daily basis. Clients consistently call to speak with me about scheduling these exercises and possible scenarios they could use in order to get the most effective team building experience. To me, team building exercises are sort of like a double edged sword. They can be effective if you know what you are doing but if you don’t, team building exercises can prove detrimental to both your team and subsequently to your business. Below are a few considerations to take into account when implementing team building exercises:

Have team building activities on company time.

There is nothing employees dislike more than having their free time taken away from them, especially if it is to attend a mandatory team building exercise. Try to schedule these activities during business hours and employees with be more open minded and willing to participate in said activities with an open mind.

Be aware of different personalities and styles.

Everyone is not the same. That is one thing you learn quickly in the HR Outsourcing world. People have different personalities and an exercise that one employee may like, another may not like. Try and do activities that utilize different roles and when appropriate have employees partake in roles that they are not used to so they may gain an understanding of how various groups operate.

Present real world problems.

Presenting real world problems that are present in the company is a good way to team build. Sure going to a go-cart track or a paintball field can be enjoyable for employees and might be good as a capstone to a successful team building experience but a lot of times those types of activities don’t really allow people to get a grasp of how others work and operate. Focusing a team building exercise around streamlining operations etc is a good way to think outside of the box and get good suggestions on how to solve some of the company’s problems.

Choose the right facilitator.

Choosing the wrong facilitator is a sure fire way to waste the efforts a company goes through to implement these team building exercises. Make sure that when you choose a facilitator that they do what you want to do. A good facilitator should be able to tailor their curriculum to fit the needs and wants of your business.

As a professional in the HR outsourcing field, I believe that team building exercises are important for company growth. Done correctly they can improve morale and push the company in the right direction. The main thing to understand what your employees want and to customize a program that can accommodate all employees involved.

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